choice #3:
LEAD knowledge and methods courses
LEAD Knowledge/Methods: What it is
LEAD Knowledge and Methods courses (often referred to as general education courses at other institutions) expose you to a range of subjects and methodologies. They make sure that all St. Mary’s College students develop their skills of interpretation, expression, and evaluation– that is, they help you to be good critical thinkers and good communicators. They invite students to consider the many ways through which we come to know about the world– and the impact such knowledge has had on our past, and will have on our future. For more information about the purpose of these courses click here.
What you need to decide
Students can fulfill LEAD Knowledge and Methods requirements two ways: by completing LEAD Exploration or a LEAD Inquiry. Today you should decide which path you would like to follow, Inquiry or Exploration. Students usually take at least one or two courses to fulfill their LEAD Knowledge and Methods requirement in their first semester.
LEAD Exploration
The a la carte method: requires you to take six courses, one from each of the following areas - Arts, Cultural Literacy, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
This method may fit you if you're a:
Student who enjoys a really wide variety of topics (perhaps because they are not decided on a major yet).
Student who is entering with a high number of AP or dual enrollment credits that already fulfill some of the 6 six categories. If you have (or expect) AP, CLEP, or IB credit and you want to see if you have met any of these requirements, the list of what SMCM accepts can be found here.
LEAD inquiry
The themed method: Inquiries take an integrated approach to the LEAD Knowledge and Methods learning goals. Students take five courses, with four or five of those courses being united by their relevance to a particular topic or theme.
This method may fit you if you're a:
Student who likes to find connections between your courses.
Student who wants to learn how seemingly separate courses can work together to answer some "bigger" questions.
Student who has a specific interest in one of our current Core Inquiry topics (click on the topic to learn more!)
It might help you decide to see what types of courses you would take using each LEAD Knowledge/Methods approach (Exploration vs. Inquiry). Use this spreadsheet of fall courses to identify what courses you should take either to start your Inquiry or Exploration approach.
If you have chosen to approach your LEAD Knowledge and Methods via Exploration, Column E in the spreadsheet will show you which courses count towards each category of Exploration requirements.
If you have chosen to approach your LEAD Knowledge and Methods via an Inquiry, Column F identifies which courses count towards each Inquiry. Record your selections as Course 2 and/or 3 on the next page.
This spreadsheet will give you an idea of the options for each approach and what courses the options include this fall. If any stand out as interesting to you, make note of that on your worksheet, but your advisor can also help you make choices if you aren't sure.