A Renowned Liberal Arts Degree – Available and Accessible to Everyone

The program is designed for everyone from recent high school graduates to advanced lifelong learners. Students seeking a B.A. degree have the option of continuing as distance education students or finishing their studies on New College’s beautiful Sarasota Bay campus to combine their Great Books studies with other academic programs offered by the college. All students earning a degree will be invited to attend New College’s traditional May graduation ceremony.   

To be admitted to the program, prospective students must apply to New College through the normal admissions process. Select “Yes” on the application on the question that asks:“​Are you interested in enrolling in our new Great Books Curriculum distance learning program​?”

All New College academic standards apply to these programs.

All classes are designated as “online” or “on-campus,” and a sufficient number of classes will be offered online each semester.

In addition to existing financial aid opportunities provided at New College, Mr. Joe Ricketts has generously pledged scholarship funding to the program. The Ricketts Scholarship will be administered through the New College Foundation. 

View New College Scholarship Information

Scholarship information for incoming freshmen

Scholarship information for transfer students

Learn more about the elite New College faculty who will guide you on your journey through the Great Books curriculum: ncf.edu/great-books

No. Courses are offered on a set schedule, and students are grouped in small class cohorts led by New College professors. All courses will be taught live through a combination of real-time video seminars, guest lectures from experts, peer-to-peer discussions and your own reading and study. Regular attendance per the class schedule is required.

Liberal arts degrees are a path to the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing society. Grappling with timeless questions has allowed many great men and women to adapt and thrive, leading to successful careers and fulfilling lives.

New College President Richard Corcoran describes the liberal arts below:

“The term “liberal arts” has become increasingly broad over the years as this track in most colleges is just a chaotic hodgepodge of courses. As a result of this, “classical” works as a stand-in because it points back to when the idea of a “liberal arts” education originated – around 400 BC when the Greeks were working to create a successful paradigm for self-governance and understood education to be an important part of that effort. The term “classical” also points to the idea that a component of learning how to think is being exposed to the conversation of the centuries, not just the thoughts from our own moment in time. We are born into a conversation that has been happening for thousands of years. In it, there have been certain people – artists, authors, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians – whose works speak across cultures and times and social status to the biggest questions of existence. It is not a perfect conversation, but there are certain contributors to the conversation that have helped humanity “stitch together the patches of the universe.” This conversation addresses questions that are common to all humanity such as: what is my purpose in this world? Who is my neighbor? What is the good life? These are just a few. The time to contemplate these is at the beginning of life. The answers will lay the groundwork for how students will meet the challenges and adventures ahead of them.”