The Curriculum

The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree at Dartmouth are designed to promote the overall goals of a liberal arts education: the deep analysis of a single discipline (the major); the broad introduction to several fields (the distributive requirements); and the integrating force of interdisciplinary work.

The Major

About one-third of a student's curriculum will be in his or her field of major study, elected before the end of the sophomore year. Dartmouth offers 56 standard majors, as well as nearly limitless possibilities for special majors, designed to meet diverse student needs. Options include:

The Modified Major, includes work in two departments with emphasis in one
The Dual Major, whereby students complete all of the requirements for two Departmental Majors, which may in themselves be quite dissimilar
The Special Major for students who wish to design special interdisciplinary or interdivisional programs of study involving two or more departments or programs. This is essentially a create-your-own major.
The basic Major or Minor.

In addition to the above majors, there are interdisciplinary programs in a number of areas. Pre major advising is available to all students as they select their major(s).

The General Requirements

All Dartmouth students study a broad spectrum of courses fundamental to higher learning and basic to a liberal arts education. Of the 35 courses needed for graduation, students must take ten courses distributed across eight intellectual fields, called "distributive requirements" three courses that emphasize three different cultural perspectives

World Culture

Non-Western Cultures
Western Cultures
Culture & Identity

Distributive Fields

Arts
International or Comparative Study
Literature
Systems of Traditions of Thought, Meaning, and Value
Social Analysis
Natural and Physical Science
Quantitative and Deductive Science
Technology or applied Science

A single course may satisfy two of these requirements. In addition, a course that falls within a student's major may also be used to satisfy these requirements.

The Culminating Experience

Each academic department and program includes among its major requirements a culminating activity, normally undertaken during the senior year. All students will take a course - or engage in an independent study project - that permits them to pull together the work of their major and add to this some intellectual or creative activity of their own. The culminating experience could take one of several forms, including a thesis, a paper, an exhibition, or a performance.

The Language Requirement

All students are expected to become proficient in at least one foreign language. Unless exempted on the basis of SAT II or advanced placement test scores, students complete their language requirement by studying a language on campus or by participating in a Dartmouth Language Study Abroad program.