Bryn Mawr College

Anthropology

Anthropology studies the human condition as it has been evolutionarily, historically, and culturally conditioned, ranging from sociocultural and linguistic anthropology, which focus on social, political, and cultural dynamics in contemporary contexts, to biological anthropology and anthropological archaeology, which focus on human evolution and past cultural change.

Astronomy

The astronomy major is appropriate for students who desire an in-depth education in astronomy that can be applied to a wide range of career trajectories, but who do not necessarily intend to pursue graduate study in astronomy. Offered through Haverford College, it requires introductory physics, two mathematics courses, four 300-level astronomy credits, and a senior thesis.

Astrophysics

The astrophysics major is the same as a physics major but with an astronomical emphasis, appropriate for students who wish to study astronomy with attention to the physical principles underlying observed phenomena. Offered through Haverford College, its depth of physics training prepares students for graduate study in astronomy or astrophysics or for a wide range of other careers.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Students may complete a major in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Required courses are drawn principally from the Biology and Chemistry Departments, and those interested in the major should consult both Biology and Chemistry faculty. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Biology

Students may complete a major or minor in Biology. The curriculum of the Department is designed to introduce students to the investigation of living systems at the levels of cells, organisms and populations. Interdisciplinary minors with connections to the Biology major include Data Science, Environmental Studies, Health Studies and Neuroscience. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Chemistry

Chemistry is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Chemistry

The Chemistry major is offered with several different options, including an American Chemical Society Certified A.B. recommended for graduate school, a Chemistry major A.B. only, a major with concentration in biochemistry, and a major with concentration in geochemistry. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology

Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology

The curriculum of the department focuses on the cultures of the Mediterranean regions and Western Asia in antiquity. Courses treat aspects of society and material culture of these civilizations as well as issues of theory, method, and interpretation. The major requires a minimum of 10 courses. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Classical Culture and Society

The track in Classical Culture offers students the opportunity to explore life in Classical antiquity in all of its dimensions, from language, to literature, to history, philosophy, archaeology, and more, as well as its impact on later cultural traditions.

Classical Languages

The Classical Languages track offers students the opportunity to gain a deeper proficiency in Greek and/or Latin and to explore Classical texts and the literary, historical, and philosophical contexts in which they emerged. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Classical Studies

Classical Studies is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Comparative Literature

Comparative Literature is a joint Bryn Mawr and Haverford program that draws on the diverse teaching and research interests of the faculty at the two colleges, especially but not exclusively those in our many departments of language and literature. The study of Comparative Literature situates literature in an international perspective. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Computer Science

Students may complete a major or minor in Computer Science. Computer Science is about the science of algorithms (theory, analysis, design and implementation) as well as the design and implementation of computer systems. The major emphasizes foundations and basic principles of information science with the goal of providing students with skills that transcend short-term trends in computer hardware and software. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Creative Writing

The Creative Writing Department offers a range of combined workshop/literatures courses in a wide variety of literary genres, from Short Fiction and Novel Writing, to Poetry, Screenwriting, Young Adult Literature and Writing for Radio and Podcast. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

East Asian Languages and Cultures

EALC lays the foundations for proficiency in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language and culture, and for gaining broad knowledge of the East Asian cultural sphere across time and in its global context. The major requires twelve courses, including two introductory courses, a Major Seminar, a Capstone, and a senior thesis. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Economics

Students may complete a major or minor in Economics. The economics curriculum provides students with a strong grounding in economic theory and methods through the core courses, and allows them to tailor their major to their specific interests in advanced theory and applied fields. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Education Studies

The Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Department centers teaching and learning as fundamental to human life and growth, and intrinsically connected to struggles for understanding, liberation, and justice. For students pursuing a major, specialization is required within the overarching frame of Research, Policy, and Practice. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Environmental Studies

The Bi-Co Environmental Studies Major combines the strengths of the two liberal arts campuses to create an interdisciplinary program that teaches students to synthesize diverse disciplinary knowledge and approaches, and to communicate effectively across disciplinary boundaries as they engage with environmental issues. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Fine Arts

Bryn Mawr College's partnership with Haverford College allows students to major in Fine Arts and take courses in Fine Arts at Haverford College. In the Fine Arts Department the focus is on the individual; studio classes are small, and each discipline is offered at both the introductory and advanced levels. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

French

French is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

French and Francophone Studies

The French and Francophone Studies program at Bryn Mawr is recognized as one of the top undergraduate French programs in the country. The purpose of the major in French and Francophone Studies is to develop sophisticated critical skills together with advanced proficiency in the language. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Geology

Students may complete a major or minor in Geology, and within the major students may complete a concentration in geochemistry. The department seeks to give students a well-rounded Earth science education that balances fundamental knowledge of geology with broadly applicable analytical skills. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

German and German Studies

Bryn Mawr German and German Studies is a Bi-College Department with Haverford German. By drawing on the expertise of the faculty at both colleges, the Department has established an interdisciplinary German Studies program that investigates the role and resonance of German-speaking cultures globally. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Greek

Courses in Greek (GREK) involve the study of the ancient language and reading texts in that language. Majors are expected to have read through the Classics Reading List before participating in the required full-year Senior Seminar, which culminates in a substantial thesis paper and a presentation to the department. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Greek Studies

Greek Studies is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Growth and Structure of Cities

Students may complete a major or minor in Growth and Structure of Cities. The interdisciplinary major challenges students to understand the dynamic relationships connecting urban spatial organization and the built environment with politics, economics, and culture. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

History

Students may complete a major or minor in History. A primary aim of the Department of History is to deepen students' sense of time as a factor in cultural diversity and change. The program of study offers students the opportunity to experience the past through a wide range of geographic fields and methods. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

History of Art

History of Art is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

History of Art

The major in History of Art requires ten units approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, including two 100-level lecture courses, a 200-level critical approaches seminar, and 300-level seminars. Majors must fulfill distribution requirements spanning pre-modern, modern/contemporary, and non-Western material. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

International Studies

International Studies is the study of relationships among people and states affected by increasingly permeable borders and facing global issues. It aims to prepare students to be responsible citizens by introducing them to issues of importance in an increasingly interdependent world of global dynamics in politics, economics, and culture. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Latin

Courses in Latin (LATN) involve the study of the ancient language and reading texts in that language. Majors are expected to have read through the Classics Reading List before participating in the required full-year Senior Seminar, which culminates in a substantial thesis paper and a presentation to the department. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Latin Language and Roman Studies

Latin Language and Roman Studies is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Linguistics

The Tri-Co Linguistics Department offers two major tracks: Linguistics and Linguistics & Language. Students complete the Linguistics major with a total of eight credits, including mandatory foundation courses in Forms, Meanings, and Sounds, a course on the structure of a non-Indo-European language, and a one-credit senior thesis. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Linguistics and Languages

The Tri-Co Linguistics Department offers two major tracks: Linguistics and Linguistics & Language. Students complete the Linguistics and Language major with a total of twelve credits, including study of two languages other than English with three credits from each at or beyond the third-year level for at least one. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Literatures in English

The English Department offers a wide range of courses in British, American, and Anglophone literatures, from medieval romance to contemporary novels and film. Students develop their own paths through the major, experimenting with different periods, genres, and critical approaches. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Mathematics

Mathematics is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Mathematics

The Mathematics curriculum is designed to expose students to a wide spectrum of ideas in modern mathematics, train students in the art of logical reasoning and clear expression, and provide students with an appreciation of the beauty of the subject and of its vast applicability. Within the major, students may complete the requirements for secondary school certification. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Music

The music curriculum is designed to deepen students' understanding of musical form and expression through the development of skill in composition and performance joined with analysis of musical works and their place in various cultures. The major is offered through Haverford College. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Neuroscience

The Bi-College Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program addresses the longstanding desire to understand human and animal behavior in terms of nervous system structure and function. The major in Neuroscience allows students to pursue an in-depth study of the nervous system and behavior across disciplines and levels of analysis, including molecular, cellular, systems, behavioral and cognitive. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Philosophy

Students may complete a major or minor in Philosophy. The Department of Philosophy introduces students to some of the most compelling answers to questions of human existence and knowledge, and grooms students for a variety of fields that require rigorous analytical and argumentative skills. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Physics

Physics is one of the subjects in which the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree. Well-prepared undergraduates may work toward the master's degree while still completing the bachelor's degree through the combined A.B./M.A. program.

Physics

Students may complete a major or minor in Physics. Within the major, students may complete a minor in educational studies or complete the requirements for secondary education certification, and students may complete an M.A. in the combined A.B./M.A. program. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Political Science

Political Science is the study of justice and authority, peace and conflict, public policies and elections, government and law, democracy and autocracy, freedom and oppression. Course offerings are organized into fields including American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics, and Political Theory. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Psychology

The Psychology department offers students a major program that allows choices of courses from among a wide variety of fields in psychology, including behavioral neuroscience, clinical and counseling, cognitive, computational neuroscience, developmental, and social psychology. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Religion

A central mission of the Religion Department is to enable students to become critically informed, independent, and creative interpreters of some of the religious movements, sacred texts, ideas, and practices that have decisively shaped human cultures. The major is offered through Haverford College. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Romance Languages

The Departments of French and Francophone Studies, Italian, and Spanish cooperate in offering a major in Romance Languages that requires advanced work in at least two Romance languages and literatures. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Russian

Students may complete a major or minor in Russian. The Russian major is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide students with a broad understanding of Russian culture and the Russophone world, with a strong emphasis on language proficiency. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Social Work and Social Research

The Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research provides a rigorous educational environment to prepare clinicians, administrators, policy analysts, advocates, and educators who are committed to addressing the needs of individuals, families, organizations, and communities, both locally and globally. Students majoring or minoring in Psychology or Sociology may pursue the five-year combined A.B./M.S.S. degree program.

Social Work and Social Research

The Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research offers both Master's and Ph.D. programs through a redesigned outcomes/abilities-based curriculum providing an integrated perspective on policy, practice, theory, and research. Ph.D. graduates are prepared to address the rapidly growing and complex challenges impacting the biological, psychological, and social conditions of children and families in their communities.

Sociology

Students may complete a major or minor in Sociology. The major aims to provide understanding of the organization and functioning of modern society by analyzing its major institutions, social groups, and values, and their connections to contemporary social issues. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Spanish

The major in Spanish offers a program of study in the language, literature, and culture of Spain, Latin America, and U.S. Latino communities. The program is designed to develop linguistic competence and critical skills. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Statistics

Statistics is listed among the major subjects available to Bryn Mawr undergraduates; the major is offered through Haverford College. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Theater

The Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges' Theater Program focuses on the point of contact between creative and analytic work. Courses combine theory (reading and discussion of dramatic literature, history and criticism) and practical work (creative exercises, scene study and performance). Students may submit an application to major in Theater through the independent major program. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Transnational Italian Studies

Students may complete a major or minor in Transnational Italian Studies. In voting unanimously to embrace this new name in 2021, the department joined other programs in the humanities across the world in seizing the current moment to make curricular changes that reflect a global and transnational understanding of Italian culture. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).

Visual Studies

Visual Studies invites students both to investigate their place in a global system of images and to make media of all kinds, from images and films to objects and performances. The major is offered at Haverford College. The A.B. requires 32 course units (not semester credit hours).