The New College Curriculum

Available in the fall of 2017 for a cohort of incoming first-year students, the New College Curriculum is spearheaded by scholar-teachers serving as College Fellows—some of UVA’s best faculty. The result is an education in the liberal arts and sciences that is built upon a new first-year experience, a set of Engagements courses designed to help students flourish at UVA, in their chosen careers, and as active citizens.

Through the New College Curriculum, you will have the opportunity to participate in an innovative, comprehensive and interdisciplinary general education curriculum composed of three main parts:

Engagements

These four first-year courses will help students engage the world from the moment they arrive on Grounds at UVA. The Engagement courses were created to form a shared academic experience for students and encourage innovative, creative, ethical, and critical thinking to frame their intellectual journey at UVA and to prepare them to succeed and thrive in the modern world. Students will take a course in each of the following areas: Engaging Aesthetics; Empirical & Scientific Engagement; Engaging Difference; and Ethical Engagement.

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Literacies

In this component, students develop their ability to understand and engage the world even more deeply. This includes knowledge of language, fluency in different modes of modern expression, and practice with mathematical and quantitative thought.

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Disciplines

In this component, students explore the different scholarly practices and disciplinary thinking that exist throughout the Arts & Sciences. Students explore a wide range of topics and material drawn from seven disciplines that reflect the richness, breadth, and interconnectedness of the liberal arts and sciences. Students will take one class in each discipline, each consisting of many course options across numerous departments, giving students the freedom to tailor this component to their interests and schedule.

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