The DePauw curriculum is designed to introduce students to basic methods and areas of inquiry, to develop their analytical abilities, and to improve their skills in writing and speech.

The curriculum is also designed to broaden student perspectives on humanity and culture and to give them an understanding of the contemporary world and the human prospect for decades to come.

Finally, the DePauw curriculum seeks to offer students intensive training and mastery of at least one subject area, to prepare them for future careers, and to afford them the foundation for more advanced and professional studies.