Georgetown's curriculum has undergone significant changes since the university's founding in 1789. From 1797 until the early 1850s, the college featured a seven-year curriculum.
Carroll's Vision
In his proposal for an academy on the Potomac River, Archbishop John Carroll described a space for all students: “the benefit of this establishment should be as general as the attainment of its object is desirable.”1 As such, Archbishop Carroll envisioned a space that would receive students as soon as they learned their letters and would prepare them through the “several branches of classical learning” so they could continue on to “the study of the higher Sciences in the University to this or those of neighboring states.” Thus, the academy would give proper attention to Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Mathematics, and English grammar in addition to Latin and Greek.1 Archbishop Carroll based the early Georgetown curriculum in part on the Ratio Studiorum, the system of education put forward and followed by the Jesuits at the end of the sixteenth century.2
Seven-year Curriculum
After its founding, the Georgetown curriculum remained largely unchanged between 1797 and the 1850s. The full course of studies lasted seven years. Interested students were examined for both their English proficiency and mathematics skills to determine placement in the appropriate class.2
Rudiments, as the first level was called, focused on English grammar and syntax and introduced new students to mathematics. In the next level, Third Humanities, students continued with mathematics, began English composition, and were introduced to Latin and French. In Second Humanities, Latin lessons began focusing on syntax, compositions, and reading Caesar’s Commentarii De Bello Gallico. Math lessons covered fractions, simple interest and compound proportions. French lessons prioritized grammar and syntax, and lessons in geography began.2
After Second Humanities, students moved up to the college to pursue First Humanities. There, students began studying Greek with lessons on syntax and grammar and readings from the First Book of Xenophon and Luke’s Gospel. Latin readings included extracts from Sallust, Livy, and Ovid, but French prioritized Bossuet’s Universal History. In the next course, called Poetry for its focus on Latin and Greek poets, students also transitioned to algebra and geometry in mathematics and advanced composition in French.3
The penultimate course of study was Rhetoric. John Grassi, Georgetown’s ninth president, remarked, “Only gold is idolized more than an eloquent speaker. But of all the parts the great masters agree make up the art of speaking well, it is elocution that the Americans study most.”4 Georgetown’s rhetoricians read Cicero, Demosthenes, Sophocles, and Massellon and often traveled to the Capitol when John C. Calhoun or Daniel Webster spoke on the Congressional floor or before the Supreme Court. Math continued with advanced geometry and trigonometry, and students received lessons on Anglo-American history.1
The seventh and final year of study at early Georgetown was Philosophy. Philosophy included moral philosophy, i.e. logic, metaphysics, natural theology, psychology, and ethics, and natural philosophy, i.e. mechanics, physics, calculus, chemistry, and astronomy. No sciences were taught before the seventh year, but in 1844, the University had invested in its own observatory and science laboratories, and astronomy, botany, chemistry, mechanics, optics, and physics soon evolved into their own courses. The Philosophers frequently traveled to Navy Yard and the Smithsonian to witness breakthrough scientific developments which included Samuel Morse’s new telegraph mechanism in 1844.5
The early Georgetown curriculum dwelled little on religious studies. On Saturdays, students received a 30 minute catechetical lesson, and the college students received an additional lesson in Christian doctrine after Sunday mass. In the 1850s, Georgetown required Catholic students to recite portions of the catechism before class, while non-Catholic students recited lines of Latin poetry. Electives, which were offered only on Thursdays and Sundays, included Spanish, German, Italian, music, dancing, drawing, and fencing.6
Preparatory School
In 1852, then President Bernard Maguire formally divided the preparatory school, Rudiments, Third Humanities, Second Humanities, from the college, First Humanities, Poetry, Rhetoric, Philosophy. At that time, Rudiments became known as First Class, Third Humanities became Second Class, and Second Humanities became Third Class.7
Healy's Curriculum Changes
After the Civil War, President Patrick Healy began heavily revising the curriculum with an increased focus on the sciences. Chemistry and physiology were added to the Poetry year; Rhetoricians began learning organic chemistry and mechanics, and Philosophers studied physics and botany. Georgetown also increased its focus on English literature inviting George F. Holmes, a distinguished scholar in History and Literature at the University of Virginia, to lecture the seniors monthly in 1870.8
President Healy continued to allow students to remain for an extra year studying mathematics and philosophy. Students who completed the additional year received a masters of arts, and in 1867, Georgetown awarded six master of arts degrees. Soon after, Georgetown offered a more formal post-graduate program with focuses on philosophy, natural law, and certain branches of science.9
- 1Gilmary Shea, John. "Memorial of the First Century of Georgetown College, D.C." 1891, p.12.
- 1Gilmary Shea, John. "Memorial of the First Century of Georgetown College, D.C." 1891, p.12.
- 1Id.
- 2a2b2cEmmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.190.
- 3Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.191.
- 4Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.192.
- 5Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.193-194.
- 6Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.194-195.
- 7Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.158.
- 8Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.257.
- 9Emmett Curran, Robert. "The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From Academy to University, 1789–1889." 1993, p.258.
