Cadet Development: Academic
|
The academic program has evolved in response to the needs of the Army and the trends
in higher education. Today's balanced offering of courses in the arts and sciences leads
to a Bachelor of Science degree and builds a solid foundation for future graduate study.
Most academic courses are taught much the same as they are at a civilian institution, with
some impressive exceptions!
Class size is small - usually there are between 14 to 18 cadets per class, so a cadet is far more than a face in a crowd. Small classes ensure cadets receive personal and individual attention. Tutoring and additional instruction is also available.
West Point has one of the most up-to-date, dynamic faculties in the nation! The faculty
receives a fresh influx of young military officers schooled in the nation's finest graduate
schools each year. Those young officers bring with them a mastery of the latest techniques
and knowledge in their academic disciplines. This superb junior faculty is guided by an
experienced, tenured faculty of senior commissioned officers schooled to the doctoral
level and civilian professors who have taught at many prestigious colleges in the United
States.
The core curriculum incorporates 30 courses equally balanced between the arts and sciences. It provides the foundation for the academic program and the broad knowledge necessary for achieving success as a commissioned Army officer. The curriculum also provides an opportunity for academic specialization. There are currently 45 majors. They cover virtually all the liberal arts, science and engineering disciplines one would expect to find in highly selective colleges.
The baseline path to graduation requires the cadet to complete a minimum of 10 electives defined by the disciplinary field. For those cadets who desire to enrich their academic experiences and pursue disciplines in greater depth, majors that go beyond the baseline are available on a voluntary basis. Cadets electing these majors must follow more-demanding sequences, with 11 or more electives, and complete a senior thesis or design project.
The academic program is very successful, as is evidenced by the Academy's fine showing in national, post-graduate scholarship competitions. West Point and Princeton University are the only academic institutions in the nation that rank in the top four in both Rhodes and Hertz Scholarships awarded for excellence in undergraduate study.
