<p>Anyone have anything to say about Kenyon's academic program/graduation requirements? The requirements, as written, seem rather byzantine--at least on first reading. Looking at the catalog a second time, the academic program wasn't quite so impenetrable, but the prose style of the catalog seems deliberately opaque--like it was written by a particularly stodgy old rhetorician.</p>
<p>Is there a specific aspect you want clarified?</p>
<p>The requirements aren’t really too complex. There is a lot of freedom and flexibility in creating an academic program that suits your goals and abilities. Essentially there are 4 main requirements:</p>
<ol>
<li>Distribution requirement (commonly known as gen. ed. at most other schools). You are required to take 2 courses (1.0 units) from one department in each of the following academic divisions: </li>
</ol>
<p>Fine Arts (Studio Art, Art History, Music, Dance & Drama);
Humanities (English, Modern Languages, Classics, Philosophy Religious Studies);
Physical Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Psychology);
Social Sciences (Economics, History, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science).</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You are required to complete 1 Quantitative Reasoning course (QR). Typically, this is any science, math or econ class. Your QR course can also be double counted for the distribution requirement.</p></li>
<li><p>You are required to be proficient in a foreign language, equivalent to one year of study. Most students fulfill this requirement by taking the placement exam during orientation, and passing out of the first year of a foreign language. Also, it is possible to transfer in credit from another college, earn a 3 or higher on an AP exam (4 or 5 for Latin), or earn a 540 or higher on the SAT II in a modern language.</p></li>
<li><p>Complete the requirements for a major course of study, including the Senior Exercise. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>That is pretty much it. There is a lot of room for taking elective classes, completing a minor, or even a double major. I hope this helps.</p>
<p>rdt425,</p>
<p>Well, this is helpful–the way you describe it is quite clear. The way it is written in the Kenyon catalog is much less straightforward. I was wondering if that said anything about the style of pedagogy at the school.</p>
<p>Read the description of courses (and their titles.) This is VERY revealing of the pedagogy at any school.</p>
<p>If you are questioning the necessity for these requirements:</p>
<p>The basic philosophy is that they want all graduates – from bio majors to dance majors – to leave Kenyon with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary set of skills and knowledge. Everyone should leave Kenyon as a critical thinker, an excellent writer, and someone who can communicate with people across all borders and disciplines.</p>
<p>On a personal note, I’d like to say that an additional (and intentional) side effect of the curriculum requirements is that it allows students to test subject areas that may be outside of their comfort zone or to which they have not yet been exposed. I, like many other students I know, switched majors based on an amazing and unexpected experience in a class I took to fulfill my distribution requirements.</p>
<p>Honestly, I feel a little stupid about my original post. I COULD figure out what the requirements were. I was just distracted by some of the elaboration … Probably MY problem. Thanks, everyone, for the help.</p>