Academic Course Catalog

St. Andrew’s encourages students to engage their interests as they build a stimulating, well-rounded, liberal arts course plan. Planning your course of study at St. Andrew’s is about shaping your goals and passions, and as you make course requests, you’ll work with teachers, advisors, and parents to balance your individual interests and needs with the requirements of our academic program.

This guide offers details about graduation requirements, course offerings, and the shape of the daily and semester schedule; it will help you fit your course requests with the requirements of our academic program.

All course plans should be discussed and reviewed by parents, advisors, academic advisors, teachers, and college counselors, where appropriate. The academic advisors and Academic Committee will give final approval to each student’s course requests.

KEY STEPS OF THE COURSE REQUEST PROCESS

Please read through the maximum and minimum courseloads for each form year and Graduation Requirements for each department.

Use the Four-Year Course Planning Worksheet to map out your likely courses over the next several years, then use the Course Request Worksheet to identify your requests for next year’s classes.

Your advisor, academic advisor, and parents must approve your courses requests.

When you have identified the courses you wish to request, complete the online version of your Course Request with your academic advisor, using Blackbaud.

MINIMUM & MAXIMUM COURSELOADS PER YEAR

The minimum courseload for students is five academic courses in a single semester. In the senior (Form VI) year, courses designated as Advanced Study Studio Art may count as one of these five academic courses.

The maximum courseload for students in any Form is six academic courses in a single semester.

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Graduation Requirements

ENGLISH

• Four years
• One yearlong, full-credit course per year and completion of the senior course, English 4.

MATHEMATICS

• Four years
• One yearlong, full-credit course per year in III and IV Form
• Option for VI Form year: two semester-long, half- credit courses

All non-elective math course placements are determined by the Math Department. Returning student placement is based on student mastery and teacher recommendation. New student placement is determined by placement exams. The Math Department notifies students of math placement.

SCIENCE

• Three years
• One yearlong, full-credit course in each of the following three disciplines: biology, physics, and chemistry

Placement in the Honors track for IV Form Physics and V Form Chemistry is determined by the Science Department and based on student mastery. It is possible to move on/off the Honors track between IV and V Form. The Science Department will notify you of your placement.

HISTORY

• Two and one-half years for students entering in III Form: one yearlong, full-credit course in U.S. History, plus three semester-long, half-credit courses in History, one of which must be Advanced Study Research Seminar.
• One and one-half years for students entering in IV or V Form: three semester-long, half-credit courses in History, one of which must be Advanced Study Research Seminar (for those who have not taken U.S. History at their former school, one of these semester-long, half-credit courses must have a significant U.S. History focus).

CLASSICAL/MODERN LANGUAGES

• For incoming III Form students, three years of the same classical or modern language, non-native to the student, taken at St. Andrew’s.
• For incoming IV Form students, two years at St. Andrew’s, or through the third level of the same modern or classical language, non-native to the student—whichever is more advanced.
• For incoming V Form students, one year at St. Andrew’s, or through the third level of a classical or modern language, non-native to the student— whichever is more advanced.

At least three consecutive years of one language is strongly recommended.

ARTS

• One and one-half years for students entering in the III Form
• One semester for students entering in the IV or V Form
• In III Form year, two semester-long, half-credit courses including one visual arts course and one performing arts course
• In IV, V, or VI Form year, one semester-long, half- credit course or approved extracurricular involvement in a performing ensemble
• Students taking Computer Science in their III Form year may postpone their visual arts course to a later year

Admission to some arts courses is by audition or by permission of the instructor.

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

• One and one-half years
• One year-long, full-credit course in Religious Thought in the IV Form year
• One semester-long, half-credit course in the V or VI Form year

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

• One semester-long, half-credit course in the IV Form year