Great Books Program
Overview
The online program in Great Books uses twenty-first century technology to deliver a timeless education. The Great Books do not belong to any nation, race, or creed, but represent the shared cultural heritage of humankind—the best that has been thought and written over the last three thousand years. Written centuries or even millennia in the past, they still speak to us today, and offer the wisdom of the ages as a guide to facing the challenges of our contemporary world.
The Great Books curriculum at New College of Florida consists of two parts:
1) the History of Ideas sequence, or first cycle, of 8 courses (32-credit hours), which serves as a general introduction to the Great Books, which all students in the program will complete; and
2) a set of 32 thematic seminars, or second cycle, from which students may choose electives to explore the topics that most interested them in greater depth.
The program will offer:
1) A Great Books certificate, for all students who complete the eight courses in the History of Ideas first cycle (32 credit hours). In addition to students in the online program, the certificate track will be available to all who are interested, including on-campus students and non-traditional students/lifelong learners who already have a degree, but would like to study the Great Books in a systematic and in-depth way.
2) An Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts (60 credit hours), offered completely online, consisting of the History of Ideas cycle, seminars chosen from the “second cycle,” and additional electives.
3) Students who complete the online A.A. in Liberal Arts may choose either of the following tracks for completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree:
a) A fully online B.A. in Liberal Arts (120 credit hours), to be completed through additional coursework in the Great Books second cycle. Students selecting this option will assemble a portfolio of original work completed in the program and must successfully pass a comprehensive oral baccalaureate examination before a faculty committee.
b) A hybrid option for a B.A. with a joint concentration combining Great Books with any other area of concentration (AOC) offered at New College (124 credit hours).
Students selecting this option will complete their final two years of study in residence at New College of Florida. Having completed an A.A. degree in the state of Florida, they will be credited with three contracts and one ISP, and will be deemed to have met all general education requirements and to have completed the Great Books component of their joint AOC. These students will meet the regular New
College graduation requirements (seven contracts, three ISPs, and a senior thesis or project and baccalaureate examination).