Advanced Studies

Go Beyond!

At Emma Willard School, we focus on what matters most in learning—relevance, enduring understanding, and connection across disciplines.

Today’s high school students face new challenges that require deep topic knowledge and critical thinking. Enduring learning and academically rigorous curricula go beyond simply loading up on AP™ courses. Emma is responding to our changing world by designing our own unique advanced curriculum. Faculty members develop Advanced Studies (AS) courses that challenge our students and fuel their love of learning. 

Advanced Studies courses are comparable to Advanced Placement™ courses in rigor and workload. Emma Willard School seeks to instill in each student a wide breadth of knowledge and the ability to demonstrate mastery of learning in a variety of ways. To ensure students engage with a range of rigorous offerings across the program, we cap the number of AS courses a student may take in each grade year. A grade 9 student may not enroll in AS courses. A grade 10 student may enroll in up to one AS course, a grade 11 student may enroll in up to two courses, and a grade 12 student may enroll in up to three AS courses.