ACTA in the NewsCore Curriculum
A bachelor’s in three years? Colleges just got a green light to get in the game.
For decades, the four-year bachelor’s degree, with its requirement for 120 credits of classwork, has been the unquestioned standard.
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is pleased to announce the newest addition to its What Will They Learn?® rating system: the “A+” grade.
With the guidance of our Council of Scholars, ACTA has identified seven subject areas that together make up a foundational core curriculum in the liberal arts. What Will They Learn?® evaluates curricular and general educational requirements at over 1,100 U.S. colleges and universities, rating each institution’s curriculum on an “A+”–“F” scale based on whether they require students to study these essential subject areas.
The seven subject areas are Composition, Literature, (intermediate-level) Foreign Language, U.S. Government or History, Economics, Mathematics, and Natural Science. What Will They Learn?®’s new “A+” grade identifies liberal arts institutions that require students to take courses in all seven subject areas. Out of 1,134 universities reviewed by What Will They Learn?®, only seven universities earn an “A+”.
These seven institutions are Christopher Newport University, Patrick Henry College, Thomas Aquinas College in California, Thomas Aquinas College in Massachusetts, Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, the University of Dallas, and the University of Saint Katherine. Each of these universities stands out for its rigorous curriculum and commitment to liberal arts education.
Our “A+” schools are models of educational quality and pedagogical integrity. These institutions deserve the consideration of academically serious students and should serve as inspiration to educators seeking to make students’ college years some of the most rewarding and transformative years of their lives.
MEDIA CONTACT: Gabrielle Anglin
EMAIL: ganglin@goacta.org
For decades, the four-year bachelor’s degree, with its requirement for 120 credits of classwork, has been the unquestioned standard.
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
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