Eckerd College

American Studies

A broad, interdisciplinary major in American civilization focusing on American experience and identity, past and present, using the methods and approaches of a variety of academic disciplines. The program is built around the core disciplines of history, literature, and political science and requires a minimum of ten courses.

Ancient Studies

An interdisciplinary major for students interested in the languages, arts, religions, histories, and material cultures of peoples living in the ancient world, spanning the Mediterranean Basin, Near East, China, Japan, and India from roughly 3300 BCE to 1300 CE. The major requires a total of eleven courses.

Animal Studies

An interdisciplinary major helping students become more knowledgeable about animals and their multidimensional relationships with humans, using multiple lenses to understand animals' relationship to humankind. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Anthropology

A holistic study of human biological and cultural diversity that explores the mutual interdependence of biology and culture, with major subfields in cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.

Biochemistry

A rigorous program at the intersection of chemistry and biology, offering programs of study leading to a B.S. or an American Chemical Society-certified B.S. degree.

Biology (BA)

The study of living systems and their processes; students earn a biology degree by completing the requirements for the B.A. or the B.S., building foundational knowledge across the biological sciences.

Biology (BS)

The study of living systems and their processes; students earn a biology degree by completing the requirements for the B.S. or the B.A., with the B.S. requiring additional science coursework within the Natural Sciences Collegium.

Business Administration

A major combining coursework in management, economics, and international business to prepare students for careers in business and organizational leadership.

Chemistry (BA)

The study of matter and its transformations; students may pursue a B.A. or a B.S. degree in chemistry, developing knowledge and laboratory skills across the discipline.

Chemistry (BS)

The study of matter and its transformations; students may pursue a B.S. or an American Chemical Society-certified B.S. degree, completing additional science coursework beyond the B.A. requirements.

Communication

An interdisciplinary major examining the theories and practices of human communication, media, rhetoric, and public relations across a range of contexts.

Comparative Literature

A major in the Letters collegium offering the study of literature across languages, cultures, and traditions, developing skills in critical analysis and interpretation. The major requires a minimum of ten courses.

Computer Science (BA)

The study of computation, algorithms, and software design; a total of twelve courses is required for the Bachelor of Arts.

Computer Science (BS)

The study of computation, algorithms, and software design; the Bachelor of Science requires four additional advanced computer science courses beyond the B.A. requirements.

Creative Writing (BA)

A major in the craft of writing across genres such as fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, offered as a Bachelor of Arts alongside a Bachelor of Fine Arts option.

Creative Writing (BFA)

A studio-intensive Bachelor of Fine Arts in the craft of writing across genres such as fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

East Asian Studies

An interdisciplinary major focused on the languages, cultures, histories, and societies of East Asia.

Economics

The study of how societies allocate scarce resources, covering micro- and macroeconomic theory and its applications to real-world problems.

Environmental Studies (BA)

An interdisciplinary major examining the relationships between human societies and the natural environment. Eckerd offers two degrees in Environmental Studies, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science.

Environmental Studies (BS)

An interdisciplinary major examining the relationships between human societies and the natural environment, with the Bachelor of Science emphasizing additional science coursework.

Film Studies

A major examining film as an art form and cultural medium, consisting of a minimum of ten courses.

French

A major offering the opportunity to become fluent in French while studying francophone cultures and literatures; the major consists of nine courses.

Geosciences (BA)

The study of the Earth, its materials, processes, and history; offered as a Bachelor of Arts in geosciences.

Geosciences (BS)

The study of the Earth, its materials, processes, and history; the Bachelor of Science in geosciences requires additional science and quantitative coursework beyond the B.A.

History

A major developing knowledge of the past and skills in historical research and interpretation, requiring a minimum of ten total courses.

Human Development

An interdisciplinary major examining human growth and development across the lifespan from psychological, biological, and social perspectives.

Humanities

An interdisciplinary major coordinated by the Letters collegium, offering a ten-course program that integrates study across the humanistic disciplines.

Interdisciplinary Arts

A major integrating study and practice across multiple artistic disciplines, requiring sixteen courses, a senior seminar, and a senior project.

International Business

A major preparing students for careers in global business by combining business foundations with international and cross-cultural perspectives.

International Relations & Global Affairs

A major examining relations among states and global actors, international politics, and global affairs, housed in the political science discipline.

International Studies

An interdisciplinary major with a strong cross-cultural focus in which students design an integrated program anchored in one core discipline and one modern language and focused on a country or region. The major requires a minimum of eleven courses, language study, a semester of study abroad, and a senior project.

Literature

A major offering a broad survey of great writing from English, American, and world contexts combined with the study of selected genres, periods, and authors; the major requires ten courses.

Management

A major focused on the competencies of managing small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, including analysis, ethics, quantitative research, leadership, and communication.

Marine Science

A major providing an integrative marine-science background and specialized foundation work for careers in marine fields, with tracks in marine biology, marine chemistry, marine geology, and marine geophysics. The B.A. is not offered; the B.S. requires a core of ten courses.

Marketing

A major addressing the rapidly changing marketing environment with a focus on digital and global marketing, preparing students for careers in marketing and for graduate work.

Mathematics (BA)

The study of mathematical systems, reasoning, and computation; the discipline offers a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics.

Mathematics (BS)

The study of mathematical systems, reasoning, and computation; the Bachelor of Science in mathematics requires four additional science or mathematics courses beyond the B.A.

Music

A major designed to enable holistic understanding of musical cultures, aesthetics, and practices across classical, pop, rock, and jazz traditions, requiring a minimum of twelve courses.

Musical Theatre

A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre offered as a 2+2 program in conjunction with Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City.

Philosophy

A major addressing fundamental questions about knowledge, reality, ethics, and reasoning, with emphasis on writing, verbal communication, and critical thinking; the major requires a minimum of ten courses.

Physics (BA)

The study of matter, energy, and the physical laws governing the universe, developing competency in scientific modeling and problem-solving; offered as a Bachelor of Arts.

Physics (BS)

The study of matter, energy, and the physical laws governing the universe; the Bachelor of Science requires additional coursework beyond the B.A., including Quantum Physics II and Statistical Mechanics.

Political Science

A major providing fundamental understanding of American government, comparative political systems, international politics, and political theory, along with skills in political analysis and research.

Psychology (BA)

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes across the subfields of psychology; students may complete a Bachelor of Arts requiring a total of twelve psychology courses.

Psychology (BS)

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes; the Bachelor of Science requires a total of fourteen courses and additional research skills designed to prepare students for graduate study.

Religious Studies

An interdisciplinary, comparative, academic study of religion as a mode of inquiry within the liberal arts tradition, requiring a total of eleven courses in the discipline.

Sociology

The application of scientific methods to the study of how social forces shape human conduct and experience, developing critical thinking and qualitative and quantitative research skills.

Spanish

A major developing proficiency in Spanish and knowledge of the Hispanic world, consisting of seven to nine courses depending on language placement, plus a comprehensive examination.

Theatre (BA)

A major developing skills in acting, directing, design, and technical theatre; the Bachelor of Arts requires ten courses including the Theatre Capstone.

Theatre (BFA)

A Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre offered as a unique 2+2 program in partnership with Circle in the Square Theatre School, with students completing their first two years at Eckerd and their final two years in New York City.

Visual Arts

A process- and project-oriented studio art major in which students develop their own area of emphasis through their chosen media, requiring a minimum of ten studio courses and culminating in a Senior Thesis Exhibition.

Women's and Gender Studies

An interdisciplinary major examining women's material, cultural, and economic production and the dimensions of gender in human societies past and present, requiring a minimum of ten courses across at least three disciplines.