Click here to see the academic requirements, including information on graduation requirements and requirements for honors and advanced placement courses.
Academic Departments
Select an academic department below to see the courses offered:- Christian Service Department
- Counseling Department
- English Department
- Fine Arts Department
- Language Department
- Mathematics Department
- Physical Education Department
- Religious Studies Department
- Science Department
- Social Science Department
- Technology Education Department
To download the entire 2006-2007 Course Catalog in Adobe PDF format (60 Pages, 385KB), click here. To view the catalog in PDF format, you will need Adobe® Reader®, which you can download for free by clicking here.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
St. Ignatius is a college preparatory school for young women and men operated under the auspices and direction of the California Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). As a Jesuit school, St. Ignatius brings the 450-year Jesuit tradition of personal care to bear on every facet of its program. The curriculum at St. Ignatius represents a combination of courses fundamental to the Ignatian spirit of education, and includes every aspect of the St. Ignatius experience: Religious, social, and psychological as well as academic. The kind of student St. Ignatius College Preparatory is striving to form is open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, committed to doing justice and capable of leadership. The goal of the curriculum, therefore, is to help our students begin to meet this profile of the Graduate at Graduation outlined in the Student/Parent Handbook in the Profile 2000.
This catalog has been produced to assist you in developing a course of study for the next school year. The keynote to planning a program of studies is personal responsibility. The student is to take an active role in the planning for his/her future. You are encouraged to discuss your plans in depth with your parents, counselors, teachers, and administrators.
When planning your program of studies keep in mind the following graduation requirements. These requirements have been selected in a way that meet or exceed the prerequisites and recommended subjects for college admissions.
| English | Eight Semesters |
| Fine Arts | Two Semesters of same program |
| Language | Four Semesters (of same language) |
| Mathematics | Six Semesters |
| Physical Education | Two Semesters |
| Religious Studies | Seven Semesters |
| Science | Four Semesters |
| Social Science | Six Semesters |
| College Preparatory Electives | Eight Semesters |
| Christian Service Program | 100 hours, supervised |
You are required to enroll in six classes each semester at St. Ignatius. We do not offer study or "free" periods to students unless you have taken a pre-approved equivalency summer school course at St. Ignatius, or you are enrolled in a zero period class or 8th period Photography. Requests to take more courses during a particular semester should be made to your counselor who will review the request with the Assistant Principal for Academics. All courses at St. Ignatius are equally valued. You should not assume, for example, that one type of course will prove less demanding or require less of a commitment than an offering in one of the other academic disciplines.
Honors and Advanced Placement Programs
It is our intention to make the best use of our students' God-given talents by ensuring they are presented with the academic challenge and individual attention which have been a hallmark of Jesuit education at St. Ignatius since 1855.
Students in the freshman year at St. Ignatius are admitted to the Honors program based upon their elementary school GPA, recommendations, and scores on the entrance and placement examinations. In the sophomore, junior, and senior years, students who meet with academic success in one or more academic areas are encouraged to apply for Honors and/or Advanced Placement courses. Selection into Honors and AP courses is made by the Department Chair.
If you are selected for enrollment in Advanced Placement courses you will be required to take the AP exam at the end of the school year. Advanced Placement Examinations enable students to demonstrate their competence in college level courses by taking three-hour examinations in mid-May. These tests contain objective and written sections and, in the case of language exams, a listening and speaking portion as well.
While it is important to take a rigorous course load, taking too many Honors or Advanced Placement courses can be detrimental. Be sure to think carefully about your Honors or Advanced Placement course load and discuss it with your parents and counselor. This is especially true if you plan to take more than two Honors or Advanced Placement courses senior year.
Please refer to the department pages in the catalog for requirements for specific honors and AP courses.
Study Hall
If a student takes a summer school equivalency course at S.I. in the summer of 2005, or takes a zero period class, or 8th period Photography during the 2005-06 school year, he/she may take one study hall period for each semester of equivalency. The study hall will be supervised. Only one study hall per semester is allowed. Students eligible for only one semester of study hall will be assigned to the semester which best fits the schedule. The student will be assigned to study hall at the period which best fits the student's schedule. No choice of semester or periods will be offered. If you are eligible for study hall, check the appropriate box on the schedule request form.
Change in Schedule
There is a 10-day window at the start of each semester during which time students may request a change in their shedule. Students need a compelling reason for the change to be granted. After the 10-day window has closed, only students with extreme circumstances may request a change in schedule. In many cases, this change would be initiated by the counselor or the teacher.