Academics

Students at Naropa will take Core, Major, and Elective courses across a range of programs, and have autonomy in choosing their courses from a diverse list of offerings. Each major has a set of program requirements that must be completed, providing the essential skills and knowledge for the discipline. These requirements follow a sequence that we call Gateway, Milestone, Capstone. This sequencing reflects the intentional arc students that progress along as they deepen in their studies. We also have 15 credits of required Core Seminar courses that lay the foundation for the Naropa experience and provide the ingredients of a holistic, contemplative liberal arts education.

Within these parameters, we help each student craft the unique facets of their academic journey at Naropa. We dialogue with each student about the prior schooling, transfer credits, and academic goals in order to support robust degree planning. We work creatively together to ensure success and explore opportunities for study abroad, independent study, internships, and other ways of engaging with the world beyond the classroom.

Naropa emphasizes contemplative education and experiential learning, so you are likely to have more of these educational experiences than you might at other institutions. The faculty and staff at Naropa are diverse in their backgrounds, skills, and experience. They tend to be approachable and creative in their teaching and support, placing high priority on student development and communication. Instructors utilize traditional academic reading and writing, but also promote multiple modalities to engage different learning styles. Much of the learning takes place through facilitated discussion, group projects, self-determined research, and community action.