St. John's College

Liberal Arts Education at St. John's College - Annapolis, Maryland

Founded in 1696 in Annapolis, Maryland (MD), St. John's College - Annapolis, MD offers students a unique education in the liberal arts. Its sole undergraduate program, the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, is based on the great books of western civilization.

The college, which has no religious affiliation, provides a vibrant and congenial learning community for students from all 50 states and 20 countries. Small (12 to 19 students), seminar-style classes allow students to formulate questions and deepen their knowledge through in-depth discussions. A faculty-to-student ratio of 1 to 8 ensures that every student receives personalized attention and mentoring. In addition, students have the ability to further expand their intellect and viewpoints by studying at the college's campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

St. John's College - Annapolis, MD has accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It is one of forty colleges profiled in Loren Pope's book, "Colleges that Change Lives," in which he described the college as "intellectual" and "indispensable." It is also a member of the non-profit organization of the same name inspired by the book. The organization encourages students, families, and guidance counselors to base college selection on students' needs rather than on the "name and prestige" of schools.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts

The BA in Liberal Arts program uses the works of great thinkers and writers like Einstein, Homer, Plato, and Woolf to aid students in tackling fundamental questions that confront humanity. The program's rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum consists of four years of seminars, mathematics tutorials, and language tutorials; three years of natural science laboratories; and two years of music tutorials. It covers the following subjects:

Seminar:

- Classics

- Economics

- English/Literature

- History

- Philosophy

- Political Science

- Psychology

- Religion/Theology

Math Tutorial:

- Algebra

- Astronomy

- Calculus

- Geometry

- Number Theory

- Relativity

Science Laboratory:

- Astronomy/Astrophysics

- Biology

- Chemistry

- Genetics

- Physics

Music Tutorial:

- Chorus

- Music Theory

Language Tutorial:

- Ancient Greek

- French

- Poetry

This extensive curriculum enables students to immerse themselves in reading, writing, critical thinking, translating, demonstrating, conducting experiments, and analyzing music.

Graduate Programs in the Liberal Arts

St. John's College - Annapolis, MD has a Master of Arts (MA) in Liberal Arts program that allows students including executives, professionals, teachers, and writers to expand their understanding of themselves and the world. They achieve this goal by reading, contemplating, and discussing great texts like Euripides's "Electra," Shakespeare's "King Lear," Tocqueville's "Democracy in America," and Kierkegaard's "Philosophical Fragments."

The college also offers the MA in Liberal Arts as well as an MA in Eastern Classics program at its Santa Fe campus.

Financial Assistance

St. John's College - Annapolis, MD is committed to making college affordable for all students. To this end, it provides need-based and merit-based financial aid. Approximately, 92% of its students receive some form of assistance. About 89% of them are awarded institutional grants in addition to federal grants, loans, and work study jobs.

Career Opportunities

Nearly 70% of graduates pursue advanced degrees. St. John's College is in the top 2% of all colleges and universities in the nation for percent of alumni who go on to earn Ph.D.'s; in the top 1% for degrees in the humanities, and the top 4% for those in science and engineering. St. John's students graduate with the analytical, interpersonal, and verbal and written communication skills to succeed in a variety of fields. In fact, a recent survey revealed the following career paths of some alumni:

- Business, 20%

- Communication and the Arts, 15%

- Computers/Sciences, Mathematics, 8%

- Education, 19%

- Health/Medicine, 9%

- Law, 10%

- Social Sciences, 2%

Faculty Members

St. John's faculty members are life-long learners, teachers, and scholars known as tutors. Instead or explaining doctrines in their areas of expertise, they create a cooperative learning environment where participants (students and tutors) learn and grow together.

They also provide guidance through demonstrations, experimentation, explanations, and translations. Their primary role, however, is to support students in understanding concepts and developing their intellect and skills.

Faculty members include Dr. Pamela Kraus, Dr. Jeffrey Black