<p>
</p>
<p>While not disagreeing with your attempt to establish the criteria that are important to you, I have to wonder why you are adorning a label of “core curriculum” on Reed. Unless they changed since I looked at it years ago, it seems that the requirement consists taking Humanities 110, an intensive year-long interdisciplinary study of classical culture. </p>
<p>[REED</a> VIRTUAL TOUR](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/apply/tour/index.html?humanities/index.html~mainFrame]REED”>http://web.reed.edu/apply/tour/index.html?humanities/index.html~mainFrame)</p>
<p>Inasmuch as it is easy to identify schools without distribution requirements a la Brown or Smith, it seems that the differences between a core and distribution requirements are mostly a matter of semantics. </p>
<p>As far as the requirement of a thesis, I am afraid that the effort (as well as the related instruction) required might range from minuscule to gargantuan. I’ve known students who slaved a full year on their thesis while others wrapped it up in ONE weekend when relying on a STEM subject. For many it is a very interesting exercise, albeit one that is incredibly EASY to satisfy. As everything in education, the four leading letters are YMMV!</p>