St. John’s College is a co-educational, four-year liberal arts college, located in the heart of historic Annapolis, Maryland. The college, known for its distinctive Great Books curriculum, provides a bachelor of arts degree. St. John’s is accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, American Academy for Liberal Education, and North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The history of the college dates to the 17th century, with the foundation of King William’s School in 1696, to serve the Maryland colonies. Following seven attempts, the school was chartered as a college in 1784 and named in honor of St. John the Evangelist. The second campus, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was opened in 1964. The Graduate Institute in Liberal Education was established on that campus in 1967. Liberal arts and Eastern classics programs are offered at the institute. Both campuses share a single governing body and follow the same curriculum. The course of study is based on the reading, study, and discussion of the most important books of the Western tradition. It is roughly chronological, from the Greek period to the present. Mathematics, language, science, and music form part of the curriculum, which is interdisciplinary and seminar based. The libraries in Annapolis and Santa Fe hold more than 100,000 and 60,000 volumes, respectively. There is a music library, soundproof music practice rooms, and an art gallery at each campus, and intramural sports programs and extracurricular art courses are organized.