The aim of such programs is to return to the Western Liberal Arts tradition in education.
Those who mount such programs consider them to be corrective of what they perceive to be an extreme disciplinary specialisation common within the academy.
Their employment of primary texts dictates an interdisciplinary approach, as most of the Great Books do not fall neatly under the scope of a single contemporary academic discipline.
Great Books programs often include designated discussion groups as well as lectures, and have small class sizes.
Students in these programs usually receive an abnormally high degree of attention from their professors, as part of the overall aim of fostering a community of learning.