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W
elcome to the Monterey Peninsula College Great Books Program (MPC-GBP) homepage. 

Currently, ours is one of only two Great Books programs in California’s 110 community colleges which serve nearly 3,000,000 students. Our Great Books faculty include four Ph.Ds in English, History, and Philosophy.  Our shared vision is to expose students to central imaginative, philosophical, and historical texts of Western Civilization.  More to the point, the MPC-GBP equips students with the concepts, terminology, and vocabulary that will allow them to participate in what Robert Hutchins called “The Great Conversation.”  The MPC-GBP rejects the notion that Great Books are reserved for private schools and Ivy League universities.  Our courses are for anyone drawn to depth and complexity rather than superficiality and ideology, to perennial questions rather than aprioristic answers, to reflection and "shared inquiry" rather than reactive or formulaic polemics, to permanent learning rather than terminal degrees.

Upon completion of English 5, Introduction to Great Books, and any four other designated Great Books courses, the MPC-GBP awards a certificate recognizing the student as a "Great Books Scholar."  This designation will aid in transfer and scholarship applications, enhance one's resume or curriculum vitae for future employers, and signify to others such highly-prized qualities as verbal fluency and cultural literacy.

In addition, enough of our courses are online so that the student may complete the MPC-GBP completely online.

Register now online at www.mpc.edu/TakeAClass/Pages/default.aspx

 

  Interview on YouTube             

   Chronicle of Higher Ed story       

 

 Named NAS "Excellent Program"    

 

For IHE's story about us, visit        InsideHigherEd.com

   

Podcast with Donald Hall, click         

 

MPC Great Books Club discussion     

 

 

 Radio Interview, 4.5 minutes in            

       

 

     For more information, email GreatBooks@mpc.edu

 

 MPC_GBP is a proud member of:

 

 Teh Great Books Foundation

Folger Shakespeare Library 

Great Books Council of San Francisco

 

 

 

 American Literary Scholars and Critics

 

 

 List of Great Books 
Great Books of the Western World

 

 Image of William Shakespeare
Great Books Courses

 

  Image of Plato and Aristotle
Great Books Program Faculty

 


Great Books Resources

 


Help

 

“The incentive to reading these books is not the acquisition of formal proofs of education that Americans are accustomed to: credits, degrees, certificates, diplomas, etc. The incentive is simply your own desire to become as human as you can, for your own sake, and that of your country. I have no doubt that you will become more ’successful’ in the usual definition of the term, because I can not believe that it can be a handicap to a man to read and think and understand the tradition in which he lives. But whether or not you make more money and become more popular as a result of trying to acquire a liberal education, I can assure you that you will become a much more satisfactory companion to yourself.”

                                                             Robert Hutchins

  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

How do I enroll in the program?

There is no formal process.  Simply register for one or more courses in the program (ENGL 5, Introduction to Great Books is recommended as the starting point) and notify the Coordinator (dclemens@mpc.edu) of your intention to complete the certificate.

If I have taken a designated Great Books course before, for example Shakespeare, does it still count?

Yes.

If I have taken equivalent courses from other colleges, do those courses count?

Probably.  Send a transcript to the Coordinator for evaluation.

How long can I take to complete the certificate?

You may take as long as necessary.

Can I complete the program online?

Yes.  This program was designed to meet the needs of distance learning students.  We are working to insure that at least five online courses will be offered within a two-year period.

Is there a way to take a class online but still have live discussion?

Yes, locally.  There is currently a Great Books Club at MPC which meets regularly for genial, “shared inquiry” discussions.  Dr. Joplin is the advisor, djoplin@mpc.edu.