At Bellevue University, we believe in a complete education for our students. While our programs allow our students to grow as individuals, developing knowledge and skills that will allow them to thrive in the workplace, our senior-level capstone course known as the Kirkpatrick Signature Series allows our students to develop a deep understanding of the Western intellectual tradition and their American entrepreneurial heritage, giving them to tools to grow as citizens.
The 9-credit hour series of courses, required of every bachelor’s degree student at Bellevue University, provides students with a rich and engaging perspective on their education and their society. It’s also an integral part of our Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program, which allows students to complete a bachelor’s degree in as little as 12 months.
American Vision and Values
Students explore the bedrock of American culture – formative events, art and literature, and charter documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Critical thought and lively discussion are encouraged in examining personal and political freedoms and democratic principles of individual worth, tolerance, and equality.Initiative, risk taking, and the work ethic are emphasized.
Tradition and Change
Western values provide a stabilizing context for progress in a change environment. Continued success will require citizens who can draw upon their traditional ideology while taking risks to pioneer new endeavors. Students study American cultural traditions, historic societal changes, the interplay between the two, and how they affect society and the individual.
Freedom and Responsibility
Free civilizations, historically, have been more successful than oppressive ones. But freedom must be won, defended, advocated, and used responsibly. Students explore implications and reasoned defenses of freedom in Western history and their responsibilities to assure a just and productive society.
Many Americans have a passing knowledge of our history and culture. Through this learning platform, we hope to encourage an awareness and appreciation for the visions and values of our society. That is why we are unabashedly committed to a core of beliefs that reflect the best in our culture:
- The efficacy of our Western intellectual tradition
- The ethical standards inherent in the Judeo-Christian heritage
- America’s noble experiment of limited government and democracy
- The merit and dignity of the individual, and
- The prosperity, fairness, and productivity inherent in a free market, capitalist economic system
Bellevue University takes these values seriously and believes that all of our students can draw deeply from this wealth of intellectual material, in partnership with Bellevue University’s stellar faculty, to define their future as American employees, entrepreneurs and citizens. All of our undergraduates will study these values in depth in a series of senior-level seminar-style capstone courses called the Kirkpatrick Signature Series, examining each one’s history, genesis and modern development in depth, reading from primary sources, founding documents and some of the greatest philosophical works in history. At each stage of the capstone course, students will be encouraged to learn and discuss with their peers in an open intellectual environment designed to support a rigorous debate, led and shaped by Bellevue University scholars.
We are proud to incorporate these ideals into our degree programs to ensure that our graduates are not only productive at work, but that they leave as more informed citizens ready to contribute to their communities.
