US ▁common ▁curr icul um ▁is ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁inter connected ▁courses ▁designed ▁to ▁provide ▁all ▁students ▁with ▁a ▁shared , ▁int ensive ▁expl oration ▁of ▁them es ▁and ▁topics ▁r anging ▁across ▁all ▁the ▁academic ▁discipl ines , ▁from ▁science ▁to ▁the ▁human ities . ▁In ▁his ▁book , ▁titled ▁" In ▁Def ense ▁of ▁a ▁Liberal ▁Education ," ▁F are ed ▁Zak aria ▁describes ▁the ▁Y ale - N US ▁C urr icul um ▁Report ▁as ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Y ale ▁Report ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 8 , ▁which ▁set ▁the ▁ag enda ▁for ▁the ▁classical ▁curr icul um ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Red ▁Book ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁which ▁set ▁a ▁similar ▁ag enda ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 th . ▁ ▁Maj ors ▁ ▁Stud ents ▁choose ▁their ▁maj ors ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁their ▁second ▁year . ▁Currently , ▁there ▁are ▁ 1 4 ▁major ▁fields ▁of ▁study . ▁ 3 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁courses ▁are ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁common ▁curr icul um , ▁ 3 4 % ▁are ▁required ▁by ▁the ▁major , ▁and ▁ 3 5 % ▁are ▁elect ives ▁and ▁pr ere quis ites ▁for ▁the ▁major . ▁ ▁The ▁maj ors ▁offered ▁are : ▁ ▁Anth rop ology ▁ ▁Arts ▁and ▁Human ities ▁ ▁Econom ics ▁ ▁Environment al ▁Studies ▁ ▁Global ▁Affairs ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Life ▁Sciences ▁ ▁Liter ature ▁ ▁Mathemat ics , ▁Comput