evaluations instead of grades and agree to semester-long contracts in which a certain number of classes must be passed. For example, in a "three out of five" contract, a student who failed two classes would face no penalty, although one who failed three classes would risk losing all credits for the entire semester. The system was devised to encourage academic experimentation, self-directed learning, and foster curiosity about disparate topics outside one's usual course of study; it grew out of the school's founding principle, as laid out in 1964 by Dean and Provost John W. Gustad: "In the last analysis, every student is responsible for his or her own education." New College students are required to complete an undergraduate thesis project and baccalaureate exam, during which the student presents and defends their project to a committee of professors.
=== Graduate programs ===
As of 2022, New College offers a master's degree in Applied Data Science. The MS in Applied Data Science is an adaptation of the original …
