Naropa University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Nathan

The size of the school makes it really easy to get to know professors and, they usually have lots of time for students. I think my favorite class would have to be either 1) Nonviolence in and through History, 2) Women, Feminism, and Peacemaking, or 3) Issues of Global Poverty. These are all from my department, but the classes outside my department that I've liked especially are The Cinema or Exile and Diaspora (good film class)... or Environmental Economics. Usually students get pretty involved in class discussion. This makes for a good mix of lecture, reading, and discussion. My department is Peace Studies. It's pretty interdisciplinary... we look at the study of peace and conflict from a range of angles... philosophical, historical, socio-anthropological, artistically... The most unique class that I've ever taken was Traditional Chinese Brushstroke from the art department. I like the academic requirement of Naropa. There is a good fusion of typical academics (paper writing etc...) with experiential exercises to help internalize concepts and lessons. My department also requires a thesis, which I like a lot. I'm excited to synthesize my studies into one last large piece of work. It's easy to get an appointment with my professors outside of class. They have offices close by and the door is always open. The education at Naropa is geared toward educating the whole person, not just helping the person get a job.. that's important of course, but that just one piece of the puzzle. I also think Naropa does a really good job at preparing students for graduate school.