Classical Education Studies

The Classical Education Studies major prepares students to serve in classical schools as teachers or administrators. At Belhaven, we teach all our courses based on the principle that God is the Creator of all that exists, and therefore all knowledge is interrelated and points back to Him.  Students deepen their understanding of the implications of biblical truth in forming and expressing that truth in a coherent worldview.  While the Trivium is not replicated on a college level, this program does emphasize biblical foundations, the goal for accurate understanding, interpreting and expressing biblical truth in a rhetorically successful way, and a commitment to the personal Lordship of Christ in one’s life and in the world of ideas.

We seek to glorify God by cultivating students of wisdom and virtue through a Christ-centered, academically rigorous classical education. Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and vision necessary to be effective leaders and servants for Christ in a wide variety of professions and vocations. We aim to raise up generations of graduates who have a genuine love of learning, who love Jesus Christ with all their hearts and minds, and who can articulate the Christian message with clarity, creativity, and power.

What will I study?

Classical Education Studies majors bring together seemingly diverse topics into a coherent framework and examine them in the context of biblical presuppositions.  We examine the great thinkers throughout history, analyze how these consequences agree with or contradict a Christ-centered view of the world. We assess the principles of correct reasoning in Logic; offer a philosophical examination of moral issues in Ethics; we analyze the concept of knowledge and consider the origin of knowledge, how is it obtained, what are its limits in Epistemology.   In Aesthetics, we look at the philosophy of art and contemplate the question of what is beauty, and the social, ethical and religious role of the arts in human culture.  In addition, students refine their understanding of the classics by pursuing in depth studies in one or more subject emphases such as English, History, music, dance, theater, etc.  

What can I do as a career with this degree/major?

Our curriculum develops logical and creative thought and refines one’s ability for sophisticated analysis. Classical Education Studies majors learn how to demonstrate a mastery of critical thinking about complex concepts in both written and verbal form. A Classical Education Studies major benefits students interested in advanced study in politics, religion, English, history and the arts. This major also lays a strong foundation for law, medicine, seminary and professional degrees. Classical Education Studies major graduates pursue careers in public policy, linguistics, medicine, social advocacy, business, journalism, seminary, education, theater and the arts.

Why choose this degree program from Belhaven University?

Classical Education Studies is a highly interdisciplinary major and it can stand alone as a dynamic and challenging major or can complement almost any other major in a liberal arts education.  Our faculty seeks to cultivate a community that encourages and strengthens the students’ skills of inquiry, analysis, and communication. Students benefit from small, discussion-oriented classes.  Personal interaction and mentoring from faculty members provide students with additional avenues of learning and access unavailable most institutions.   Our faculty is intrinsically involved with our students to help them in their development academically and spiritually.  We encourage rigorous debate and seek to cultivate and foster a community of Christian scholars.  We see history as God ordained and we strive to employ the skills of critical and analytical study so that our Classical Education Studies majors are equipped to discuss, explain, evaluate and defend the key ideas and arguments in history through the grid of a biblical worldview.  Our students are not just a number in a faceless crowd, but instead, our faculty helps to direct their studies individually and assist them to find a vocation that allows them to use their gifts and abilities for the glory of God and the benefit of man.

What kind of opportunities will I have at Belhaven that will contribute toward my career?

At Belhaven, Classical Education Studies majors will find themselves collaborating with other high-caliber students in class.  Beyond the core, students choose from courses in other areas – whether students want to focus on History, Literature, Art, Music, Philosophy, etc. in preparation for teaching or graduate school.  Few majors are so flexible. Students also have the opportunity to acquire teaching experience as a peer tutor or by assisting at a local classical school, etc.

What are Belhaven graduates doing now?

We have students who have gone on to work as entrepreneurs, teachers, linguists, and missionaries. Others have become leaders in Christian ministries and non-profit organizations.