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Did you know that there is a second, invisible curriculum that is not taught directly in schools? Specifically, this curriculum is a collection of unofficial or unspoken sets of rules that some students seem to already know while others stay in the dark. That unwritten rubric is called the hidden curriculum, and understanding its lessons are critical in your academic, professional, and social success.
What is the Hidden Curriculum?
The hidden curriculum refers to all the values, norms, and behaviors that are implicitly expected in academic and professional settings but that are never explicitly taught. While schools will teach you items from textbooks, the hidden curriculum includes the stuff that you’re supposed to just “know.” These things can be as small as how to sit in a lab meeting to how to ask for a letter of recommendation or how to email a professor without being too awkward.
For students who grew up with parents who went to college, have older siblings in academia, or attended well-resourced schools with strong programs, much of this knowledge gets passed down casually.
On the other hand, for students who don't have those connections — first-generation college students, students from underrepresented communities, students at schools without robust science departments — the hidden curriculum is a genuine yet invisible barrier. Unfortunately, the hidden curriculum dictates how the rules in life work. If you’re out of the loop, then you’re less likely to experience personal and financial success.
What Are Some Examples in STEM?
The hidden curriculum in research shows up in every aspect of life once you start looking for it. A few examples in STEM, for instance, are as follows:
Knowing that it's okay to cold email a professor and ask about research opportunities even if you don’t have any relatives in academia
Understanding that asking questions in a lab meeting is a sign of engagement, not ignorance.
Knowing that a CV is not the same as a resume, and that academic applications use CVs.
Understanding what authorship on a paper means: who gets listed, in what order, and why it matters for a career.
Knowing that networking at a conference or seminar is expected and valuable, not awkward or inappropriate.
Knowing how to ask for a letter of recommendation and how to follow up.
Why Does This Matter?
If you're trying to get into research as a high schooler, the hidden curriculum exists in every stage of that process. Whether you’re reaching out to programs, interacting with graduate students, or when you're presenting your work, the unwritten rules of the hidden curriculum follow you.
Knowing how to navigate those moments can make the difference between an opportunity going well and one that feels confusing and discouraging.
The goal of The PathLab Initiative is to make the hidden curriculum visible and accessible to everyone. So, whenever you feel like everyone else seems to know something you don't in a research setting, know that it's not a reflection of your capabilities as a person, but rather access.
Resources
If you’re interested in learning more about the hidden curriculum, we strongly encourage that you read through the following articles:
Notre Dame Learning: Navigating the Hidden Curriculum
Simply Psychology: Hidden Curriculum [Sociology]
Boston University: Teaching the Hidden Curriculum
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