Southwestern professors are award-winning scholars, but they genuinely care about our students, providing one-on-one mentorship through rigorous teaching and collaborative research. With an average class size of 17, our faculty truly get to know their students, providing expertise and guidance that extends well beyond the classroom. Whether it’s classical archaeology, international politics, or artificial intelligence, the passion our faculty have for their fields is infectious. SU faculty and students sing each other’s praises, and our professors are always here to help when our students need support during their four years in college and beyond graduation.

Our Curriculum

Southwestern University has designed a flexible academic curriculum that encourages you to explore your intellectual interests—both current and yet to be discovered. Those classroom experiences are enhanced when you apply your knowledge and skills to real-world settings through internships, research, study abroad and away, and community-engaged learning (i.e., civic engagement). With the guidance of an academic advisor who is invested in your success, you will chart your own course while building the foundations of a lifetime of learning.

Part One: Developing a Broad Perspective

Through general-education courses, you’ll be exposed to a variety of different ideas and methods across multiple subject areas, or disciplines. In your first semester, a first-year or advanced-entry seminar will introduce you to the process of making connections between different disciplines while focusing on a particular theme. Then, in addition to taking coursework in at least one foreign language and culture, social justice, and fitness and recreational activity, you’ll enroll in at least one course in each of the four main areas:

• humanities
• fine arts
• social sciences
• natural sciences

You’ll then double up and take another course in two of the above areas.

Part Two: Intellectual Home (Major)

The second part of the Southwestern academic experience is reserved for courses in your chosen field. You’ll gain a much deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge of a particular subject area, or discipline. We have 37 majors to choose from, and many students don’t declare until the end of their sophomore year, so there’s time to experiment and explore.

Part Three: Student Agency

The third portion of the Southwestern curriculum consists of electives. You will have the opportunity to explore new topics and practice diverse ways of thinking, gaining depth and breadth in various fields. You may even choose to add a second major or one or more minors. This freedom allows you to discover new interests and pursue your passions.

See Majors & Minors