A community of scholars studying great books

Battle with Homer. Converse with Plato. Meditate with Śāntideva. Seek with Anselm. Journey with Dante. Behold with Julian. Doubt with Descartes. Reflect with Kant. Love with Austen. Create with Shelley. Live with Thoreau. Evolve with Darwin. Work with Marx. Sing with Du Bois. Dream with MLK.

What is the Program of Liberal Studies? What can I do with a PLS degree?

Why Choose PLS?

Are you interested in everything? Do you always have a book in your bag (or two, or three)? Do you love having wide-ranging discussions with your friends that jump from deep questions of human meaning to the mysteries of the natural world to the urgent issues facing contemporary society?

Meet Our Faculty

PLS welcomes Professor Arman Schwartz

Meet Our Alumni

Judge Steven Bell, PLS '75, re-experiences "the simple joy of learning"

Join a Living Tradition

At the core of the Program of Liberal Studies are the six Great Books Seminars that begin in ancient Greece and end in mid-twentieth century America. Along the way, students and faculty read a range of texts from various disciplines and geographies that have been chosen for their depth of insight into human lives and societies, their moral and aesthetic value, and their historical influence.

  1. Reading Days

  2. Reading Days