High School Curriculum

University School of Nashville’s high school seeks to blend its respect for tradition with its commitment to educate young people for a rapidly changing world. We want our students to be able to write clearly, read analytically, think critically and creatively, and speak articulately in a range of settings. We honor our guiding principles of student-centered instruction and active learning, collaboration, inclusion of diverse perspectives, promotion of active citizenship and service, and building a foundation for a lifetime of learning.

To assure a broad range of study that will meet the needs of a diverse student body, graduation requirements remain challenging while incorporating innovative research-based and experience-based methods in all disciplines: English, Mathematics, Science, History, Foreign Languages, and the Arts. Our commitment to offering students a significant degree of choice is observed in the range of elective within each discipline. The curriculum includes an extensive Advanced Placement Program and the opportunity for Independent Study both on the USN campus and in the Nashville community. Students may also be approved to take courses at Vanderbilt University, which is across the street from USN.

USN Graduation Requirements

By graduation, our students must have completed the following: 

• Four years of English 
• Three years of mathematics, through precalculus 
• Three years of history 
• Three years of science, including Biology I & II, Chemistry I, and Physics I 
• Three years of foreign language 
• 0.5 credits in Arts Theory and one credit in the Visual or Performing Arts 
• A yearly physical fitness requirement