Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts has enjoyed bringing seminars to high school students in high school classrooms, homeschool groups, and homes across the country. These are now available as live online seminars since it is difficult to meet face-to-face.
At Magdalen College, class sizes are small and are dialogic – they include interactions between faculty and students as a key element of the learning experience. We offer these high school seminars as a way for prospective students to meet faculty and engage in the type of learning that awaits them at Magdalen College.
These seminars, each just under an hour, provide high school students with a hands-on experience of learning from Magdalen College faculty. Our faculty are committed to helping young people prepare for life through a liberal arts education.
Register today!
Register for one of the seminars scheduled below or schedule a seminar for your high school class, homeschool group or youth group at a convenient date and time (see details below the registration form).
Thursday, April 15 at 7:30pm Eastern C.S. Lewis on Miracles (Eric Buck)
Schedule a seminar just for your high school class, homeschool group or youth group.
Feel free to select a seminar from the list below and contact Dr. Eric Buck at [email protected] or 603-456-4111. We are also happy to provide a seminar on another topic or based on a different reading upon request.
*How Tall Is Satan in Paradise Lost? And Why? (Eric Buck)
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Courses:
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena through studying air flight, fluid dynamics, the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Moral Philosophy: How Do We Make the Right Decisions? (1 credit) – Rev. Fr. Stephen Rocker
Natural law morality and utilitarianism are incompatible frameworks of moral reasoning, yet elements of both are mixed in the public mind. Catholic moral teaching and the Western system of law are grounded in natural law. This course will present these two moral frameworks and apply them to moral issues.
Poetry and Politics in the Western Tradition (1 credit) – Dr. Mary Mumbach
This course will examine poetic form and political form in the tradition of the West. Students will explore, in particular, how the Incarnation shapes the roles of imagination, prudence, and the heroic in literature and political philosophy. Readings in poetry, fiction, and American Founding documents will be considered.
Tuition:
$395.00 USD Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Session II
July 9 – 22, 2023
Registration is now open.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Courses:
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times? Saint Pope John Paul II has provided valuable teaching in this area. Along with his “Theology of the Body,” this course will explore the nature of love, the meaning of betrothal and marriage, and sexual ethics from a Christian perspective. Class discussions will be theological and philosophical as well as practical.
Philosophy & Humanities: Friendship in Western Culture (1 credit) – Dr. Brian FitzGerald and Dr. Erik Van Versendaal One of the most important features of human experience is friendship. Drawing on the great books of Western culture in literature, history, philosophy, and theology, from Aristotle and St. Augustine to Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis, this course will reflect on the nature of friendship across the centuries. Why do we need friends? What makes a good one? What are some obstacles to friendship? What happens as friends grow and mature in different ways?
Christ in Scripture (1 credit) – Deacon Karl Cooper
“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” In this course we will seek to meet and understand Christ as he presents himself in all the Scriptures. We will read, discuss, enjoy, and pray through the most crucial texts, and focus our work on the living and present Christ.
Tuition:
$395.00 USD Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Collegiate Summer Programs Registration
Omega Session: College-Level Intensives for Credit
July 10 – 23, 2022
This session is now full.
Students will have the opportunity to earn one college credit by taking one of the following courses offered at Magdalen College. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and discover if it could lead to a college major or area of focus. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Courses:
Myth in Philosophy: Seeking Wisdom through Poetry and Story (1 credit) – Dr. Erik van Versendaal
What is the relationship between poetry and philosophy? Why does speaking about ultimate things lead philosophers into the realms of poem and story? This course considers philosophical works that are undertaken in a poetic mode alongside poems that express philosophic truth.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton, by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena: through the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, fluid dynamics, air flight and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times?
Tuition:
$325.00 USD
Alpha Session: Engage a Variety of Liberal Arts Fields
June 19 – July 2, 2022
This session is now full.
Students will experience the joy of learning in a variety of liberal arts fields, including courses in literature, philosophy, theology, and politics. Taught primarily in Socratic-style seminar discussions, these courses allow students to read classic texts and wrestle with big questions across a range of disciplines. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts has enjoyed bringing seminars to high school students in high school classrooms, homeschool groups, and homes across the country. These are now available as live online seminars since it is difficult to meet face-to-face.