Academics

Get ready for tomorrow. Ohio Wesleyan faculty have reimagined what a college education for the 2020s and beyond should be. Of course, you will enjoy small classes and and individual attention from faculty who continue OWU's long tradition of great teaching. And now, they've redesigned OWU's entire curriculum to prepare students for tomorrow's challenges and tomorrow's careers. This is a new day for transformational learning!

OWU faculty designed our academic program to help students develop the skills to probe complex global problems, spark insights and innovations across fields of study, communicate with everyone everywhere, analyze concepts and data to separate truth from falsehood, and live a fulfilling and productive life.

And you can choose from more than 70 majors! We also work with students to broaden their skills and opportunities with a second major. More than one-fourth of OWU students graduate with multiple majors, one of the highest percentages in the nation.

Academic Program

OWU's academic program is built on a framework of three components that will shape the educational experience of every Ohio Wesleyan student.

First-Year Seminar

Every first-year OWU student takes the interdisciplinary seminar “How to Change the World.” With such an ambitious title, the full-credit course is designed to be the perfect introduction to thinking big and embracing the power of the liberal arts.

The course centers on complex, widespread, intractable issues and “wicked problems” that connect liberal arts skills with real-world application. Faculty focus on helping students develop skills like information literacy and critical reading, which help them build a foundation for success at OWU and give them lifelong skills that will help them become active citizens and critical thinkers.

Core Skills, Not Checklists

The old-school list of required “gen eds” was a checklist based on academic divisions. Students were required to check off, say, three classes in natural sciences, three in humanities, one in the arts, and so on.

The OWU model, instead, focuses on what students need: skills to think, speak, and act. We help students build nine core skills that align with the traits that surveys show employers value most highly. And they are critical for being an informed and contributing democratic, global citizen.

Every OWU course is designed to help students develop at least one of these core skills: reason quantitatively; question scientifically; think aesthetically; listen, imagine, and understand; write and speak effectively; learn a second language; examine inequities; engage diversity; and act responsibly.

The OWU Connection

The OWU Connection is Ohio Wesleyan’s signature program for hands-on learning beyond the classroom. It provides vast opportunities for students to experience mentored research, internships, academic-related global travel, and service learning. The program is OWU's commitment that every student will Think Big, Do Good, Go Global, and Get Real. These hands-on experiences can change students forever - and lead to a first job or  impressive graduate school placement.

Every student completes OWU Connection experiences based on their own interests and goals. The experiences could include an internship, a research project with a faculty mentor, or a Connection-funded project overseas. Your OWU Connection experiences are designed for you alone.

Students then share their experiences at the annual OWU Connection Conference. Classes are canceled that day so the entire campus community can learn more about the impact and breadth of Connection opportunities.