The Principia

Principia students, faculty, and staff come from many different countries and an even greater variety of backgrounds, but they share one thing in common: Christian Science. Neither the School nor the College is affiliated with the Christian Science Church, and Christian Science is not taught as a subject, but its principles form the basis of community life at Principia.

Faculty and students alike strive to see themselves and each other as unlimited expressions of God. As a result, expectations are high, but so is the support community members provide each other. Principians and their families develop close relationships based upon friendship, respect, and shared values. We support each other, appreciate each other, and grow together within a community that promotes individual healing.

Principia celebrated its 100th year of operation as an educational institution in 1998.

At Principia, hands-on learning supplements classroom instruction across a wide range of majors. Students head to fields and streams, nearby cities and towns, and across the globe to gather knowledge and put it into practice. We use the term classroom loosely: it could mean racing a solar car across Australia or developing public policy in Illinois—and just about everything in between.

Mission
“The Principia shall seek to serve the Cause of Christian Science through appropriate channels open to it as an educational institution.”

Vision
In 2020, Principia is widely recognized for educational excellence, service to the Cause of Christian Science, and leadership in spiritually-based character education. At our U.S.-based campuses, worldwide satellite locations, and online, we engage and educate 5,000 Christian Scientists each year in handwrought, experience-based programs that span from Pre-Kindergarten through bachelor’s, master’s, and life-long learning programs. Principia is a nimble organization: technology-enhanced, sustainable, with an up-to-date global presence.

Library
You’ll want to spend a lot of time in Marshall Brooks Library. In many ways, it’s the academic hub on campus. You’ll probably wind up in the library for many of your classes. Or you may just find it’s a great place to focus and do your work. In addition to all the regular things you’d expect to find, the Marshall Brooks Library has a profound depth of resources, an impressive archive, and a number of special collections including a first edition of Paradise Lost and a letter from Virginia Wolfe. Our library has served as a Federal Depository since 1957 and provides public access to federal documents on paper and in electronic formats.

Courses Offered

• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs

Contact Details
The Principia
13201 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63131-1002
314.434.2100
Official Website: http://www.principia.edu/