
Design Your Life (DYL)
Using elements of a curriculum originally developed at Stanford University and modified for Bluffton undergraduates, DYL helps students get more out of (instead of just cramming more into) their college experience.
Bluffton Blueprint
Experience adventure
At Bluffton, we embrace classroom learning, but we also know you鈥檝e experienced education that way for many years. That鈥檚 why we developed the Bluffton Blueprint.
Four classes, one for each year of college, will help you come to new understandings through action and hands-on practice.
These classes give you the tools to overcome the challenges of life. By graduation,
you鈥檒l be ready to answer the same question John the Baptist is challenged with in
Luke 3:10-14 鈥淲hat then shall we do?鈥
The Great Adventure
In your first semester, you鈥檒l take part in the Great Adventure to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee! There, you鈥檒l bond with your classmates, and with the help of mentors, you鈥檒l reflect on your goals, your values and your role in society.
The Competencies
In addition to the the core classes, students are required to choose one course from several options to fulfill each of the following competencies. Some courses may satisfy requirements for both your major and the competencies. Together, the Bluffton Blueprint and the Competencies are a general education program grounded in the arts and sciences.
- Writing Well
- Speaking and Listening
- Living Well
- Creative Expression
- Reading the Bible
- Understanding Self and Society
- Exploring the Past
- Scientific Inquiry
- Critical Analysis
- Religious Understanding

Design Your Life (DYL)
Using elements of a curriculum originally developed at Stanford University and modified for Bluffton undergraduates, DYL helps students get more out of (instead of just cramming more into) their college experience.