University of Virginia Library

COURSES OF LIBERAL STUDY.

The courses leading to Academical Degrees, the requirements for
which are shown elsewhere (p. 64), differ in character as well as in
extent.

The Bachelors' degrees are arranged so as to furnish a desirable preparation
for professional studies and are the natural introduction to the
advanced studies required for the Doctorate. Of these there are four:

1. The Bachelor of Arts degree admits the greatest freedom of
selection and arrangement. Of the very considerable number of possible
combinations the following judicious groupings are given as examples.
Each has a distinctive educational tendency as indicated in the
table.

               

B. A. Course in—	Graduations in—	Proficiencies in—	Distinctions in—
Classics.	Latin, Greek.	Mathematics, Physics, Logic, English, History.
Mathematics.	Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, French or German.	English, Logic.	Senior Latin, Junior & Int. Greek.
Physical Science.	Mathematics, Natural Philosophy.	Logic, Geology.	Senior Latin, Junior & Int. Greek, General Chemistry.
Natural Science.	Natural History, General Chemistry.	Mathematics, Physics, Logic.	Senior Latin, Junior & Int. Greek.
Modern Languages	English, Modern Languages.	Mathematics, Physics, Logic.	Senior Latin, Junior & Int. Greek.
History and Littrature.	English, Historical Science.	Mathematics, Physics, Logic.	Senior Latin, Junior & Int. Greek.
Philosophy.	Moral Philosophy, Modern Languages.	Political Economy, Mathematics, Physics.	Senior Latin, Junior & Int. Greek.

2. The Bachelor of Letters degree is the terminus of a specifically
literary course. The subjects of Latin, Greek and Moral Philosophy
are required; to these must be added one of the following: Modern
Languages, English, Historical Science.

3. The Bachelor of Science degree is the terminus of a purely scientific
course. All four of the subjects are fixed—Mathematics, Natural
Philosophy, Chemistry and Natural History—so that there is no election.

4. The Bachelor of Philosophy degree supplies a course which is
partly literary and partly scientific; but with a distinct leaning to the
literary side. Any three of the six schools mentioned in (2) may be
elected, and to them any two of the four schools mentioned in (3) may
be added. The number of combinations is 120.

The requirement for the degree of Master of Arts is rigid, and
permits no election. It includes Ancient Languages (Latin and Greek,
Modern Languages (French and German), Mathematics, Natural Philosophy,
Chemistry and Moral Philosophy. These constituted all the
schools of the Academical Department, as originally established; so
that the requirement for this degree has an historical as well as an educational
significance.

The degrees of Doctor of Letters, of Science, and of Philosophy
are designed for students who have chosen a vocation which demands
extensive acquirements and original investigation in some special field
of letters or of science. Candidates for these degrees must possess that
amount of general culture and exact training which is attested by a baccalaureate
degree from this University, or its equivalent from some other
chartered school of higher learning, and must elect, for advanced studies,
two schools in either the Literary or the Scientific Department, one as
a principal and the other as a cognate study. The work on the principal
study will ordinarily extend over two sessions; that in the cognate
study can generally be carried on parallel with the former, and be completed
in the same time. In addition to the studies and investigations
pursued during this period the candidate is required to submit a thesis
on some branch of his principal subject. This thesis must exhibit
not breadth and accuracy of information only, but must show capacity
for original and independent research into questions that will advance
the bounds of human learning. The especial attention of students who
propose to devote their lives to teaching, to literature, or to scientific
research is invited to these degrees.