AMHERST COLLEGE amherst, massachusetts Learning More { AT AMHERST, LEARNING HAPPENS FACE TO FACE. The most exciting moments of discovery emerge from one-on-one, personal exchanges: wrangling with an issue during a seminar, investigating a hypothesis in the lab, talking about anything and everything over coffee or dinner. At Amherst, you’ll find these kinds of interactions at every turn—both with your professors and with fellow students. With a low student-faculty ratio (8:1) and small classes, Amherst builds face-to-face learning right into the campus culture—which makes for an uncommonly engaging and satisfying intellectual experience. There are at least 1,800 ways to learn at Amherst, every one of them a person with a unique combination of background, intellect and talent. Amherst students are remarkable in both their wide- ranging experiences and in the passion they share for life in and out of the classroom. Whether they come from nearby towns or faraway countries, they will have a significant and lasting impact on the way you view the world. FIRST YEAR Economics 11: An Introduction to Economics Math 5: Calculus with Algebra Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought 1: The Social Organization of Law First-Year Seminar: Reading, Writing, Authority and Identity Black Studies 11: Introduction to Black Studies Black Studies 42: Myth, Ritual and Iconography in West Africa Greek 1: Introduction to Greek Language you French 3: Intermediate French SOPHOMORE YEAR French 5: Advanced French Religion 21: Ancient Israel At Amherst, History 63: State and Society in Pre-colonial Africa History 74: Topics in the History of Sexuality: Sex, Gender and the Family French 8: French Conversation History 44: The Old South 1607–1876 History 22: Colonial and Post-colonial Africa History 30: The European Enlightenment A DWOA BA RT-PLANGE SENIOR | GHANA | HISTORY AND F RENCH DOUBLE MAJOR; FIVE COLLEGE C ERTIFICATE IN AFRICAN STUDIES “I’m a big fan of the open curriculum. I took econ and math my first semester and Greek my second semester. My first year was full of random classes—no history classes and only one French class. It was fun to experiment and find out what I liked.” JUNIOR YEAR French 7: Contemporary Literature and Culture History 99: Writing the Past History 84: U.S. Cultural History: Culture Wars Women’s and Gender Studies 11: The Construction of Gender Spring abroad in Paris: Ethnic Paris open curriculum has no core or general education requirements. Most majors open curriculum has no core or general Love, Destitution and Madness in 19th-Century French Literature Franco-African Relations science, klezmer music or one of thousands other possibilities. Introduction to Black Africa Writing Workshop topic completely outside your usual realm, whether it’s the civil rights movement, poetry, topic completely outside your usual realm, whether it’s Amherst’s a of eight to 10 courses toward the 32 needed earn bachelor arts degree, leaving you SENIOR YEAR the rare opportunity to truly shape your own education. Beyond major and the First-Year the rare roughly two dozen courses to choose as you see fit. So can delve into another interest or at least 12 years, someone has been telling you what classes need to take. History 77: Senior Honors Thesis French 35: Lovers and Libertines Seminar, For have consist with explore environmental History 41: African-American History from Slave Trade to Reconstruction Political Science 29: Women and Politics in Africa AMHERST’S OPEN CURRICULUM History 78: Senior Honors Thesis (worth two credits) History 42: African-American History from Reconstruction to the Present ENCOUR AGES THE EXPLORATION History 29: The Reformation Era O F IDEAS IN THE LIBERAL A RTS TR A DITION. AMHERST’S MAJORS OFFER DEPTH IN 37 AREAS. F OR FULL DESCRIPTIONS, SEE PAGE 26. FIRST YEAR Chemistry 15: Fundamental Principles of Chemistry First-Year Seminar: Bridge to the 20th Century English 1: Representing Illness Math 12: Intermediate Calculus Chemistry 12: Chemical Principles Math 13: Multivariable Calculus Music 15: The Mystery and Magic of J. S. Bach Philosophy 23: Health Care Ethics SOPHOMORE YEAR Biology 19: Molecules, Genes and Cells Chemistry 21: Organic Chemistry 1 Computer Science 11: Intro to Computer Science 1 Philosophy 33: Philosophy of Mind Biology 28: Experimental Design and Data Analysis in the Life Sciences Chemistry 22: Organic Chemistry II Music 12: Exploring Music Psychology 26: Introduction to Neuroscience ALBERT LEE SENIOR | T HOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA NEUROSCIENCE AND MUSIC DOUBLE MAJOR “My favorite humanities course was the independent study music course where I worked closely with professional musicians in a chamber music setting. My favorite science course was Psychology 26, which fascinated me and turned me toward neuroscience.” JUNIOR YEAR Biology 35: Neurobiology Economics 11: An Introduction to Economics Music 31: Tonal Harmony and Counterpoint Physics 16: Introductory Physics I: Mechanics and Wave Motion Biology 30: Biochemistry Music 32: Form in Tonal Music Music 98: Independent Study (Chamber Music Analysis) Psychology 56: Seminar in Motivation SENIOR YEAR Neuroscience 77: Senior Honors Thesis Russian 17: Strange Russian Writers Physics 17: Introductory Physics II: Electromagnetism and Optics Music 45: String Quartets: From Beethoven to Shostakovich Neuroscience 77: Senior Honors Thesis (worth two credits) Psychology 36: Psychology of Aging Music 10: Performance and Analysis II FIRST YEAR Chemistry 15: Fundamental Chemical Principles First-Year Seminar: Light Greek 1: Introduction to the Greek Language Math 12: Intermediate Calculus Biology 18: Adaptation and the Organism Chemistry 12: Chemical Principles Greek 12: Plato’s Apology Religion 20: Classics of Judaism and Christianity SOPHOMORE YEAR Biology 19: Molecules, Genes and Cells Chemistry 21: Organic Chemistry I English 17: Big Books Psychology 15: Drugs, the Brain and Behavior American Studies 12: The Sixties in America Biology 29: Cell Structure and Function Chemistry 22: Organic Chemistry II English 36: Shakespeare ALLISON CAMPBELL SENIOR | SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH | BIOLOGY MAJOR “I’ve worked in six research labs. Now I’m working on my senior thesis in Professor Richard Goldsby’s lab, engineering a polyclonal antibody against a toxin produced by Streptococcus pyogenes, the bacteria responsible for necrotizing fasciitis (the flesh-eating disease).” JUNIOR YEAR Biology 25: Molecular Genetics Biology 33: Immunology Classics 23: Greek Civilization Russian 17: Strange Russian Writers Spring abroad at University of Edinburgh, Scotland: Developmental Biology Celtic Civilization Scottish History SENIOR YEAR Physics 16: Mechanics and Wave Motion Biology 32: Evolutionary Biology Biology 77: Senior Honors Thesis English 64: Realism and Modernism Physics 17: Electromagnetism and Optics Religion 45: History of Christianity: The Early Ye a r s Biology 78: Senior Honors Thesis (worth two credits) EXPANSIVE LIBRARI ES, ADVANC E D SCI ENCE FACILITIES, BRIGHT AND SPACIOUS R ESIDENCES AND HIKING TRAILS ARE ALL PART OF TH E 1,000-ACR E CAMPUS. VARIED AND LIV ELY, THE AREA AROUND AMHERST OFFERS A RANGE OF CULTURAL ACTIV ITIES. Amherst College’s 1,000-acre campus is in Massachusetts, 90 miles west of Boston 89 and 150 miles north of New York City. At first glance it might look like just another quaint New England town, but Amherst is a college town through and through. With five colleges and 30,000 college students in the immediate vicinity, virtually all of the town’s restaurants, stores and entertainment venues cater to the needs of college students. 103 87 93 ME 9 VT 91 NH 95 Albany 2 495 MA 90 Amherst 290 Boston Northampton Worcester South Hadley 95 87 Springfield 3 24 NY 84 RI Providence Hartford New Bedford 95 CT 395 84 91 New Haven NY 95 New York City S. Deerfield CROSS-REGISTRATION, RESOUR C ES AND EVENTS AT NEARBY COLLEGES ENLARGE THE A MHERST EXPERIENC E. The Pioneer Valley is home to Amherst and, within 10 miles, four other colleges that collaborate extensively to allow cross-registration—along with the cross-pollination of student groups, events, culture and fun. N. Amherst The Five College Consortium allows you to make the Amherst experience 91 whatever size you want. Like things small? Take all your classes at 116 Amherst. Want a taste of something a little larger? Take a class at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Or go to a big-name concert at the UMass Mullins Center, just a mile away. University of Massachusetts 47 Amherst SMITH COLLEGE IN BRIEF: Nation’s largest undergraduate women’s college DISTANCE FROM AMHERST: 8 miles (18 minutes) Amherst College STUDENTS: 2,600 undergraduates, 500 graduate students CAMPUS: 125 acres, with a new campus center incorporating a café, Hadley 9 S. Amherst bookstore, mailroom, performance space, 9 fireplace lounge and meeting rooms Smith College RESOURC ES: Botanic Garden and Lyman Conservatory with 8,000 types of plant life; largest college library collection in the U.S. with 1.25 million volumes, including branch libraries in the visual arts, Northampton performing arts, the sciences and engineering; art museum with 25,000 116 pieces, including internationally known French Impressionist paintings EVENTS: International Students’ Bazaar; Otelia Cromwell Day events 66 on issues of diversity and racism; Rally Day, honoring distinguished alumnae for Hampshire College their achievements; Black History Month events; concerts; theater performances; guest speakers; lectures and panels and poetry readings Easthampton 47 MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE IN BRIEF: Liberal arts college for women (oldest in the nation) 100 Mt. Holyoke College nationally recognized as a leader in educating women scientists 202 DISTANCE FROM AMHERST: 10 miles (23 minutes) South Hadley 21 STUDENTS: 2,300 undergraduates CAMPUS: 800 acres with ivy-covered neo-Romanesque and Gothic-style buildings RESOURC ES: Library with 700,000 volumes, recently renovated and expanded music and art facilities, art museum, Japanese teahouse and meditation garden, “green” science center EVENTS: Weekly Poets’ Lounge Spoken Word Open Mic, Something Every Friday, Las Vegas Night, Festival of Diversity, Mountain Day Holyoke S.