Postsecondary Curriculum, History of

The history of postsecondary curriculum in the United States refers to the continuities and changes in the formal courses of study offered by colleges and universities and numerous related educational institutions from 1636 to the present. Over five centuries, it has been characterized both by rigidity and resilience. A central part of the story is the requirements and options students face in completing the undergraduate bachelor's degree. On closer inspection, the richness of the curriculum or, more accurately, the curriculain U.S. higher education has been the number and variety of professional and advanced degrees, such as the MD, the MBA, the JD, the MA, and the PhD conferred by colleges and universities. And, since 1960, community colleges' 2-year associates' degree programs have become integral to ...