Voluntary Core Curriculum is Emory's Great Books Program
The Voluntary Core Curriculum, an initiative under the aegis of the Franklin Fellows Program in Democracy and Citizenship, offers a coherent and linked group of courses on the Western tradition. These courses address a series of major questions that have traditionally been at the center of a liberal arts education.
The Benefits of a Voluntary Core Curriculum
The Voluntary Core Curriculum will be attractive to students who seek intellectual seriousness, the opportunity to study great works with enthusiastic teachers, and the chance to participate in a vibrant intellectual community. VCC courses are designed to introduce students to the most important books in each academic discipline while satisfying General Education Requirements (GERs).
Great Works Courses
Apotheosis of HomerAt its best, a liberal arts education liberates. By studying the great works of the Western intellectual tradition and the philosophical and historical foundations of the political community in which they live, students develop the knowledge and skills to think independently and to become the knowledgeable and responsible citizens liberal democracy needs to prosper.
Courses focusing on the great works of the Western tradition teach critical thinking because the authors disagree about the fundamental questions—What is the best form of government? What is a good human life? What forces move history? What defines a great work of art? Studying these works involves participating in a great conversation or debate with the writers, thinkers, and political leaders who have shaped our world.
Support The Program
The Voluntary Core Curriculum Program is an initiative of a group of Emory faculty who are committed to ensuring that Emory students have the opportunity to choose to take a course of study that introduces them to the great works of the Western tradition and the questions that have traditionally been at the center of education in the liberal arts. The program thus far has been partially underwritten by several foundations and interested alumni. At present our most pressing need is for additional support that would allow us to expand the number of sections of Great Works courses we can offer.
