Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas at the University of Texas-Austin (TX). The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texas and Ideas is unique among UT-Austin’s myriad departments and centers. The Center’s focus is not an academic discipline, a region, a time period, or any specialized body of knowledge in which we train graduate students and undergraduate majors; nor is it applied knowledge aimed at some particular vocation. The Center’s mission is rather to counter the modern university’s drift towards fragmentation and specialization by creating a locus of sustained dialogue about questions of enduring significance and providing new ways for undergraduates to integrate their studies. The Certificate Program in Core Texts and Ideas is an introduction to the liberal arts through the study of the great books. Four fundamental courses introduce students to major works of religion, literature, philosophy, and political thought in the west from ancient to modern times. Electives cover specialized topics, such as ancient Indian thought, Shakespeare, and Darwin. In all courses students enter into debates about human nature, ethics, and the meaning of life that have unfolded over centuries and that have profoundly shaped the modern world. For additional information visit, https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/coretexts/about/About.php.