Curriculum Overview
All students will complete multiple curriculum requirements in order to successfully graduate from Guilford College. These curriculum components, for any academic program, include:
- Collaborative Quest (CQ) requirements
- Critical Base requirements (“general education”)
- Major requirements (dependent on academic program)
The Collaborative Quest is a sequence of reflection-based coursework unique to the Guilford College education. View more information about what the CQ is in the catalog here, or ask a Guide!
Critical Bases are a sequence of general education requirements. View more information about the Critical Bases in the catalog here, or ask a Guide!
Students can choose to minor in a subject, though this is not a requirement. View more information on minoring in a subject here.
The Collaborative Quest & Guided Discovery
Guided Discovery has an integrated relationship with the CQ curriculum requirement. Staff in Guided Discovery are committed to helping students complete their CQ in the following ways:
Students begin their Collaborative Quest with Initiate in the first 3-week term. Initiate is taught in interdisciplinary teams of four sections, with each section representing one of the Pathways. The Academic and Career Guides begin working with their Pathway students during Initiate.
Students who start in Initiate during the 3-week session of their first semester stay with their section cohort as they move to Reflection Seminar 1 (RS1) in the following 12-week term, which is taught by either their Academic Guide (primary academic advisor) or their Career Guide (secondary advisor).
In the second semester of their second year, students reconvene with their section cohorts for Reflection Seminar 2 (RS2), also taught by either their Academic Guide or Career Guide. Students who enter Guilford with over 24 credits may be advised to begin in RS2 and move through the Collaborative Quest more quickly.
In the first semester of their third year, students join with their section cohorts once again for Reflection Seminar 3 (RS3). Guided Discovery and the Guilford Guides’ involvement in this course is currently in development.
Note about the Honors Program: Students enrolled in the Honors Program do not take Reflection Seminar courses. The content in the these Reflection Seminars is reflected in the Honors Program requirements, and therefore counts for CQ credit. More information about the Honors Program can be found on the policy page here.
Academic Programs and Major Advising
Guilford College has over 45 academic programs to choose from. Each of these majors is detailed in the catalog with graduation requirements (credit hours, internships, capstones, specific core courses to take, prerequisites, etc.).
Information on each program and major can be found in the catalog here.
Guilford Guides and faculty advisors across academic programs have developed “Degree Maps” that help advisors and students understand and plan all curriculum requirements together, including specific major requirements.
Below you will find links to all Degree Maps that have been created, including a blank template version:
