The Academic Programs at Naropa University
Naropa University stands out among places to pursue higher education, and the breadth of its academic offerings is worth a closer look if you are considering where to study.
The school builds its core curriculum around a few required courses. Every student takes Writing Seminar I and Writing Seminar II, along with Community-based Learning and Action. Beyond those, there are electives that students can choose to fill out the foundation: options like "First Year Seminar: Self and Community in a Complex World," "Contemplative Learning Seminar: Naropa's Roots and Branches," and a "Diversity Seminar."
There is also a requirement that each student earn three credits in what Naropa calls "Artistic Process." The menu here runs long. Students can pick from 2-D Design, Contemplative Comics, Introduction to Photography, Drawing, Figure Drawing, Sculpture, Painting: Realism, Mixed Media, Advanced Studio Practice, Warrior Artist, Improvisation, Composition, Acting Studio I, Dance Studio I, Dance of Africa, Articulating Sound: Voice & Speech, Acting Ensemble, Dance Ensemble, Verse Interpretation, Prose Interpretation, Spirituality and Creative Expression, Indian Devotional and Raga Singing, Ikebana/Kado, and Creative Reading and Writing.
That list, long as it is, only scratches the surface of what the university puts in front of its students. The range of choices is one of the things that makes the place distinctive.