The Classical Liberal Arts Academy is pleased to announce the development of a new degree program: the Bachelor in Classical Christian Studies (BCCS). This program represents the culmination of many years of research and curriculum development at the CLAA and provides a structured course of study in the classical liberal arts rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
The BCCS degree is designed around a simple but important principle: a college program should teach the arts themselves, not merely surveys or secondary studies about them. Modern college degrees often consist of a collection of introductory courses and general education requirements that move horizontally across many subjects. The CLAA program follows a different model. It is built on the classical understanding that education should train the mind through the study of the liberal arts, philosophy, and theology, each discipline preparing the student for the next.
The curriculum consists of 40 courses (120 credits) organized into five streams of study: Grammar, Reasoning & Rhetoric, the Mathematical Arts, Philosophy, and Theology, along with a sequence of composition courses. Students begin with the study of classical languages, learning Latin, Greek, and introductory Hebrew so that they can consult original sources when needed. They then proceed through the logical works of Aristotle, including the Categories, On Interpretation, the Prior Analytics, the Posterior Analytics, the Topics, and the Sophistical Refutations, along with classical rhetoric through Aristotle and Cicero.
From there the program continues into the mathematical arts of the classical Quadrivium. Students study arithmetic through Nicomachus, geometry through Euclid, music through Boethius, and astronomy through Aristotle and Ptolemy. These studies train the intellect in mathematical reasoning and demonstrate the order present in creation.
After completing the liberal arts, students advance into philosophy. They study Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Physics, De Anima, and Metaphysics, forming a comprehensive introduction to moral philosophy, natural philosophy, psychology, and metaphysics. This philosophical formation culminates in the study of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Contra Gentiles, which presents the classical philosophical demonstration of truths about God.
The program then culminates in the study of Sacred Scripture and Thomistic theology. Students read through the major divisions of the Bible—the Pentateuch, the historical books, the wisdom literature, the prophets, the Gospels, and the apostolic writings—followed by systematic theological study through the four parts of Aquinas’s Summa Theologica.
It is important to note that the BCCS degree is not an accredited academic degree intended for professional or secular academic advancement. The Classical Liberal Arts Academy operates under a religious exemption that allows it to offer degrees within its own educational mission. The purpose of this program is not to provide credentials for employment or admission to graduate schools, but to recognize the completion of a rigorous course of study within the CLAA community.
For Catholics interested in serious lifelong study of the classical Catholic intellectual tradition, the BCCS degree provides a clear and disciplined path. It allows students to pursue the full course of classical studies—from the liberal arts through philosophy and theology—within a structured program that acknowledges their achievement upon completion.
Unlike traditional college programs that depend on fixed semester schedules, the BCCS degree allows students to progress through the courses by independent study, demonstrating mastery of the material through quizzes, written assessments, essays, and comprehensive examinations. Modern technology makes it possible for students to pursue this course of study from anywhere in the world while receiving guidance and support from the CLAA.
More information about the Bachelor in Classical Christian Studies can be found here:
https://classicalliberalarts.com/bachelor-in-classical-christian-studies-degree/
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
