The Major

Do you want to be part of a tight-knit community, united in a shared exploration of what it means to be human?

Do you love to read, pursue questions that matter to you, and nurture your creativity?

 

Do you want to stand out and become a different kind of scientist, engineer, lawyer, doctor, finance manager, or other kind of professional (see ‘What can you do’)?

Do you know that during your first year at Notre Dame, you can explore what the Program of Liberal Studies has to offer, even if you have not declared it as your major? There’s nothing to lose, but everything to gain: you can enroll in some of our courses while fulfilling core requirements (see Course of Study).

The Program of Liberal Studies provides the best the humanities have to offer. Through courses that build on one another and on a core of Great Books seminars, PLS students take part in a cohesive, curriculum-wide conversation ranging across times, cultures, and texts (see Course of Study). All our classes aim at engaged discussion, careful reading, and persuasive writing.

A PLS education is not only about a career; it is a lifelong asset, a compass to which our graduates continually return as they pursue a meaningful and fulfilling life.