General education at Mytherial spans all four years at the institution. While general education makes up the majority of the first academic year, it takes a lesser role in later years, with upper-division students focusing on language learning, and seniors on ethics, collaborative combat, and strategic thinking.
First Year Foundational Requirements
Students follow a set schedule composed of various general education requirements across their first academic year. This schedule is composed of courses designed to introduce students to the magical world, its history, and all forms of elemental magic. This curriculum emphasizes ethics, physical and mental strength, and cross-cultural understanding. This knowledge, of course, continues and develops within advanced students’ specific majors and concentrations.
Requirements for the first year are listed below:
Quarter 1:
MYTH 101: Introduction to Mythera: An introduction to elemental magic. Through lectures, guest speakers, and demonstrations, students develop a better understanding of their abilities and learn fundamental methods for harnessing and manipulating each of the natural elements. This course emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnership with the natural environment and provides students with an overview of how magic can be used for good in the secular world.
MYTH 110: History of the Magical World: This course offers a comprehensive overview of the origins and evolution of Mythera, magical methods, and magical societies, along with these societies’ relationship to mundane communities, which were initially mistrustful toward Elemages. Through lectures and discussions, students explore key conflicts among communities, especially The Great War, and tragedies prompted by prejudice and the misuse of magic.
MYTH 121: Mental Fortitude: Through concentration-intensive practices such as meditation, mindful breathing, focus exercises, journaling, and time in nature, students develop strategies to be mindful, maintain mental clarity, and strengthen their mental fortitude, a critical attribute for excellence in elemental magic. Extended time in nature will foster connection with the natural elements, creating a relationship of trust and respect.
MYTH 174: Magical Ethics: An examination of the moral and ethical issues associated with elemental magic, particularly concerning the environment and power imbalances. Participants study the potential unforeseen consequences of misused magic, such as ecosystem disruption and diminished natural resources. In this seminar, they analyze real-world and fictional scenarios in which mages wield Mythera in ethically questionable ways. Arguing for their judgments, exploring different perspectives, and brainstorming solutions encourages students to develop their own approaches to navigating moral dilemmas and the consequences of their actions.
Quarter 2:
MYTH 181: Integrated Biological and Environmental Sciences: This first-year course explores the foundations of biology, chemistry, and environmental science through the lens of elemental magic. Students examine how life and matter interact with elemental forces and how to use magic responsibly in a changing world. Includes lab work and lectures.
MYTH 122: Physical Discipline: Mastery of elemental magic begins with mastery of the self. This course builds the physical foundation needed for safe, focused magic use. Students train in meditation, breathwork, martial arts, and movement techniques essential for spellcasting. Emphasis is placed on body-mind alignment, stamina, and discipline as tools for elemental control.
MYTH 132: International and Diplomatic Relations: This course introduces students to the complex relationships among elemental nations and the role of diplomacy in maintaining peace. Through lectures and class discussions, students examine treaties, conflicts, and cooperative efforts across continents. This course develops negotiation skills, cultural understanding, and a historical comprehension of power and magic in a divided yet interconnected world.
MYTH 166: Elemental Literature: This course explores how elemental magic and identity are reflected in literature across cultures and eras. Students will study myths, poems, and narratives that embody fire, water, earth, and air, analyzing how each element shapes worldviews, values, and artistic expression. Emphasis is placed on close reading, cultural context, and the evolving role of storytelling in elemental society.
Quarter 3
MYTH 199: Elemental Hand Arts Across the Four Elements: This course trains students in the physical movements used to channel and shape elemental magic of all kinds. Blending elements of martial arts, dance, and ritual gestures, students will develop control, precision, and flow in their body movements, emphasizing rhythm, balance, and coordination as a foundation for casting. By the end of the course, students can perform basic magical forms for each element and understand how physical motion connects to elemental focus and energy direction.
LANG 101: Introduction to Languages: In this course, students are introduced to the linguistic systems that shape magical understanding across elemental cultures. They will explore the structure, sounds, and writing styles of the three major magical languages—starting with their native tongue (Alsterian) and gaining exposure to the other two (Gurish and Duramese). Students practice basic conversation, translation, and magical phrases while learning how language influences elemental casting, identity, and cultural perspectives. This class prepares students to formally begin learning a second language in their sophomore year and a third in their junior year.
MYTH 182: Mathematics & Physical Principles (The Mechanics of Magic): This course introduces students to the mathematical and physical foundations of elemental manipulation. Focused on motion, force, energy and basic equations of change, students will learn how to model magical effects—such as lifting, shaping, or accelerating matter—with real-world tools like vectors, calculus, and basic physics. The course builds a critical foundation for advanced spellcraft in areas such as forging, elemental construction, and energy transfer, in which precision and prediction are essential.
MYTH 140: Magical Sociology & Anthropology: This course looks at how magic shapes societies and how different magical cultures organize themselves. Students will explore traditions, social roles and inequalities tied to elemental abilities. They’ll study how magical knowledge is passed down, how the different groups of people interact, continental relations, and how power works in magical communities. Through roleplay, readings, and creative projects, students compare cultures and reflect on how magic influences one’s identity.
Quarter 4
Elemental Testing Period — Weeks 1-4
Introductory Elemental Courses — Weeks 5-11
HYDR 100*: Introduction to Water Manipulation: This foundational course, open to students from all backgrounds, teaches students the principles of waterweaving and manipulation. Waterweaving is the practice of sensing, guiding, and transforming water in various forms–liquid, vapor, and ice–through sensory attunement, basic movement techniques, and emotional focus. Students practice transforming and redirecting water in controlled environments, learning how to wield water safely.
PYRO 100*: Introduction to Pyrology: Students of all backgrounds learn the basics of the different types of fire as well as solar control and protection through lectures and class discussions. This intensive course teaches students how to wield their fire safely in many environments, developing basic elemental control.
TLUS 100*: Introduction to Tellusology: In this course, students encounter the core specializations of Tellusology, exploring their interaction with other elemental disciplines and the natural world. Students gain a fundamental understanding of rocks and minerals, terrain shaping, plant and herb magic, and the study of metals.
AETH 100*: Introduction to Atmospheric Studies: In this course, students of all backgrounds study foundational aspects of Aetherology, learning the ways in which air directly influences all the Mytherial elements.
* First-year majors must pursue the foundational course corresponding to their affinity, but at the start of the second year, students may pursue supplementary introductory courses.
Second and Third Year Language Foundational Requirements
In their second and third years, students enroll in a sequence of three language and culture courses, one per academic quarter, focusing on either learning Gurish or Duramese. These languages are essential for engaging with the communities, histories, and elemental traditions across the three continents of Nibiru. There is no set sequence as to which language must be learned first, but it is required that every student becomes proficient in each by the end of their third year at Mytherial.
During the fourth quarter, following the Elemental Testing Period, students apply their language proficiency and cultural understanding in real-world contexts. They join small cohorts of their peers for an immersive experience abroad, where they study natural phenomena deeply connected to their elemental concentration. This overlap of language comprehension and elemental grounding leads to tremendous growth of students as they prepare to enter the magical workforce. Examples of these classes are HYDR 373, PYRO 370, TLUS 376, AETH 378.
Fourth Year Foundational Requirements
Fourth years end their time at Mytherial with our signature senior experience during the fourth quarter. This transformative opportunity consists of an intensive interdisciplinary ethics course taught by the Department Heads themselves (MYTH 420) as well as a collaborative elemental cooperation, combat, and strategic thinking course (MYTH 422). During this time, fourth years also act as mentors to first years as they begin their journey in their own unique elemental affinity. Fourth years are expected to spend a minimum of two hours per day with their assigned mentee and must attend class with them twice a week. This mentor-mentee relationship is sacred at Mytherial and allows our students to serve each other and learn key collaborative skills.
MYTH 420: Interdisciplinary Senior Ethics of the Real World: This 7-week capstone course challenges graduating students to confront the ethical complexities and complications associated with harnessing Mythera and wielding elemental magic in the real world. This course is designed in an interdisciplinary way because it is key that students of all majors understand how to behave and practice all types of magic ethically.
MYTH 422: Applied Elemental Collaboration, Combat, and Strategic Thinking: This intensive, high-stakes capstone course places students in multidisciplinary teams, each containing two representatives of each elemental discipline, to solve real-world challenges under extreme pressure. This course is designed to simulate field conditions across all terrains while emphasizing strategic thinking, collaboration, and adaptive problem-solving skills. Students will also receive advanced training in threat assessment and defense, with the special focus on identifying and understanding the activities of Dark Elemages, preparing graduates for combat if necessary. The main goals of this course are to foster trust across disciplines, improve communication skills, and to promote collective responsibility among Elemages in service to both their magical and non-magical communities.
