Curriculum Standards

Typical AEP Course Schedule
(First Semester of Freshman Year):

Standards of Success in the AEP Curriculum

The minimum standard of success in the AEP curriculum is to make a "C" or better in all courses for which a student registers during the AEP semester, the fall semester of his or her first year at St. Mary's

Unlike the curricula of many college courses, the overall objective of the AEP curriculum is not to impart a certain body of knowledge to a broad student body but rather to enrich the reading, reasoning, writing and math skills of each student on an individual basis. The two AEP courses, IS1300W and MT0401, are intensely student-centered courses with frequent assessment of individual progress and the expectation that students understand the importance of improving their critical skills not just for success at St. Mary’s but for success after graduation.

Because of its foundational nature, the AEP curriculum is rigorous and requires the student be engaged not only in the two AEP courses, IS1300W and MT0401, but in all courses on his or her schedule. Moreover, engaged learning is expected not just in the classroom but in whatever homework, lab, advising, mentoring, and peer-led team learning components are included in the syllabi of each course.