The purpose of the Drake Curriculum is to provide students with a meaningful liberal education. Drake students will gain the breadth of knowledge and skills necessary to successfully function in a complex and rapidly changing world. The Drake Curriculum prepares students to live fulfilling lives and to contribute to their communities. This page offers an overview of the Drake Curriculum and its requirements.

The Drake Curriculum: Three Components

The Drake Curriculum consists of three components: a First Year Seminar, a set of Areas of Inquiry requirements and a Senior Capstone. Students are required to complete all three. Each component is described below.

First Year Seminars

All Drake students entering direct from high school or transferring fewer than 30 hours of college credit must complete a First Year Seminar during their first year of enrollment. First Year Seminars are student-centered learning experiences that involve critical thinking and both written and oral communication skills. Through a topical focus, they foster understanding of methods of analysis and creativity. A student should normally take their First Year Seminar in the Fall term when seminars on a wide variety of topics are offered. Students transferring to Drake at mid-year and those who failed or dropped their Fall term First Year Seminar should enroll in one of the two First Year Seminars available in the Spring term. Students interested in learning more about the First Year Seminar program should click here: FYS Student Page . Faculty should click here: FYS Faculty Page .

Areas of Inquiry
Students entering Drake direct from high school in the Fall, 2002 or later must complete the Areas of Inquiry requirements set forth in this section. Students enrolled at Drake prior to Fall, 2002 or transferring to Drake in the 2002-2003 academic year have the  option of completing the Areas of Inquiry requirements outlined in this section or completing the Outcomes requirements that were in effect prior to Fall, 2002. 

The Areas of Inquiry requirements are designed to provide students with a solid introduction to a variety of intellectual fields and a diversity of learning experiences. Students are required to take one course in each Area of Inquiry listed below, with the exceptions of the Historical Consciousness and Science areas where two courses each are required. Note that in the Science area, one course must fall under the Physical Sciences and the other course must fall under the Life and Behavioral Sciences. One of the two Science courses must carry a 1 credit lab. To view on the description and rationale for each Area of Inquiry, click here: Areas of Inquiry Descriptions. 

  • Written Communication
  • Information Literacy
  • Critical Thinking
  • International and Multicultural
  • Historical Consciousness
  • Artistic Experience
  • Life and Physical Science
  • Quantitative
  • Values and Ethics
  • The Engaged Citizen

Students select courses for each Area of Inquiry from approved course lists. Selections should be made in consultation with the student's academic advisor. With specific exceptions, students and advisors must choose from the approved lists in fulfilling area requirements. The exceptions to this rule involve honors courses, independent study courses, special topics courses and transfer courses. Students may apply courses of these types to an appropriate Area of Inquiry requirement with the approval of their advisor. It is mandatory, however, that courses falling into one of these four categories must centrally address the goals and expectations of the relevant Area of Inquiry (as specified in the Area description) before they can be approved as fulfilling the Area requirement. Note that First Year Seminars may not be counted toward Area of Inquiry requirements. For approved course lists for each Area of Inquiry, click here: Area of Inquiry Approved Course Lists.

Note that no double counting of courses across Areas of Inquiry is permitted. In other words, even if a given course is listed under more then one Area of Inquiry (as some are), that course may be counted only once, toward one of the Areas where it appears, but not toward more than one.

Students will record courses taken in fulfillment of Area of Inquiry requirements on a web-based Area of Inquiry worksheet. Students enter their worksheet page by giving their student identification number (usually also their social security number) and their PIN. Faculty may visit their advisees' worksheets by entering the student's identification number and the advisor's PIN. Area of Inquiry worksheets will feature pull down approved course lists for each area. Space will also be provided for students to list those honors, independent study, special topics or transfer courses taken in fulfillment of Area requirements with advisor's approval. Worksheets will be saved to show student progress toward fulfillment of their Area of Inquiry requirements. Dean's office staff will have access to student worksheets and may periodically check student progress. To access your Area of Inquiry worksheet, click here: Areas of Inquiry Worksheet

Optional Honors Program Track

As an alternative to the Areas of Inquiry requirements, students may fulfill the Drake Curriculum by completing the requirements of the Honors Program Track listed below. Students may declare the Honors Program Track by completing a form available through the Honors Program office. Forms may be obtained from Assistant Director of the Honors Program Charlene Skidmore (x2999; charlene.skidmore@drake.edu) in Medbury 206/209. Completed forms will be shared with the appropriate Dean's office.

Students pursuing the Honors Program Track must still take a First Year Seminar and a Senior Capstone (note that the First Year Seminar, even if designated as Honors, may not be counted as one of the five required Honors courses indicated below). Note that students who later decide to drop the Honors Program Track must complete the Areas of Inquiry requirements (Honors courses already taken may be counted toward appropriate Areas of Inquiry with advisor approval). Please consult with your academic advisor before switching to the Honors Program Track.

Completion of the Honors Program Track in the Drake Curriculum is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the Honors Program (leading to a designation of "University Honors" on a student's final transcript). To complete the Honors Program, students must complete the Honors Program Track plus the following: successfully complete a Senior Honors Thesis and maintain an overall 3.5 GPA.

Honors Program Track Requirements:

  • One laboratory science course from AOI lists for either Physical or Life Sciences.
  • One course from AOI list for Quantitative Area.
  • One course from AOI list for Artistic Experience Area.
  • Honr 100: Paths to Knowledge.
  • 15 additional credits in Honors.


Senior Capstone Experiences

Each Drake University student completes a Senior Capstone Experience. Capstone Experiences allow each student to demonstrate the capacity to bring information, skills, and ideas to bear on one significant project. Capstone options available to the student are designed by individual major departments. Capstones may take many different forms, including seminars, internships, practicums, field work, independent research and other options. Students who are earning double majors are required to meet the capstone requirement of each major. The same capstone may, however, satisfy requirements in more than one major with approval of both departments or programs.

A Note on Revisions from Outcomes Curriculum to Areas of Inquiry Drake Curriculum

On December 12, 2001, the Faculty Senate passed a revision to the Drake Curriculum that substituted a new set of Areas of Inquiry requirements for the previous Outcomes requirements. The new Areas of Inquiry requirements apply to students entering Drake direct from high school in the Fall, 2002 semester or later and to current students who wish to switch from the Outcomes requirements to the Areas of Inquiry requirements. Students transferring to Drake for the 2002-2003 academic year from another institution have the option of completing either the Outcomes requirements or the Areas of Inquiry requirements. The Areas of Inquiry requirements are described below. To review the Outcomes requirements, click here: Outcomes Requirements . Students interested in switching from the Outcomes requirements to the Areas of Inquiry requirements should click here for instructions: How to Switch . Current students considering a switch to the Areas of Inquiry requirements should give serious consideration to their decision and consult closely with their academic advisor. Certain courses previously taken toward requirements under the Outcomes system may not apply under the Areas of Inquiry system if said courses do not appear on the relevant approved course lists. Students considering switching to Areas of Inquiry are advised to visit their on-line AOI worksheet to check their progress toward completion of the new requirements. Note that students who have switched to the Areas of Inquiry requirements will normally not be permitted to change back to the Outcomes requirements.