The Muhlenberg Curriculum
Our Pathways for Discovery curriculum leads you from exploration to expertise, weaving together the richness of the liberal arts with hands-on application.
Key Elements of Pathways for Discovery
Exploration
The Pathways for Discovery “Explore Core” consists of seven broad content areas. They are designed to help you discover ways to think across disciplines and cultivate a lasting love of learning. Each student must take at least one course in each of these content areas
Explore and experience representations and modes of creative expression.
Understand human actions and interactions through examination of histories, social organizations, societies, institutions, nations, environments, and/or cultures.
Study fundamental issues of meaning, existence, and value that underpin human thinking, practices, and ways of living.
Develop skills of communication between people of different cultures by learning to interpret, create, and exchange shared meanings.
Explore the fascinating complexities of the natural and physical world. Experience the interconnectedness between systems and phenomena.
Learn how race persists in shaping American society, fueling disparities in power, wealth, health, and justice. Recognize the contributions of marginalized groups as essential to understanding American history and culture.
Learn from and engage with cultural, linguistic, political, religious, and social diversity --- globally and across broad historical periods.
The curriculum encourages students to range broadly throughout their time at Muhlenberg, with elective courses that expand horizons, promote curiosity, and expose the underlying connections that make up our world.
Depth and Integration
Once students have established a foundation of exploration, they then integrate that knowledge into their major or minor, both on and off campus, in cross-disciplinary studies and hands-on experiences.
Students can either take one major, two majors, one major and one minor, or one major and two minors. Explore our more than 50 programs.
Integrative learning requires students to work across disciplines and incorporate multiple perspectives. Experiential learning is what it sounds like: having experiences — such as research, internships, study abroad, or community-engaged learning — and intentionally reflecting on those experiences. All students are required to complete either experiential or integrative learning as part of the Pathways curriculum.
A capstone experience in a major provides the opportunity for students to clarify their relationship to a discipline, demonstrate their mastery of content, and reflect on accumulated experiences.
Skill-Building
Critical thinking, writing, and analysis are skills that are highly valued in any industry or graduate school program. You will be practicing and building on these essentials throughout your time at Muhlenberg.
Through first-year seminars — small, discussion-oriented courses required for all first-year students — entering students learn how to use observation and analysis to support a written claim.
Students must take a writing-intensive course within their major (one in each for double majors). These courses equip students with the skills to write analytically within their field of study.
These courses ask students to understand and utilize quantitative and logical skills to analyze data; build mathematical and/or symbolic relationships; construct and assess arguments; and make sound judgments.
Micros provide opportunities for students to build skills and content knowledge in ways that help them advance their professional goals.
Design for Performance
This micro lets you explore the art and craft of theatrical design while learning how each design element works together to bring performances to life. Through embodied learning, you will gain experience with industry tools and techniques, strengthen your design skills, and build a portfolio that highlights your creative range. Whether you’re preparing for grad school or aiming to work professionally in theatre design and/or technology, this micro helps you grow as a collaborator, artist, and designer.
Cross-Cultural Competence
One of the key skills sought by employers is the ability to understand and interact with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, thereby being able to successfully navigate the global marketplace both in the U.S. and worldwide. This micro will help you develop these skills of intercultural competence through a greater understanding of how language and culture work together.
Included in the mirco are a second language course and two courses in English on how language and culture function in society. The language course will develop your skills in speaking and writing a second language, and the English courses will provide you with strategies to successfully navigate multilingual contexts. The micro will focus on linguistic and cultural competence, enabling you to communicate effectively in multicultural professional environments in the United States and abroad. Periodic interactions with the community will allow students to practice these skills in authentic contexts.
The Writing Program
The college is committed to writing as an essential skill in a liberal arts education.