Students who earn a bachelor’s degree from Ricketts Great Books College will have studied the greatest thinkers and their most significant works of the last 2,500 years. The foundational texts form a rigorous basis for developing critical and analytical thinking and have been the backbone of higher education since universities first emerged in the 12th Century. During their studies, students explore four historical periods, Ancient & Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Modern, across key disciplines including Literature, General Philosophy, History, Religion, Politics & Economics, and Science & Mathematics.

Ricketts Great Books College recognizes that each student utilizes their intellectual faculties uniquely. Some students rapidly master new ideas and enjoy developing their talents across various fields as they explore new concepts. Others like to focus their efforts on a specific set of subjects, preferring depth over breadth. Others are
characterized more by their strong determination and persistence than by a specific area of skill, and prefer to face each challenge as it arises and to invest the effort needed to achieve mastery every day. To acknowledge and support diverse academic strengths and interests, the college offers three distinctive honors pathways: Honors by Examination, Honors by Project, and Honors by Course.