Etymology
The word "curriculum" began as a
Latin word which means "a race" or "the course of a race" (which in turn derives from the verb
currere meaning "to run/to proceed"). The first known use in an educational context is in the
Professio Regia, a work by
University of Paris professor
Petrus Ramus published posthumously in 1576. The term subsequently appears in
University of Leiden records in 1582. The word's origins appear closely linked to the
Calvinist desire to bring greater order to education.