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

First published in 1977, Frederick Rudolph's comprehensive history of the curriculum in American colleges and universities remains the preeminent work on the subject. The book weaves a story of vivid events, crises, and personalities, showing how the curriculum has been subjected to perpetual and often conflicting pressures from both within and without colleges and universities. In describing how the curriculum mirrors American society - and how it has in fact been a battleground for the resolution of social conflict - he goes beyond the confines of standard academic histories.
Rudolph discusses the changing content of the curriculum over the years, showing for whom it was designed and why. He explains the divergent concepts - such as general versus specialized education, elite versus egalitarian education, mass versus individualized instruction, and subject-based versus competency-based curriculum - that have kept the curriculum in disorder for most of its history. Rudolph considers the meaning of past trends for today and in highlighting the relationships between American history and the development of the college course of study, demonstrates the timeless relevance and immediacy of his subject.