Valparaiso University offers this unique course that centers around a concentrated discussion of the concept of vocation or calling. The course is designed for Exploratory students who want to think further about their major and how academic choices relate to broader life choices, but it is open to all freshmen and sophomores. The ultimate goal of the course is to help you discover new aspects of yourself and gain a greater understanding of your strengths, skills, interests, aptitudes and responsibilities. The course begins to prepare you to respond to whatever you might be called to do as a student and, more broadly, as a human being. The course meets for seven weeks in the Fall semester. Near the end of the course, there is a mandatory off-campus retreat designed to engage you in a more concentrated discussion of course topics as they relate to contemporary realities. A guest speaker will join students and faculty on the retreat where classroom discussions will continue, and a film related to the course topics will be screened and discussed. After the retreat, students present the results of an ongoing research project that focuses on integrating the themes of the course with personal reflection.
Credit: This is a 2 credit hour, seven-week course that is offered in the Fall semester and periodically in the Spring semester.