A Customized Curriculum

In the summer before their first semester, students will spend three days in residence at the College to participate in McDaniel Local, during which they will engage in guided self-discovery, community exploration, and academic planning. My Place counts as one of two required experiential learning (EXP) opportunities.

In this 2-credit course completed in the first year, students will identify their strengths, life goals, and areas for personal improvement, and learn how the liberal arts can help them identify and achieve their vocation.  Most students complete My Design during their first-year Jan Term and the course fulfills the Jan Term requirement when taken during that term. Students admitted to the McDaniel College Honors Program take My Design in the fall of their first year. My Design is optional for transfer students.

Participation in experiential learning (i.e., courses, internships, independent studies designated as EXP) requires the application of classroom knowledge to experiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. Students must engage in at least two experiential learning opportunities and transfer students must complete at least one.  Completing additional experiential learning opportunities is encouraged.  Participation in McDaniel Local meets one experiential learning requirement. The second experiential learning requirement is typically fulfilled by an internship, study abroad, a course with a substantial experiential learning component, or other approved opportunity.

All students must complete My Career, a one-credit online course typically taken during the junior or senior year. Honors students may take My Career during their sophomore year.  My Career guides students through the next steps for professional success by providing support as they research and identify their next pursuit after graduation (e.g., career, graduate school, fellowship), prepare for interviews, and learn to write resumes and cover letters.

The U.S.-based National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recently asked employers what they look for on a recent college graduate candidate’s resume, to screen for those they will interview and potentially hire. The results? Employers are looking for leaders who can work as part of a team and communicate effectively. In fact, 73.4% of employers surveyed sought written communication skills, and it was the third most-desired quality for potential employees. It's for this reason that we provide general and program-specific writing coursework for every student. All first-year students will be given introductory instruction in writing, and students further develop their writing through a department's writing-in-the-major plan.

Students will further develop their abilities in writing through a program of departmental writing. Each department or major program at the College provides a course or courses or a strategy to develop writing skills appropriate for its majors. Students must complete the requirement in Departmental Writing as indicated in their declared major. In some cases, this is incorporated into the course requirements for the major; in other cases, it is in addition to the requirements for the major. For further information, see the listings for the individual departments and programs or consult with the chair.

As part of your McDaniel Plan curriculum, you'll select Critical Inquiry courses. These courses explore vital areas of knowledge in ways that stretch your ability to inquire and imagine. They focus on key practices and methodologies that are central to the academic search for knowledge and are designed to advance the capacity for clear, critical, and creative thinking and communication across the breadth of the liberal arts. The areas of knowledge covered by these categories are important for the development of thoughtful, informed, and imaginative citizens. The Critical Inquiry Categories include:

• Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Inquiry
• Textual Analysis and Creative Expression
• Social, Cultural, and Historical Understanding

January Term is a three-week term between the fall and spring semesters in which students and faculty explore new areas and expand their intellectual horizons. Students choose from specially designed courses offered on and off campus. Some students take advantage of January Term for independent off-campus study or join one of the popular study tours abroad. Examples of Jan Term opportunities include:

• My Design
• Jan Term Abroad
• Stress Management 101

The option of a student-designed major/minor is available to students whose academic interests and goals cannot be served by existing programs. Approved Student-Designed Majors have included such titles as Art in Deaf Culture; Bio-Cultural Anthropology; Classical Civilizations; Criminal Psychology; Medical and Biological Illustration; Public Relations and the Performing Arts; Sports Journalism; Theatre Arts Management; and Women’s Studies.

Many students have strong secondary interests and elect one or more minor programs in addition to their primary commitment to a major program. This option not only gives students a format for exploring secondary areas, it also gives recognition on a student’s transcript that the student has completed a significant amount of study in an area outside the declared major. Most departments offer minors, various departments cooperate to sponsor interdisciplinary minors, and some offer vocational or career minors.

Independent studies provide students with the opportunity for individual study under the direction of a faculty member. The study, agreed upon by the sponsoring faculty member and the student, should be an experience not available within the regular college offerings.

McDaniel College conducts an active program of student internships through cooperative programs with government, business, industry, institutions, and individuals. An internship is an on-site work experience that can be paid or unpaid, held during the summer or throughout the academic year, and is often a student’s first experience in a professional setting. 

The College encourages applications from adults who have not begun or who have interrupted their college educations. They may enter as either full- or part-time students. Full-time students are eligible for financial assistance. Annually the College enrolls a significant number of these nontraditional students and makes efforts to be sensitive and responsive to their unique academic situations and needs. 

The second bachelor’s degree program at McDaniel College is designed to meet the needs of students who have completed an undergraduate degree in one field and wish to become proficient in another. Students may elect any major offered at the College and must meet all academic requirements for that major as well as the general education requirements.