Mastering the Hidden Curriculum (MHC) is a three-credit course intended for first-year Georgetown students that self-identify as a first-generation college student (first in your family to attend college) and/or a student from a low-income background.
Team-taught by some of Georgetown’s best professors, the course equips students with the skills and cultural capital to navigate the university’s academic community and collegiate environment. By the end of the course, students gain knowledge of available GU support systems, tools for academic empowerment, and a community of peers, faculty and staff mentors, and allies dedicated to their success.
Mastering the Hidden Curriculum is an approved Pathways to Social Justice (PSJ) overlay course, which satisfies Georgetown’s Pathways to Social Justice core graduation requirement. Starting in Fall 2024, every Georgetown undergraduate student must take two three-credit Pathways to Social Justice overlay courses prior to graduation.
MHC launched as a University-Wide Cross-Disciplinary (UNXD) course in Fall 2018 to provide a unique curricular opportunity to support first generation and low-income students at Georgetown University. Rooted in experiential, whole-person, and interdisciplinary learning, the course is a joint project of the Georgetown Scholars Program and Georgetown’s Designing the Future(s) Initiative.
Mastering the Hidden Curriculum Faculty Members
Pamela Amusa, J.D.
Georgetown University
Kendra Billingslea, MS, Associate Dean
School of Foreign Service
Benjamin Cheng, J.D., Lecturer of Legal English
Georgetown Law
Soyica Colbert, PhD, Interim Provost
Georgetown University
Khaseem Davis, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
School of Medicine
Rhonda Dzakpasu, PhD, Associate Professor
Department of Physics & Department of Pharmacology and Physiology
Chris Fisk, MS
Georgetown University
Brian Floyd, MS, Assistant Dean
School of Nursing and Health Studies
Patricia Grant, EdD, MBA, Senior Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Program
McDonough School of Business
Jason Low, MPP
Georgetown Scholars Program
Ricardo Ortiz, PhD, Professor
Department of English
Amanda Phillips, PhD, Associate Professor
Department of English
Ray Shiu, MA, Deputy Director
Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service
Elena Silva, PhD, Professor & Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
Department of Biology
Rajiv Sonti, M.D., Assistant Professor
School of Medicine
Shree Taylor, PhD
Georgetown University
Sabrina Wesley-Nero, PhD, Teaching Professor & Director
Program in Education, Inquiry and Justice