Meaning & use
curriculum
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
All the subjects and lessons taught by a school, college or program of study.
Grammar: Singular curriculum, plural curricula or curriculums; the whole set of courses at a school.
Patterns
- the curriculum for something
- in the curriculum
The school added coding to its curriculum this year.
Music is a required part of the curriculum.
Teachers helped design the new science curriculum.
nouncountable
The set of topics and skills covered in one subject or course.
Grammar: Often takes a subject word before it: the math curriculum.
Patterns
- the math curriculum
- a curriculum for beginners
The history curriculum covers ancient and modern times.
The language course follows a strict curriculum.
This curriculum is aimed at adult learners.
Word forms
| plural | curricula |
|---|---|
| plural (alternative) | curriculums |
Common combinations
- national curriculum
- The national curriculum sets what pupils learn in each year.
- core curriculum
- English and math form the core curriculum.
- hidden curriculum
- The hidden curriculum teaches values, such as being on time.
- design a curriculum
- A committee will design the new curriculum.
- curriculum vitae
- Applicants should send a curriculum vitae with the form.
- school curriculum
- Cooking is not part of the school curriculum.
Synonyms and how they differ
- syllabus
- Syllabus is the outline of one course, while curriculum can mean everything taught across a school.
- course of study
- Course of study is a plain phrase for a planned set of lessons, less formal than curriculum.
- program
- Program is a broader word for an organized plan of study or activities.
- coursework
- Coursework means the work students do during a course, not the plan of what is taught.
Word family
- curricular adjective
- relating to a curriculum
- extracurricular adjective
- outside the normal course of study
- cocurricular adjective
- connected to the regular course
- curricula noun
- the Latin plural
Commonly confused: curriculum or syllabus?
curriculum vs syllabus
A syllabus belongs to a single course and lists its topics, while a curriculum covers a whole school or program.
Practice
The plural of curriculum is commonly ______.
Choose one answer.
Curricula is the Latin-style plural, and curriculums is also accepted. The other forms are not real plurals.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “curriculum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.