The DePauw Curriculum consists of a First-Year Seminar, Exploratory Foundations, Competencies, Extended Studies, and at least one Major. Students can also pursue optional minors and/or honors/fellows programs. Exploratory Foundations introduce students to a broad range of academic subjects. These explorations can intersect with Competency courses in communication and reasoning skills, with opportunities for experiential Extended Studies, and with the initial steps towards a major. In turn, completing the major, which culminates with a capstone experience, further develops oral and written communication skills, helps students appreciate the value of deep study, and serves as a foundation for life-long learning.
The DePauw Curriculum, through faculty-defined learning goals, prepares graduates to lead in their communities, disciplines, and lives.
First-Year Seminars introduce students to college work and prepare students for the courses they will take later at DePauw. As seminars, these courses emphasize and nurture discussion and other skills essential to active student participation in their own education. They are also each student’s gateway into DePauw’s writing curriculum and emphasize writing skills that will be built upon across the curriculum. Seminars are offered as full credit courses to first-year students in the fall term. While First-Year Seminars differ from one another in topic and in the kind of assignments they ask students to complete, they are similar in the following ways. Each seminar:
DePauw University encourages all students to spend the first two years exploring a wide range of disciplines within the liberal arts. The University holds an abiding belief in the value of the core liberal arts and that students learn best when they are able to approach problems from a variety of perspectives. Students will earn six credits in six different academic subjects, spread across the three main divisions of the liberal arts: Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Sciences.
DePauw’s Exploratory Foundations provide an exciting and fulfilling undergraduate educational experience, which prepares graduates to support and create positive change in their communities and the world. To achieve this goal, students engage with a wide range of disciplines, approaches, and experiences in ways that prepare them to approach local and global problems from a variety of perspectives. Because DePauw values a breadth of knowledge, approaches, and communication styles, students are given many choices with regard to how they design their own Exploratory Foundations. While the majority of Exploratory Foundations courses are associated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students can also take foundational courses in the Creative School and the School of Business and Leadership during their explorations.
These courses explore fundamental questions of experience, belief, and expression. Through critical observation, textual analysis, and creative engagement, students consider the realms recalled or imagined in the arts, history, literature, philosophy, and religion. Students in these courses practice close reading, looking, and/or listening and engage in theoretical and critical thinking, discussion, and analytical writing.
These courses explore the physical, mechanical, and quantitative working of numbers, matter, and life. Through observation, experimentation, and scientific and mathematical reasoning, students in these courses seek to comprehend the world and model its operations. They learn about the natural, behavioral, or computational sciences in the classroom and the laboratory.
These courses explore cultural, economic, political, and social questions. Through observational, comparative, and analytic methods, students in these courses seek to understand human identities and interactions at the personal, local, and global levels. Students will learn the theories, values, and beliefs under those social structures, and learn to compare, analyze, and interpret them, applying theories to understand their world.
Courses in this area allow students to enter into global and local conversations about topics in a wide range of disciplines while building their proficiency in a language other than English. Meaningful engagement with languages and cultures outside of the English-speaking world is essential for ethical, global citizenship and is an increasingly valued skill set for the workforce. Students may choose to continue with a language they have studied previously, or they may choose to explore a new language.
Courses with an emphasis in global learning engage students in the politics, society, religion, history, and/or arts of a culture outside the United States or address how different societies respond to inherently global issues such as climate change, pandemics, and political and economic upheaval. This requirement can also be fulfilled through a DePauw-approved study abroad experience, and international students fulfill this requirement through their study at DePauw.
Global Learning Student Outcomes:
These courses analyze the interplay of power and privilege in human interactions in a U.S. context. Given the particular history of the United States, and the continued impact of this history, every PPD course will substantially engage with anti-Black racism and/or with the genocide, forced removal, and other injustices inflicted on Indigenous peoples. Every PPD course will also explore opportunities to work toward positive change. Such courses will frequently focus on the experience of non-dominant members of political or social groups. They might also emphasize the dynamics of inequality from a more theoretical perspective.
Power, Privilege and Diversity Student Outcomes:
The skills employers seek from graduates include the abilities to write in every discipline, reason, and speak coherently and persuasively. DePauw is one of the few liberal arts universities in the nation that builds these key competencies throughout its curriculum, in every major. Our alumni tell us time and again that knowing how to write, reason, and speak well have been keys to their success. Students earn one competency in each of these skills. These competency courses can also fulfil requirements for Exploratory Foundations, majors, or minors.
The University believes that writing across the curriculum is an essential means for thinking and learning in all disciplines. Writing requirements are also premised on the idea that students do not learn to write in any one particular course; that is, no single course completes one’s growth and development as a writer and thinker. Rather, writing is a skill that must be nurtured and developed throughout one’s intellectual journey.
As part of the developmental approach DePauw embraces, students complete a course with a W designation during their sophomore year. Sophomore W courses are offered across the curriculum each fall and spring; enrollment is limited to approximately 18 students. The sophomore W combines an emphasis on academic content with practice in writing. Such courses encourage:
The ability to understand, evaluate, interpret, and analyze numerical data and logical information is a central component of a liberal arts education and is applicable to many academic, civic, professional, and personal contexts. Several academic departments at DePauw offer designated Q courses to help students develop this competency. Students must complete a Q course by the end of their third year of study.
Courses designated as fulfilling the quantitative reasoning competency requirement encourage:
Effective expression in speech as well as writing has been perennially at the core of liberal education. The competent expression, exchange, and examination of facts and ideas remain vital to the educational process itself. It is also essential for service and achievement in professional, civic, and personal life.
S courses are usually offered as part of the senior capstone or in 300-level courses within each department. S courses help students develop:
Extended Studies encourage students to apply their learning in professional settings, intensely study a single subject in a short period of time, engage in a research experience, study abroad, or learn through volunteer service. These learning opportunities encourage intellectual exploration and enrichment. Winter Term and May Term are the most common times to take a credit-bearing or non-credit bearing course, complete an internship, volunteer in a service-learning program, or conduct an independent study, research project, or creative project. Students can also enroll in semester-long off-campus study programs or internships during the Fall, Spring or Summer to fulfill one of their Extended Studies experiences.
Every student completes at least one major as part of their degree, which allows them to study a discipline or subject in greater depth. Each major consists of 8 to14 credits, which includes at least three credits at the 300-400 level. A senior capstone is required for every major. In the senior capstone experience, students intentionally integrate, interpret, and create knowledge in their chosen fields through scholarly or artistic exploration and expression. The faculty members in each major-granting academic department or interdisciplinary program ensure that their major sufficiently prepares graduates in the field as a whole. More information about the major can be found here.
The policies and requirements below apply to all students earning a bachelor's degree at DePauw. First-time degree students are subject to the graduation requirements that are in effect when they first enroll at DePauw. Transfer students must meet the requirements of the class with which they expect to graduate. If graduation requirements are subsequently changed, students may have the option of graduating under the new requirements. Students who require more than four and one-half courses to complete their degree and interrupt their studies for more than a total of five years must meet the graduation requirements in effect when they are readmitted. Coursework more than 10 years old will be reviewed by the appropriate department and the Office of the Registrar to determine whether courses are still applicable toward the degree within the current academic catalog.
Although faculty advisors and others assist in academic planning, students are responsible for planning their programs and meeting all requirements for graduation.
The minimum cumulative GPA required for graduation is 2.0 for all courses in which a final grade has been recorded and which count toward the degree. See Repetition of a Course, for details about how repeated courses affect the GPA. Transfer students must earn a cumulative 2.0 average for all courses taken at DePauw. Courses taken elsewhere do not affect the grade average at DePauw.
Academic English Seminar I and II (ENG 110 and ENG 115) are offered for students whose first language is not English. These courses are aimed at strengthening existing language skills and developing new skills necessary for academic success. Placement in the appropriate English course is made based on English language assessments administered on campus during orientation and/or recommendation of the Director of English for Academic Purposes. Students are expected to complete ENG 110 or 115 in the semester assigned. Students placed in ENG 110 in the Fall Semester will be expected to take ENG 115 in the Spring. They may withdraw from these courses only under exceptional circumstances, such as extended illness, with the permission of the Petitions Committee.
These requirements apply to students entering Fall 2025 and after.
Students may withdraw from the First-Year Seminar only under exceptional circumstances, with permission of the Registrar’s Office, but may not drop the course during the initial registration adjustment period. Students may request switching to a different First-Year Seminar during the first week of the classes through the Registrar’s Office. Students who fail or withdraw from their First-Year Seminar will be required to pass a designated spring term writing course in the semester following their First-Year Seminar. This course, to be indicated by the Writing Curriculum Committee, will fulfill the writing goals of First-Year Seminar. Matriculated students entering in the spring term and transfer students do not take First-Year Seminars.
Courses that meet the requirements for Exploratory Foundations are listed in the Courses section of this Catalog and in the Schedule of Classes (SOC) each semester, with the abbreviation of the area of study following the course title.
Students taking a previously-studied language will begin their language study at the appropriate level, according to a placement exam and in consultation with the director of the appropriate language program. Students may fulfill part of the requirement by completing one semester in an approved off-campus program with advance permission of the relevant language program director. International students whose first language is not English may be certified as meeting this requirement through the Office of the Registrar, and in consultation with the director of English for Academic Purposes, using the following factors:
The Registrar’s Office will review the records and placements of each incoming international student during the summer and indicate on their individual academic records if their language requirement is fulfilled through study at DePauw. If an international student’s record is incorrect about their language status, they should notify the Registrar’s Office by the end of their first semester of attendance. With approval of the relevant language director, students who transfer to DePauw may fulfill one semester of the language requirement through transfer credit. Please visit the Language Requirement and Placement page for more information on placement exam procedures, first-semester language courses, as well as information and contacts for specific languages.
Students who earn at least 0.75 course credit in an off-campus course pre-approved as a Global Learning course will satisfy this requirement.
International students fulfill the Global Learning requirement through their study at DePauw.
Competence course offerings may not be taken Pass/Fail unless the student has previously established competency and has the permission of the instructor.
Students must earn W certification during their sophomore year. If certification is not attained by the end of the sophomore year, students must enroll in a W course each succeeding semester until they achieve certification. Under unusual circumstances, students may receive W certification in a non-W course taken at DePauw that includes substantial writing pedagogy. Contact the director of the Writing Center for more information on “alternate W.”
Students must earn Q certification by the end of their junior year. If students do not achieve certification by the end of the junior year, they must complete a Q course each succeeding semester until certification is achieved. Q courses are offered in several academic subjects each semester and normally carry one course credit each. Under unusual circumstances, students may receive Q certification in a non-Q course taken at DePauw that includes substantial quantitative work. Contact the director of the Quantitative Reasoning Center for more information on "alternate Q."
Under unusual circumstances, students may receive S certification outside of an S course, while enrolled at DePauw. Contact the director of the Speaking and Listening Center for more information on "alternate S."
Options for completing the Extended Studies requirement include:
Extended Studies experiences other than a Winter Term or May Term course or DePauw-approved off-campus program must be pre-approved by the Registrar to count toward the Extended Studies requirement. Students who receive incomplete (I) grades in an Extended Studies experience must complete the course by the end of the following semester or the grade will automatically convert to grade of failure (F) or unsatisfactory (U). Graduating seniors who receive a failing or unsatisfactory Extended Studies grade during the senior year may petition to complete an alternative Extended Studies experience during the final spring semester if appropriate arrangements can be made. Tuition is charged to enroll in an alternative Extended Study experience that is a credit-bearing course.