Bachelor of Arts in Great Books
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Degree
Bachelor's
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School
Art & Sciences
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Program Feature(s)
Internships
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Great Books is a four-year program wherein students examine great works from the classical world to our present era.
Our seminar classes are thematically organized around topics that help us explore human flourishing, such as beauty, nature and the good life. The core texts are from a diverse range of authors, each examining what it means to be human in our world. Transformative conversations are held in seminar-style classes where students actively drive the focus and faculty serve as mentors.
Students who earn this degree will complete nine seminars and a unit in vocational discernment. Two internships and an academic minor prepare students to take their humanistic education into their chosen profession or pursuit of graduate school.
Come and prepare for your flourishing future through what Maya Angelou calls the “life-giving power of literature.”
On This Page
Program Contact
Damon Boria, Ph.D | Program Director
Phone: (225) 526-1794
Email: Damon.Boria@franu.edu
Great Books at FranU
Potential Career Outcomes
Law
Develop the analytical thinking, persuasive writing and ethical reasoning skills needed for law school and legal professions.
Education
Teach at the elementary, secondary or collegiate level, bringing a strong foundation in literature, philosophy and critical inquiry to the classroom.
Nonprofit and Business Leadership
Lead mission-driven organizations or thrive in business and sales roles where communication, strategy and human understanding are key.
Endless Possibilities
A Great Books degree opens doors to thoughtful and versatile careers. Whether you're interested in law, education, nonprofit leadership, business or graduate study, the possibilities are endless.
Program Highlights
- Explore timeless texts in a faith-based setting: Study Great Books at a Catholic and Franciscan University where intellectual tradition meets spiritual formation. Engage with classic works that have shaped human thought across centuries.
- Join a vibrant community of thinkers: Become a part of a dynamic academic environment filled with passionate readers who love to ask deep questions and explore meaningful ideas together. Connect with like-minded students and faculty in a supportive liberal arts setting.
- Experience transformative conversations: Participate in great conversations through unique seminars designed around fascinating themes.
- Discern your path with hands-on learning: Discover your vocation through two immersive internship experiences that connect classroom learning with real-world application. Gain valuable career skills and professional insight while making a meaningful impact in your field.
- Enrich your education beyond the classroom: Enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities including communal meals, movie nights, public readings and special lectures. Engage in student life that fosters personal growth, creativity and lifelong friendships.
Program Mission
The mission of the BA in Great Books is to form leaders who understand the human experience and are prepared to serve our world as skilled professionals.
Prepare for your success through a humanistic education that celebrates:
- Dynamic thinking
- Diverse perspectives
- Vibrant dialogue
- Vocational discernment
- Meaningful internships
- Franciscan values
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Upon completion of the Great Books program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate foundational skills of inquiry (e.g. reading, writing, communicating).
- Articulate truths from humanistic texts or other sources.
- Discern vocational paths for service to the common good as a skilled professional and engaged learner.
- Apply humanistically-informed leadership skills in the community.
The Seminars
The Great Books seminars are designed around the following themes:
- The Classical World
- Autobiography and Confession
- The Good Life
- Economics and Work
- Beauty
- The Natural World
- The Good Community
- Southern Literature
- Health and Disease
Internships
What are you called to be? In the Great Books program at FranU, professors support you in discerning your calling. You will be connected with internships in the local community that provide valuable experience. When you graduate as a humanistic leader, you will have a strong network and career path.
Great Books Admissions, Financial Aid and Tuition Information
Admissions Requirements
Freshmen and first-time applicants to the Great Books program at FranU are expected to meet the following admissions requirements:
- Graduating or have graduated from high school (or met scoring requirements for HiSET or GED)
- If applying test optional, students will need to take Math 0310 or submit a test score for math placement
For more information on admission requirements for first-time applicants, visit the First-Time Applicant page. If you are applying as a returning, transfer or international student, view the Undergraduate Admissions Requirements page for more information on admissions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
FranU understands that financing your education is an important part of your decision to pursue a college degree. We aim to demonstrate care and professionalism while assisting students with finding financial aid opportunities and a large percentage of our student body receives some form of financial assistance through grants, scholarships or loans.
Learn more about financial aid opportunities on the Financial Aid page. You can also use the True Cost Calculator tool to determine estimated costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will join a community, both within FranU and beyond, examining many of humanity’s greatest works from antiquity to the present day, empowering you to inquire and seek goodness, truth and beauty with others.
Want to know more about why Great Books programs are worth it? Check out this article:
The Great Books program is interdisciplinary. Both in Great Books seminars and in complementary courses, you will study literature, theology, philosophy, science and much more. The various academic disciplines are approached in an integrative way, guided by FranU’s Catholic and Franciscan mission.
The BA in Great Books is designed to take four years for new college students.
Graduate of humanities programs are markedly employable in the ever-evolving 21st-century workplace. Navigating the contemporary work environment requires flexibility and the ability to master ever-changing contexts. Graduates of the Great Books program have transferable skills that hold their value over time, preparing students for a variety of careers, including law, medicine, business and education.
You can work for non-profits as fundraisers or community outreach managers, as teachers, as editors for marketing or publication companies, or as writers or authors of many kinds. You will also be prepared for the rigors of graduate school, which opens up a vast expanse of career opportunities upon completion of master’s and doctoral-level degrees.
Learn more about putting your education into action by reviewing the BLS’s resource on implementing your education within the job market.
Yes, depending on how many electives your major allows, many programs offer the flexibility for you to minor in Great Books. We invite you to take elective classes in Great Books. Our seminars are inclusive, so you do not need a background in literature, just a curiosity about our fascinating world.
Each seminar class session is a conversational-based tutorial in which students take the lead on textual interpretation while the professor serves as a mentor. Within our intimate class setting, students tackle big questions that arise from the great texts they engage with their peers. Through thinking on their feet and guiding and participating in conversation, students prepare to be active young professionals.
Absolutely! We invite students to contact the director, Dr. Damon Boria, to arrange a visit to our seminar classes. This is a great way to meet our community and to witness our dynamic and welcoming seminars.
Get Inspired - Why Great Books Matter Today, Tomorrow and Always
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” ― Maya Angelou
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world,
but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most
were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had
ever been alive.” ― James Baldwin
““I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us. If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading it for?... A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” ― Franz Kafka
“When the Day of Judgment dawns and people, great and small, come marching in to receive their heavenly rewards, the Almighty will gaze upon the mere bookworms and say to Peter, “Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them. They have loved reading.” ― Virginia Woolf
"And yet we have forgotten how to read: how to pause, liberate ourselves from our worries, return into ourselves and leave aside our search for subtlety and originality, in order to meditate calmly, ruminate and let the texts speak to us. This, too, is a spiritual exercise, and one of the most difficult." — Pierre Hadot
Great Books at FranU Accreditaiton
Regional Accreditation
For information about our SACSCOC accreditation, please visit our Institutional Accreditation page.
The Learning Experience
Get a preview of FranU’s Great Books program. Check out the complete curriculum in SmartCatalog.
- GRBO 3310 Seminar I: The Classical World
- GRBO 3320 Seminar III: The Good Life
- GRBO 3330 Seminar V: Beauty
- GRBO 3341 Seminar VIII: Southern Literature
- GRBO 3350 Seminar IX: Health and Disease
Award-Winning Excellence at FranU
Our nationally recognized programs set the standard in higher education.
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