Total Curriculum Philosophy

Since its inception in 1989, the Miami Plan has represented liberal education at Miami. Rather than a set core curriculum or a list of classes, the Miami Plan is a “total curriculum” philosophy that encapsulates and permeates all degree programs and majors.  It supports student-centered courses and experiences, develops transferable skills, and facilitates lifelong learning across the curriculum. It fulfills requirements of various professional accreditation organizations. Both programmatic and Miami Plan outcomes frame student self-formation in the majors and are aligned in the culminating Senior Capstone.  

The Miami Plan is both a philosophy and process towards liberal education outcomes committed to evolutionary and transdisciplinary curricular change. It is a “total curriculum” approach - a comprehensive and specific set of institutional commitments aimed at facilitating student success and self-formation. At the core of the Plan are Miami’s Four Pillars – the transferable, career enhancement skills and point of reference for considering the impact of liberal education on student success and advancement. 

The Miami Plan also values diverse academic experiences within a comprehensive university.  It recognizes the presence of teaching excellence and teacher-scholars at Miami, supports the faculty’s commitment to dynamic and emergent pedagogical practices, and encourages innovation and transdisciplinary pilot projects having results that can be assessed. It aims to improve the environment where learning takes place while advancing the intellectual quality of co-curricular life.

Responsibility for implementing the Miami Plan for Liberal Education - the “total curriculum” - is shared by academic divisions, departments, programs and the University Liberal Education Council. The Miami Plan’s administration, academic support, and faculty development initiatives are run by the Office of Liberal Education.