Haverford College

Anthropology

Anthropology is the holistic and comparative study of human beings from a variety of perspectives—historical, linguistic, biological, social, and cultural—in pursuit of a deeper understanding of humankind and the promotion of informed social policy. Anthropologists conduct participant-observation ethnographic research with diverse social groups in different parts of the world, examining how people imagine and structure their lives and aspirations.

Astronomy

Astronomy and astrophysics apply physical principles to understand the properties of objects in space, from neutron stars the size of cities, to galaxies containing billions of stars, or even the entire Universe as a single system. The astronomy major is appropriate for students who wish to pursue astronomy or astrophysics or to make use of their training in related fields; students may major in astronomy or astrophysics, but not both.

Astrophysics

The Haverford astronomy and astrophysics curricula are based on the study of astrophysical systems and of their evolution, and any study of astronomy and astrophysics is enriched by a firm understanding of the underlying physics. Students may major in astronomy or astrophysics, but not both, and astrophysics majors may not double major in either physics or astronomy. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Biology

Modern biology has seen tremendous growth in our ability to understand and compare the structure and function of living organisms at the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. The department's approach to teaching biology emphasizes unifying principles and research method while offering students the flexibility to customize an integrative program of study tailored to their specific interests. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Chemistry

The program in chemistry is designed to meet the needs of students who are pursuing chemistry either for a variety of pre-professional reasons or to increase their knowledge of the natural sciences. The chemistry major program provides preparation for careers in science, medicine, law, business, K-12 education, as well as a number of other professions. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Classical Culture and Society

The Department of Classics embraces the interdisciplinary study of any and all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Haverford's 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. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Classical Languages

Haverford's Classical Languages program offers students the opportunity to gain proficiency in one or both of Greek and Latin or another classical language and to explore Classical texts and the literary, historical, and philosophical contexts in which they emerged. The department offers courses in ancient history, literature, and culture in English translation, as well as courses in Greek and Latin language and literature at all levels.

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. The study of Comparative Literature situates literature in an international perspective; examines transnational cultural connections through literary history, literary criticism, critical theory, and poetics; and works toward a nuanced understanding of the socio-cultural functions of literature.

Computer Science

Computer science is the representation and manipulation of information; it is the study of the theory, analysis, design, and implementation of the data structures that represent information and the algorithms that transform them. Computer science at Haverford College covers these fundamental concepts, with emphasis on depth of thought, clarity of expression and attention to ethical impact. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

East Asian Languages and Cultures

The Bi-College Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures is housed at both Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges, with a mission to foster learning about East Asia through rigorous language study and through deep and exploratory engagement with prominent themes and sources from East Asian countries.

Economics

Economics consists of a variety of theoretical approaches to understanding human behavior, social interactions, and economic performance, and a set of powerful methodological tools that can be used to test competing theories empirically. The economics curriculum at Haverford offers introductory and upper level courses both in theoretical and empirical methods, as well as numerous electives on a broad range of economic topics. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Education

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. With a primary focus on relationships, facilitation, and change as the heart of the study and practice of education, the department addresses students as past, current, and future stakeholders of public education systems and as prospective teachers, school leaders, and researchers.

English

The English Department offers courses in the literary traditions of the English-speaking world, in which students expand their ability to respond to texts thoughtfully and critically and to articulate those responses in clear and fluent English. The department aims to develop cultural and media literacy by introducing students to the range of literary traditions, broadly conceived, in the English language. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Environmental Studies

The Bi-College Environmental Studies program engages the theoretical and empirical approaches that the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities bring to local and global environmental questions. ENVS majors also pursue an individually selected focus area in order to gain a depth of knowledge and to develop a sense of their own agency in addressing what most concerns them. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Fine Arts

In the Fine Arts Department, the focus is on the individual: studio classes are small, and students from beginners to majors receive individual instruction. The fine arts program centers around five disciplines—drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture—each offered at both the introductory and advanced levels. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

French and Francophone Studies

The major in French and Francophone Studies lays the foundation for an understanding and appreciation of French language and of French and Francophone cultures through their literatures and the history of their arts, thought, and institutions. Course offerings serve those with interest in French and Francophone literature, literary theory, and criticism, as well as those with interest in studying France and French-speaking countries from an interdisciplinary perspective.

German and German Studies

The Haverford Department of German and German Studies is the Haverford section of the Bi-College German Department and offers a fully coordinated program of courses with the Bryn Mawr College Department of German. The Department has established a broadly conceived German Studies program, incorporating a variety of courses that lay the foundation for a critical understanding of German-speaking cultures in their contemporary global context and their larger history.

Greek

The Department of Classics offers a major in Greek, pursued in conjunction with a related modern field. Students take courses in Greek language and literature at all levels alongside courses in ancient history, literature, and culture. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

History

The Haverford History Department encourages students to explore the curriculum and master skills in three broad areas of pursuit: evidence, experience, and epistemology. Students approach the study of the past through an immersion in materials and evidence, analysis and interpretation, creativity and imaginative endeavor, with primary sources permeating the curriculum. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Latin

The Department of Classics offers a major in Latin, pursued in conjunction with a related modern field. Students take courses in Latin language and literature at all levels alongside courses in ancient history, literature, and culture; Latin majors interested in teaching as a career may combine the major with the teacher certification track. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language: the Tri-College department develops techniques to explore patterns that all human languages have in common and investigates the ways in which each is unique. Linguistics is also relevant to other disciplines, such as psychology, philosophy, mathematics, computer science, sociology and anthropology, and some students choose to double major with one of them. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Mathematics

The courses in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics promote rigorous thinking in a systematic, deductive, intellectual discipline and help students identify and articulate mathematical and statistical problems they encounter. Majors take a core sequence of courses in calculus and linear algebra, choose a focus in pure math, applied math, or statistics, and complete a junior seminar and a senior thesis. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester 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. A major in music provides a foundation for further study leading to a career in music. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Neuroscience

The field of neuroscience emerged as an interdisciplinary approach, combining techniques and perspectives from medicine, biology, psychology, philosophy, and physiology, as well as emerging fields such as computation and cognitive science, to yield new insights into the workings of the nervous system and behavior. The Bi-College major in Neuroscience allows students to pursue an in-depth study of the nervous system and behavior across disciplines.

Philosophy

Philosophy at Haverford aims as far as possible to reflect the richness, diversity, and reflexivity of philosophical inquiry. Grounded throughout in the history of philosophy, many courses focus on particular subfields, on value theory, the philosophy of mind, ancient philosophy, or the philosophy of logic and language. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Physics

Physics is the basis for our understanding of the universe, from the tiniest sub-atomic particles, to the way our bodies work, to the structure of the cosmos. The department's programs are sufficiently flexible to accommodate students wishing to study abroad or to combine physics with other fields such as medicine and interdisciplinary programs in astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, computing, and engineering; all majors pursue a senior thesis research project.

Political Science

The Political Science Department seeks to address issues of power, citizenship, government, and justice in the United States and throughout the world by studying the diversity of political life and thought in our own age and in the past.

Psychology

The aim of the Psychology Department is to provide students with an understanding of human behavior that will support their ability to add to scientific knowledge, to help others, and to participate as informed members of our society. The curriculum emphasizes both theoretical concepts and competence in scientific methodologies across diverse topic areas within psychology, including biological, cognitive, social, personality, and culture.

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 experience. Students develop skills in the critical analysis of the sacred texts, images, beliefs, and performances of various religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.

Sociology

The Sociology Department helps students learn how to “do sociology” by exposing them to exemplars of what sociology has been and by asking them to study micro and macro aspects of the social world. Courses provide the analytical and methodological training students need to formulate theoretical arguments and to evaluate those arguments empirically. The degree requires 32 course credits, equal to 128 semester hours.

Spanish

The Spanish Department at Haverford engages its students in the study and exploration of the varied cultures in the Spanish-speaking world. Through multiple disciplinary approaches, including literary and cultural studies, environmental studies, gender and sexuality studies, film studies, educational linguistics, linguistic anthropology, and creative writing, the program prepares students to understand and interpret Spanish, Latin American and U.S.