Graduate Institute
Where will a St. John's Education Lead?
Some students who attend the Graduate Institute are considering further graduate or professional study; the College is pleased with the recognition that its graduate programs have gained in university circles. However, the primary aim of St. John's classes is not scholarly mastery, but enhanced thoughtfulness. Through sustained engagement with the works of great thinkers, and through the give and take of discussion with peers, students cultivate habits of mind that will last a lifetime: a deepened capacity for reflective thought, an ability to transcend the limits of their own horizons, an appreciation of the persisting questions of human existence, an abiding respect for the value of serious conversation, and a lasting love of inquiry. The insights and skills acquired through study here have a broad application to many other areas of personal interest as well as to continued academic study. Our students—recent college graduates, teachers, executives, writers, professionals, retirees—come from diverse walks of life and are united by a common desire to deepen their understanding of themselves and their world by reading, pondering, and discussing classic texts, regardless of their subsequent plans.
Though the primary intention of the Graduate Institute is not to prepare students for scholarly work, many of our graduates do successfully continue on to doctoral programs in a wide variety of fields, most commonly in those that fall within the general Liberal Arts category. Those include Philosophy, English/literature, Political Science, History, Law, Education, and Classical Studies, among others. Here is a partial list of schools that have recently accepted our graduates into their doctoral programs:
- University of Chicago—Philosophy, Political Philosophy
- Boston University—Philosophy
- University of California at Irvine—Philosophy
- Columbia University—Law, Education and Philosophy
- The New School—Continental Philosophy
- Johns Hopkins University—Law
- University of Maryland—Law
- University of Texas at Austin—Aesthetics and Cultural Studies
- University of Colorado at Boulder—Law
- Tulane University—Political Philosophy
- Catholic University—Philosophy
Whether your plans include further graduate study or the pursuit of other career options, St. John's College offers a wide range of support though our Career Services office. Our career service advisors can help you make the most of your new opportunities; feel free to contact them at any point for guidance or other assistance in pursuing your interests, or help in sorting them out.