The curriculum expresses the University's commitment to the values of a liberal education while providing flexibility and diversity. Liberal education at Saint Xavier University has two main components:
- general education, emphasizing breadth and generality
- major or professional program, emphasizing depth and specificity
The general education curriculum is designed to be both foundational and exploratory, developing the critical skills of writing, speaking, reading and thinking as well as an understanding of the methods, findings, approaches and thought processes of the liberal arts disciplines. The latter component, the major or professional program, is designed to prepare students for careers or for advanced study in graduate school by providing thorough exposure to the origins, structures, contents and purposes of the diverse academic disciplines and professional programs.
A liberal education at Saint Xavier University leads students to precise expression, analytic thought, systematic inquiry, clear judgment, effective decision making, personal integrity, ethical responsibility, aesthetic sensitivity, informed citizenship and an active posture toward the examined life. These characteristics of a liberal education are the integrative goals for both the entire baccalaureate experience and for the conduct of every course in the Saint Xavier University curriculum.
Special Note on Class Listings
The number of class hours each week is generally the same as the number of credit hours shown following the course title, except for those courses that offer independent study or that combine lecture and laboratory. In the latter case, the number of combined hours per week for lecture and laboratory is shown at the end of the course description.