Christendom College has announced the addition of a major in natural science for the fall semester of 2024. This new major, distinct from the college’s mathematics major, provides students with a comprehensive education in the core areas of physical science while maintaining the college’s liberal arts tradition, helping prepare students to pursue careers in medicine, nursing, physical therapy, or other healthcare fields, as well as education.
“The natural sciences have long been a part of our liberal arts curriculum, giving students an understanding of the methods and principles proper to the study of the natural order,” says Dr. Miriam Byers, chairman of the department. “This new major will deepen our students’ understanding of physical reality by studying the sciences according to the rigorous standards of each discipline, all within the context of our Catholic liberal arts curriculum, ultimately helping position our students for various career paths, including healthcare and education.”
The college has been expanding its natural science offerings in recent years, including offering several prerequisites for healthcare programs, such as anatomy & physiology. The new major’s curriculum builds on those offerings, including foundational courses in chemistry, biology, and physics. Advanced electives in a variety of scientific disciplines ensure students receive a well-rounded education. The additional requirement of bioethics uniquely structures the program to integrate scientific knowledge with philosophical and ethical considerations, a hallmark of Christendom’s educational approach.
“Our natural science major stands out when compared to schools where science is studied in isolation from other disciplines,” says Byers. “At Christendom, students study science in relation to the rest of human knowledge and especially to Divine Revelation. To paraphrase St. John Paul II, far from being in conflict, faith and science strengthen and purify each other, drawing both into a ‘wider world in which both can flourish.’”
Christendom’s natural science majors will stand in sharp contrast to their peers, thanks to their foundation in the liberal arts. They, like all Christendom students, will be required to complete the college’s Core Curriculum, which consists of 86 semester hours of courses in Catholic theology and philosophy, the history and literature of Western Civilization, classical and modern languages, political science and economics, and mathematics and science.
Many Christendom alumni have pursued medical careers following graduation. The establishment of the new natural science major makes it even easier for students to pursue this vocation.
Many Christendom alumni have successfully pursued healthcare careers after graduation as nurses, physicians, surgeons, and physical therapists. The establishment of the natural science major makes it even easier for students to pursue this vocation and be well-equipped to make a real difference in the increasingly important areas of healthcare and education, thereby fulfilling the founders’ vision to “restore all things in Christ.”
Classes for the new major will begin in the upcoming fall semester. For more information on the natural science major, visit here.