Toggle Menu
Dan Myers standing in front of a wall mural talking to students.

You’re probably familiar with the concept of gen eds—foundational courses you take before diving into your major—as a long-standing component of secondary education. But we’re willing to bet you’ve never seen a general education program like Rollins Foundations in the Liberal Arts (RFLA). That’s because at Rollins, we believe that everything is connected. It’s part of our interdisciplinary approach to education and the driving force behind our mission to prepare our students to be responsible leaders and global citizens. When you choose Rollins, you’re choosing holistic foundational courses that apply to every major. Along the way, you’ll develop critical thinking, research, analysis, and problem-solving skills that will serve you well beyond your college years. We’re not just preparing future leaders—we’re future-proofing education.

Student in lab

Classes That Grow Along with You

RFLA courses are developmental and integrated, which means each class builds on skills developed in prior courses. Progressing through your foundational courses in a meaningful order means you won’t be stuck trying to meet a requirement right before graduation. You’ll build essential skills before progressing onto your major, where you can put what you learned into action toward the thing that drives you.

A group of Rollins students works on a data analytics project together.

Everything You Need to Excel

As you move through RFLA, you’ll hone skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and analysis. You’ll gain a broader perspective that will help you develop a global point of view. And you’ll develop vital soft skills, like how to work with a group of professional peers and how to be an effective communicator. All of these things will benefit you as you transition into your major courses, and later, into your career.

A student smiles at a classmate during a small-group classroom project.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Rollins students go through their RFLA courses in a cohort group, so you’ll always have people you know in your classes. This makes for a highly engaged and social experience, the total opposite of an auditorium filled with anonymous co-eds.

Rollins student Francisco Wang ’22 portrait

“Rollins’ curriculum allowed me to explore a great variety of academic fields that made my learning experience much more enriching. I took an art history class just for fun, but I ended up loving the subject so much that I decided to minor in it. People don’t usually connect art history with business or marketing, but taking these classes significantly improved my critical thinking, presentation, and writing skills.”

Francsico Wang Yu '22

Master’s of Philosophy Student
Cambridge University

A Rollins professor leads a discussion in an outdoor classroom.

See for Yourself

Get a feel for Rollins’ unique brand of engaged learning and personalized attention through one of our virtual or in-person visit experiences.

Take a Closer LookTake a Closer Look

Not your average gen eds

How would you like to study the principles of macroeconomics by picking apart the way pirates divy up shares of treasure? Or perhaps you’d like to explore the fundamentals of physics by studying superheroes? Our faculty takes pride in introducing core concepts through creative, contemporary approaches that are anything but dull. Check out a few of the classes we’ve offered in the past to get a feel for what it’s like to take an RFLA course.

The Rollins fox mascot dressed as a classic sheet ghost

October 28, 2022

Spooky Studies

From madmen to witches, we’re taking a look at some of the spookiest courses on offer at Rollins and how they’re challenging students to look beyond the surface of cultural ideas that have shaped societies for generations.

Spooky Studies
Students and professor gather in the Social Impact Hub to collaborate on a research project.

September 26, 2022

Cool Class: Data Visualization & Business Analytics

A trio of business students team up with community partners to provide key insights on the City of Winter Park.

Cool Class: Data Visualization & Business Analytics
Students in an independent study math course meet to collaborate on research.

May 03, 2022

Cool Class: Industrial Mathematics

Students in this independent study course experienced firsthand one of the many practical career applications of a math degree: working together to analyze data and find innovative solutions for real problems.

Cool Class: Industrial Mathematics

Five Themes, Endless Applications

Each of the courses in the RFLA program adheres to one of five themes chosen to encompass some of the biggest questions of our lifetime. As you move through the program, you’ll take five linked seminars that introduce each theme and give you the insight and tools to address each topic in context.

  • Cultural Collisions

    Examine the scientific, artistic, literary, cultural, and socioeconomic dimensions of our evolving world while developing nuanced perspectives and the capacity to analyze issues with multiple complexities.

  • Enduring Questions

    Examine big questions that don’t have simple answers and acquire the skills necessary to unlock the enduring mysteries of the universe.

  • Environments

    Discover how to make a positive impact on social, cultural, and global environments and gain the skills to identify, analyze, understand, and improve the environments we share.

  • Identities

    Examine the communities and networks that shape the ways that we interact with the world around us and understand how people of diverse backgrounds impact and are impacted by our larger social, cultural, and natural networks.

  • Innovation

    Develop your creative skills and build the world of tomorrow. Test boundaries, push conventions, and devise new ways of living in a rapidly changing world.

Rollins students participate in a board room discussion while on a field study in France.

What You Will Learn

The mission of the Rollins Foundations in the Liberal Arts program is to empower students to make connections across multiple perspectives and to anticipate an increasingly global future.

Explore Explore
A business Rollins professor works on research with a student.

Competencies

A liberal arts education comprises two equal pillars—focused study in a major and exploration through Foundations coursework. In our integrative, developmental Foundations program, students will acquire content knowledge and learn how multiple disciplinary perspectives come together to examine and solve complex, real-world problems.

Explore Requirements Explore Requirements
Rollins College students enjoying lunch by the Lakeside pool.

Apply By November 15

It’s never been easier or more rewarding to apply to Rollins. No app fee, formal essay, or test scores required. Apply by November 15 to receive priority consideration for admission and academic scholarships that range from $15,000 per year to full ride.

Start an ApplicationStart an Application