US Courses & Classes
In Upper school, students take ownership of their learning through a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum design to challenge and inspire. Alongside core academic courses, students can choose from a wide range of electives, advanced classes, and independent study opportunities that reflect their passions and goals. Through discussion-based classes, real-world applications, and close relationships with faculty, students develop the confidence, independence, and intellectual curiosity needed to thrive in college and beyond. Below are some of the courses and classes that make up the Upper School Experience.
Computer and Information Science
0.5 credit required
Electives
Artificial Intelligence: A Human Perspective • Artificial Intelligence: Models, Minds and Machines • Introduction to Programming • Computer Graphics* • Discovering Computer Science* • Electronics in Action: Building Interactive Projects* • Exploring Robotics: From Virtual to Physical Worlds* • Intermediate Programming in C and C++* • Introduction to Robotics* • The Psychology of Algorithms* • Video Game Design*
*Course not offered every year
Core Health
4 credits of Physical Fitness required, one in each year of Upper School
0.5 credit of Core Health Wellness required, typically in Grade 10
Physical Fitness Options
Participate in Athletics or Dance • Explorations in Fitness • Strength Training • Independent Study
English
4 credits required, one in each year of Upper School
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
| World Literature 9 | World Literature 10 | 2 Semester-Long Electives | 2 Semester-Long Electives & Senior Capstone Seminar |
Semester-Long Electives
African American Studies and the Idea of Race (AS)* • American Ghosts (AS)* • American Literature: Urban Perspectives (AS)* • Angry Books: Literature of Protest (AS)* • Belief and Rhetoric in the Public Sphere* • Children’s Literature* • Climate Controlled: Literature in the Age of Global Warming* • Contemporary Drama* • Cultures of Basketball* • Flash Fiction and Other Short Forms* • Humor & the Literary Imagination (AS)* • Literature and Finance (AS)* • Literature of Dungeons & Dragons (AS)* • Memoir/Narrative Writing* • The Evolution of the Antihero (AS)* • The Politics of Horror (Or, The Horror of Politics)* • The Works and Worlds of William Shakespeare* • Creative Non-fiction & Digital Storytelling* • Superheroes in American Literature and Culture*
*Course not offered every year AS = Advanced Study option
History
3 credits required
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 |
| Comparative Civics and Government | World History or AS World History | U.S. History through Primary Sources or AS The American Experience |
Electives
Model United Nations (AS) • Dynamics of Political Leadership (AS)* • Ethnic Studies* • From Disunion to Union: Achieving the Impossible in Contemporary Europe* • Galileo to Google: The History and Philosophy of Science* • Imagining the Unimaginable: A Critical History of Genocide (AS)* • Introduction to Economics* • Philosophy and Ethics in the Modern World (AS)* • The Power of Ideas in 19th-Century Europe (AS)*
*Course not offered every year AS = Advanced Study option
Innovation and Leadership Electives
Entrepreneurial Studies • Communication Break Down: Developing Voices for Leadership* • Social Media Marketing*
Mathematics
3 credits required
Typical Progression
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
| Algebra 1 | Geometry | Algebra 2 & Trigonometry | AS Pre-Calculus or AS Statistics |
Accelerated Progression
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
| Algebra 2 & Trigonometry | AS Pre-Calculus | AS Calculus 1 | AS Calculus 2 or AS Statistics |
Electives
Accounting* • Explorations in Math* • Financial Algebra* • Innovative Math with Coding*
*Course not offered every year AS = Advanced Study option
Science
3 credits required
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 or 12 |
| Biology | Chemistry | Physics |
Electives
AS Biology • Forensic Science • AS Chemistry I: Intro to Organic and Biochemistry* • AS Chemistry II: Math-Intensive Inorganic Chemistry* • AS Physics I: Electricity and Magnetism* • AS Physics II: Light and Sound* • The Biology of Brains and Behavior* • Canine Cognition* • The Neurobiology of Sleep* • Plant Science* • Scientific Communication: Science in Media*
*Course not offered every year AS = Advanced Study option
Performing Arts
1 credit required in Performing Arts and/or Visual Arts & Design
Electives
Band Ensemble • Orchestra Ensemble • Vocal Ensemble • Dance Composition and Performance • Dance History and Repertory • Acting* • Advanced Recital* • Introduction to Music Theory and Keyboard* • Music Theory I* • Stagecraft*
*Course not offered every year
Visual Arts & Design
1 credit required in Performing Arts and/or Visual Arts & Design
Electives
Elemental Studio • Elemental Studio 2 • Portfolio and Supplemental Preparation (AS) • Introduction to Design • Design 2* • Introduction to Ceramics • Introduction to Photography • Photography 2* • Digital Art Explorations*
*Course not offered every year
World Languages
3 credits required in same language, through Intermediate level
Typical Progression
Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
| Novice | Intermediate | Intermediate/Advanced | Advanced |
Advanced Offerings
French
French Storytelling* • Current issues in the Francophone World* • AS French Art and Architecture*
Spanish
Spanish Theater, Cinema, and Culture* • Current Issues in the Spanish-Speaking World* • AS Latin American Art and Architecture* • AS Spanish Language and Literature* • AS Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature*
Latin
Latin Literature • Advanced Latin Literature* • AS Vergil and Caesar: The Literature of Empire*
Mandarin Chinese
Advanced Mandarin Chinese* • AS Topics in Chinese Culture* • West Meets East: A Comparative Cultural Perspective*
*Course not offered every year AS = Advanced Study option