Curriculum

Academy of the Sacred Heart’s college preparatory academic program in the Upper School is strong and challenging. Committed to educating to a deep respect for intellectual values, the Upper School at Academy of the Sacred Heart seeks to inspire students to a lifelong love of learning. Our academic program across all divisions is founded upon our mission: to inspire young women to lead and serve, through lives of purpose that integrate faith, intellect, community, social action, and personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. The Upper School program is designed to nurture and inspire young women to develop their gifts, to build empathy and compassion for their world, and to gain confidence in the knowledge that their lives have meaning, promise, and purpose.

Plan of Studies

To learn more about our academic program and examine a complete listing of our courses with descriptions, view our Plan of Studies 2023-24 Booklet below. (Its requirements are applicable to the Class of 2027.) A PDF version of this document may be found here.

Block Program
Graduation Requirements

Block Program

Academy of the Sacred Heart is using an alternating A/B day, four-period block schedule in the Upper School. Each day, there are four 80-minute block periods. All classes are either a semester (0.5 credit) or a year (1.0 credit) in length.

Blocked segments of time have been proven to be beneficial for the following reasons:

to study subjects in greater depth with less fragmentation
to encourage innovative and diverse instructional methodologies
to have greater opportunities to integrate technology into the classroom

Our graduates feel well prepared for college, citing that the extended time on learning and the intensity in the delivery of their courses enabled them to learn the material more deeply.

Graduation Requirements

In order to receive a diploma from the Academy of the Sacred Heart, a student must satisfactorily complete the following program of courses. It is expected that students be in attendance for four (4) years (considerations will be made for transfer students). One credit is granted for the successful completion of a full term of course work. The following represents the minimum graduation requirements:

REQUIRED COURSES	COURSE REQUIREMENTS
English	4 Credits, required yearly
History & Social Studies	4 Credits, including Economics and U.S. Government
Mathematics	4 Credits, required yearly
Science & Technology	3.5 Credits, including Intro to Computer Science
Theology	3 Credits, required yearly
World Language	3 Credits
Visual, Performing & Practical Arts	2 Credits
Wellness	1 Credit
Project Term	Grades 9-12, typically seven to 10 days in March
Mentor Program	Grades 9-12, cross-aged advisory group
Service Learning	Grades 10-12, ~60-70 hours per year
Grade 9 Seminar	Grade 9, weekly seminars and local excursions

Click here to view course descriptions for the Upper School on our Atlas curriculum site.