Curriculum: A History of the American Undergraduate Course of Study Since 1636

by Frederick Rudolph

Curriculum is an indispensable book. Written with impressive scholarship, distinction of thought, and uncommon wit. Rudolph uses his dual skills of scholar and communicative writer to present a finely documented work. Without a doubt, it stands forth as the standard.

Genres: Research, Education

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Matt Ely · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's great about this text is that it lives up to its name, giving a focused narrative on the evolution of what is taught in American colleges and why.

I think the thing I appreciate most about it is how well is de-centers administrators from the curricular process. Rudolph does a great job of showing how coursework always adapts to student and faculty preferences and how often pronounced intentions about the curriculum are less relevant than how the primary actors vote with their feet. Rudolph also does a good job of balancing prevailing trends with exceptions to those trends to show how pedagogy does not "evolve" in a straight line.

If you've wondered why colleges teach the way they do, this is where I'd start reading.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a page-turner, but interesting to see the history of curriculum and how some things change and how some things keep coming back.