Directed Studies at Yale University

Directed Studies at Yale University is a selective humanities study program for freshmen. It follows the Great Books of the Western tradition, and resembles Princeton University's Interdisciplinary Approaches to Western Culture, Columbia University's Core Curriculum, The University of Notre Dame's Program of Liberal Studies, Georgetown University's Liberal Arts Seminar, the University of Chicago's Core Curriculum, the Program in Structured Liberal Education at Stanford, the Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program at Northwestern University and the program of study at St. John's College.

Directed Studies consists of three year-long courses: Literature, Philosophy, and Historical and Political Thought (formerly "History and Politics") Previously, Art History and Classics were also available as options. Each class meets once as a lecture and twice in section each week. Lectures are given to the entire Directed Studies program, while sections range from 16-18 students. Section professors range from postdoctoral fellows to tenured faculty. Lectures have been given by prominent scholars such as Sterling Professors R. Howard Bloch and Harold Bloom. Several participants have returned to Yale as scholars, including David Possen, Justin Zaremby, Margaret Litvin, cognitive scientist and philosopher Tamar Gendler, English professor S. Shameem Black and political scientist Roy Tsao.

Students begin reading ancient Greek works, and end the year in the 20th century. In the 2009-2010...
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