The Core Curriculum is a series of four sequential courses taken by all students, focusing on central issues facing our world in the 21st century. These courses examine comparative perspectives in areas including views of the self, the relationship between self and the physical environment, the relationship between self and society, and global issues involving peace, culture and education. The Learning Clusters are courses in which small interdisciplinary teams of students and faculty work together to do research and develop proposals and solutions addressing local, regional and world issues. Acquiring the critical tools of investigation and analysis is integral to the Learning Cluster experience, as well as the integration of knowledge and service. All SUA students concentrate on a foreign language and culture.
Classrooms are centers of dialogue and discussion, emphasizing seminar course settings.
Students work in small teams in the classroom and with faculty on research projects, as well as with peers in residence hall learning activities. Advanced computing and telecommunication capabilities are widely available in all buildings and outside gathering areas, supporting a laptop computer campus. The university's research institutes contribute to the uniqueness of the learning environment by providing undergraduates with the opportunity to interact with faculty and visiting scholars on a range of vital issues. The institutes, including the Pacific Basin Research Center, a policy institute founded in 1991, bring together individuals and organizations whose work relates to the institutes' thematic issues. These educational objectives are fostered at the university through the commitment to rigorous academic endeavors, free and open dialogue, and an appreciation for human diversity.