OpenFieldSt. John's College Santa Fe · Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is an extraordinary private liberal arts college nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Operating a sister campus in Annapolis, Maryland, St. John's is internationally renowned for its distinctive 'Great Books' curriculum. Without conventional majors, lecture halls, or textbooks, all students engage in rigorous, discussion-based Socratic seminars exploring foundational texts of philosophy, literature, mathematics, and science spanning 3,000 years.
At St. John's, professors are called 'tutors' and guide discussion rather than lecturing. The college offers a single undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, alongside the Graduate Institute's Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Master of Arts in Eastern Classics (studying Sanskrit, classical Chinese, Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism). Its mountain campus features the Peterson Student Center, the Meem Library, and an astronomical observatory.
Undergraduate admissions are test-optional and holistic, evaluating an applicant's intellectual curiosity, reading habits, and capacity for thoughtful seminar discourse through analytical essays. Graduate Institute applications require an accredited bachelor's degree, intellectual essays reflecting on foundational texts, and academic references.
Four-year unspecialized Socratic curriculum reading foundational primary texts in literature, philosophy, theology, historical mathematics (Euclid, Newton, Lobachevsky), and physics laboratory practicums.
Intensive graduate degree structured around five thematic segments: Philosophy and Theology, Literature, Politics and Society, Mathematics and Natural Science, and History.
One-year intensive master's examining foundational texts of India, China, and Japan (Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Confucius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Tale of Genji), alongside classical Sanskrit or Chinese language study.
Two-segment graduate certificate immersing educators and professionals in classical epistemology, tragedy, epic poetry, and moral philosophy through Socratic seminars.
Week-long intensive intellectual retreats on the Santa Fe campus discussing classic texts in philosophy, literature, art, and science with St. John's College tutors.
Scholarly fellowship conducting original translation and hermeneutic commentary on ancient Greek, classical Latin, Sanskrit, or classical Chinese literary and philosophical manuscripts.
President, Santa Fe Campus & Tutor
Office of the President & Faculty of Tutors
J. Walter Sterling serves as President of St. John's College in Santa Fe, an alumnus and longtime tutor who has taught across the entire Great Books curriculum ...
View researcher profile ↗Dean & Tutor of St. John's College, Santa Fe
Office of the Dean
Dr. Davis oversees tutor appointments, seminar pedagogy, and academic curriculum standards, specializing in ancient Greek philosophy, Plato's dialogues, and cla...
View researcher profile ↗Tutor in Philosophy, Mathematics, and Classical Greek
Faculty of Tutors
Dr. Davis leads undergraduate and Graduate Institute seminars in Hellenic philosophy, non-Euclidean geometries, and the translation of classical Sanskrit philos...
View researcher profile ↗OpenField is an independent research platform not officially affiliated with St. John's College. Information reflects public documentation reviewed on 2026-10-16. Students must verify application deadlines, fee structures, and prerequisite details directly with official university admissions departments before applying.
Updated 2026-10-16 · Editorial policy · Submit corrections