The first three years entail advanced high school learning, with the fourth year entirely devoted to college-level coursework that includes a final capstone project. Graduates of the program receive a fully accredited high school diploma, as well as the Minerva Baccalaureate diploma, which includes 32 units of college credit.
A highly structured, interwoven curriculum design treats core subjects in a holistic manner, highlighting a series of motifs — conceptual patterns that recur within and across numerous disciplines. This interweaving of ideas is central to a coherent understanding of key concepts, the development of competencies, and the ability to transfer knowledge to new contexts.
The motifs provide a basis for recognizing the interconnections among categories, modalities, and applications of knowledge. For example, the Constraints & Allowances motif can be used to understand how the structure of a molecule enables it to perform a specific function, how particular written forms support distinct communication goals, as well as how certain geographic attributes can inhibit or give rise to discrete social and economic structures.
Following are twelve motifs, used across the curriculum:
The shared learning outcomes that transcend disciplines, enable the creation of activities and assignments that promote development of precise skills, while allowing specific support and guidance for individual students.
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