Hobart William Smith Colleges

Adolescent Education

The Master of Arts in Teaching is a fifth-year graduate program that builds on the undergraduate Teacher Education Program and is open to eligible students enrolled in the TEP. Graduates are eligible to apply for Initial New York State Teacher Certification to teach grades 7-12 in their subject area.

Africana Studies

The Africana Studies program offers an accredited interdisciplinary major with concentrations in African, African-American, or Africana studies. The aim of the program is to provide students with a broad, interdisciplinary understanding of the culture and history of the peoples of Africa and of African descent through courses that explore the dynamic intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and culture.

American Studies

Tasked to think about the familiar in an unfamiliar way, American Studies students are creative problem solvers, storytellers, educators, and activists. They train in multiple critical approaches to interpret American culture, politics, and society from an interdisciplinary point of view.

Anthropology

The Anthropology program offers students a number of ways to examine in depth a most fundamental concept - what it means to be human. Students choose a concentration from among cultural anthropology, archaeology, or physical anthropology while also taking courses outside their primary subfield.

Anthropology and Sociology

A registered program in the department of Anthropology and Sociology, which studies human cultural diversity alongside social structure and social interaction. Coursework spans ethnographic fieldwork, social theory, and the analysis of inequalities in power, wealth, and privilege.

Architectural Studies

The Architectural Studies program practices iterative design and interdisciplinary work to guide students to experience, understand, and explain the power of the built environment to shape lives and embody social values. The interdisciplinary major combines design studios, architectural history and theory, and courses on cities, landscapes, and environmental studies.

Art History

The Art History program educates students in visual and historical analysis of art and architecture across different regions and periods, developing students' ability to think rigorously, write effectively, and communicate articulately. Majors complete formal and visual analysis of a diverse range of visual and material culture.

Asian Studies

Working closely with other academic departments, the Department of Asian Studies offers a variety of courses designed to acquaint its majors and minors with the languages, people, arts and architectures, economies, environments, histories, and religions of Asia.

Biochemistry

The Biology and Chemistry departments offer a rigorous joint major to students interested in the intersection of biology and chemistry. The major consists of core courses from both departments, cognates in mathematics and physics, and a capstone senior seminar experience.

Biology (B.A.)

The Biology Department offers students a foundation in modern biology, providing breadth in biological study through an array of course topics and the opportunity for advanced coursework and independent investigation within a liberal arts curriculum. Required coursework spans genetics, ecology, evolution, and biostatistics, culminating in a senior seminar capstone.

Biology (B.S.)

The Biology Department offers students a foundation in modern biology, providing breadth in biological study through an array of course topics and the opportunity for advanced coursework and independent investigation. The B.S. adds additional coursework in the natural sciences and quantitative reasoning beyond the B.A.

Bodies, Disabilities, and Justice

An interdisciplinary major in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice. Majors learn how social norms about bodies shape understandings of difference, apply interdisciplinary analytic tools for evaluating representations of bodies, and critically examine ideas and practices of bodily health and wellness.

Chemistry (ACS B.S.)

The ACS B.S. is the chemistry degree track approved by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society. It requires the most extensive sequence of chemistry coursework plus chemical research, preparing students for immediate employment as a chemist or for graduate and professional school.

Chemistry (B.A.)

The chemistry major consists of a core set of foundational courses exposing students to four main subdisciplines: organic, analytical, inorganic, and physical. The curriculum then provides students the flexibility to further engage the subdisciplines they find most stimulating through upper-level electives and independent studies.

Chemistry (B.S.)

The B.S. in chemistry builds on the core foundational courses in organic, analytical, inorganic, and physical chemistry with additional upper-level chemistry and natural science coursework. Students have the opportunity to conduct research with faculty, publish peer-reviewed articles, and present at regional or national conferences.

Childhood Education

A fifth-year Master of Arts in Teaching program leading to Initial New York State certification in childhood education (grades 1-6). Students carry out student teaching with an accompanying seminar, complete a master's project, and take elective courses in liberal arts disciplines.

Classics

Offered by the Department of Greek and Roman Studies, the Classics major requires substantial study of both Greek and Latin along with classical civilization courses. The department investigates all aspects of ancient Greece and Rome: their languages and cultures, their interactions with the rest of the Mediterranean world, and their subsequent influence on modern society.

Computer Science (B.A.)

Course topics in the computer science curriculum span the core of the discipline, from the theory of computation to algorithms and from hardware to software development, as well as real-world applications in areas such as artificial intelligence, computer graphics, and databases. At its core, computer science is the study of how to think critically and solve problems.

Computer Science (B.S.)

The B.S. in computer science extends the core curriculum in theory of computation, algorithms, hardware, and software development with additional coursework in mathematics and the natural sciences. Students gain analytical and programming skills sought after by employers and graduate schools.

Dance

The dance curriculum emphasizes the interconnectedness of dance as physical practice, creative process, and as an expression of cultural, social, and political positionality. The major is offered in four tracks - Performance and Choreography, Dance Education, Movement Studies, and Theory and Performance Studies - each emphasizing a particular expertise while sharing a broad-based perspective on dance as a field.

Economics

The Economics Department provides students with a broad education in economic theory and analytic methods, using multiple approaches to the discipline to enable students to understand, analyze, research, and evaluate economic phenomena, processes, and issues. Students may complete the economics major with or without a concentration.

Educational Studies

The Educational Studies Department provides courses of study in education and offers programs that lead to New York State certification as teachers. The disciplinary major examines education as it happens in many places, from schools and universities to museums, youth centers, and health care settings.

English and Creative Writing

In the department of English, students immerse themselves in poems, novels, short stories, plays, films, graphic novels, essays, memoirs, songs, performances, digital media, hybrid forms, and literary theory. Students choose classes from a broad array of offerings in both literary criticism and creative writing as they craft their own path through the major.

Environmental Science

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary major that investigates the relationship between humans and their natural world, blending perspectives from biology, geoscience, and environmental studies. Graduates are prepared for employment or research in natural resources, ecosystem science and management, environmental consulting, and sustainability initiatives.

Environmental Studies (B.A.)

Environmental Studies is defined by its interdisciplinary nature, with faculty and classes split between Natural Science, Social Science, and the Humanities so that students learn how to approach a problem from multiple perspectives. All students complete a Senior Integrated Experience, a capstone project exploring an environmental problem from multiple perspectives.

Environmental Studies (B.S.)

A registered science-track degree in Environmental Studies. The program develops graduates with an understanding of the complexity of local and global environmental problems using an interdisciplinary approach grounded in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

French and Francophone Studies

The French, Francophone and Italian Studies Department offers a transnational and transcultural program of studies with integrated courses in language, cultures, and literatures reflecting the rich diversity of French-speaking cultures throughout the world. The department offers both a disciplinary and an interdisciplinary version of the major.

Gender and Feminist Studies

Gender and Feminist Studies is an interdisciplinary field showcasing how social movements and political activism can reshape how we know and make change in the world. The center of the program is intersectionality and justice, critical tools of inquiry to examine race, gender, sexuality, and class.

Geoscience (B.A.)

Geoscience is the study of our planet, its lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The department offers courses spanning geology, hydrology, and atmospheric science, and most geoscience students undertake undergraduate research through independent study, honors courses, or internships.

Geoscience (B.S.)

The B.S. in Geoscience adds additional coursework in the natural sciences and mathematics to the study of the Earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The degree prepares students for careers in environmental consulting, weather forecasting, natural resource management, and research in geology, hydrology, climatology, and meteorology.

Greek

A disciplinary major in the Department of Greek and Roman Studies focused on the Greek language, combining seven courses in Greek language with classical civilization coursework. The major must include a capstone experience.

Greek and Roman Studies

Greek and Roman Studies invites students to discover the literatures and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and the other Mediterranean societies with which they interacted. The major combines courses in Greek and/or Latin with classical civilization courses and a senior seminar capstone.

Higher Education Leadership

The Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership (MHEL) is designed to engage students who wish to pursue a variety of careers in higher education, with an emphasis on social justice, systemic change, and student development. Students complete coursework alongside internships and graduate assistantships, preparing them for entry-level and middle-management positions in student affairs and other professional areas.

History

History courses at HWS help students to understand the past and its many possible meanings and applications in the present. Students learn to acknowledge controversy, understand the complexity of historical interpretation, and develop their own ideas about the past.

Individual Studies (B.A.)

The Individual Majors program provides students the opportunity to design an individually tailored major when the focus of study lies outside an established department or program-based major, or combines multiple disciplines. Students work closely with a faculty advisor to design a specific curriculum of study including a capstone, which is reviewed by the Individual Majors Committee.

Individual Studies (B.S.)

An individually designed major in a scientific subject leading to the Bachelor of Science. Creating an Individual Major with a B.S. requires a minimum of 16 major courses and approval by the Individual Majors Committee.

International Relations

International Relations examines questions of power, order, cooperation, and conflict that emerge as national and international actors relate across state boundaries. The program covers diplomacy and war, exchanges of commodities and ideas, ethnic conflict, transnational networking, and the flow of people and problems across borders.

Latin

A disciplinary major in the Department of Greek and Roman Studies focused on the Latin language, combining seven courses in Latin language with classical civilization coursework. The major must include a capstone experience.

Latin American Studies

The Latin American Studies program emphasizes the myriad regional, sub-regional, and national identities that make up Latin America, while also examining the common bonds that make the region unique as a whole. Students are exposed to Latin America's art, literature, history, culture, economics, and politics.

LGBTQ+ Studies

An interdisciplinary major in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice. Majors explore the history of LGBTQ+ social justice and political movements across the globe and analyze the intersectional forces at work in systems of power and privilege that impact LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.

Management

The Advanced Certificate in Management (CiM) creates a pathway for HWS graduates to enhance their career entry opportunities and for professionals to advance in their career. The program can be completed in one or two semesters and is distinguished by a solutions-oriented approach and an emphasis on ethical decision-making.

Management

Through this one-year program, students develop the skills needed to design solutions and implement strategic plans of action that solve local and global challenges. The MSM can be earned in either a 3+1 model or the more traditional 4+1 model, and includes core courses, electives, an internship, experiential field trips, and a capstone experience.

Management and Entrepreneurship

The Management and Entrepreneurship program challenges students to explore solutions to a wide range of societal issues, to collaborate with peers and faculty to propose solutions, and to act by implementing interdisciplinary and collaborative solutions. The interdisciplinary major integrates courses in applied skills and theories with historically liberal arts disciplines and culminates in a capstone.

Mathematics (B.A.)

Mathematics has always been one of the core subjects of a liberal arts education because it promotes rigorous thinking and problem-solving ability. The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offers the opportunity to explore both theoretical and applied mathematics.

Mathematics (B.S.)

The B.S. in mathematics extends the exploration of theoretical and applied mathematics with additional coursework in the sciences. Many students who major in mathematics go on to graduate school or to work in related professions.

Media and Society

HWS was among the first liberal arts colleges in the country to offer a major in media studies. The Media and Society Program offers a highly innovative, original, and interdisciplinary degree that combines media production and analysis through a flexible, customizable curriculum, culminating in a required capstone course.

Music

Music is a cornerstone of academics at HWS, with a flexible curriculum that combines music theory, history, composition, and performance. Majors participate in a major choral or instrumental ensemble or private lessons alongside their coursework.

Philosophy

Philosophy is concerned with the most fundamental questions that human beings can ask about the nature of the world, knowledge, right and wrong, government, and the good life. The department welcomes both those who have an interest in continuing in philosophy and those who wish to use their philosophical training as a basis for other life pursuits.

Physics (B.A.)

The physics curriculum introduces students to the discipline's principal subfields - electromagnetism, mechanics, thermal physics, and quantum mechanics - and provides extensive training in mathematical and analytical methods. The study of physics provides a strong background for careers in physics, engineering, astronomy, geophysics, environmental science, meteorology, teaching, medicine, and law.

Physics (B.S.)

The B.S. in physics extends the core curriculum in electromagnetism, mechanics, thermal physics, and quantum mechanics with additional advanced coursework in physics and mathematics, providing the most extensive training in mathematical and analytical methods of any of the sciences.

Politics

The Department of Politics offers a disciplinary major divided into three subfields: Foundations, Law and Government, and Power and Movements. Foundations courses address the fundamental questions and values animating political struggle, Law and Government examines political and legal systems in the United States, and Power and Movements explores citizens as political actors.

Psychological Science (B.A.)

The Psychological Science curriculum forms a developmentally coherent program of study that begins with foundational courses and moves through 200-level electives, statistics and research methods, and advanced coursework. Students gain an in-depth understanding of the sub-disciplines of both scientific and applied psychology.

Psychological Science (B.S.)

The B.S. in Psychological Science adds additional science and quantitative coursework to the developmentally coherent psychology curriculum, emphasizing statistics, research methods, and laboratory experience within a liberal arts context.

Public Health

The public health program is an interdisciplinary program offering a major for students preparing for professional or graduate training in health care or careers enhanced with public health understanding. Students graduate with a deep appreciation for the complex social, biological, economic, cultural, and ecological dimensions of human health.

Religious Studies

The Department of Religious Studies brings a variety of perspectives to bear on the study of a significant aspect of human existence: religion. The study of religion as engaged by the department is intrinsically interdisciplinary and multicultural, bringing historical, theological, philosophical, sociological, ethnographic, political, ethical, literary, feminist, and psychological perspectives.

Russian History and Society

An interdisciplinary major in the Russian Area Studies program combining courses in the humanities and social sciences. Students learn about the language, culture, history, and society of Russia as well as the geopolitically related regions of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and complete a capstone project.

Russian Language and Culture

A disciplinary major in the Russian Area Studies program drawing primarily on courses in language, literature, and culture. Students develop Russian language proficiency and interpret the major literary and artistic movements of the Russian-speaking world, culminating in a capstone project.

Sociology

Sociology is the study of social structure and social interaction and the factors for making change in both, including the study of people, groups, organizations, spaces, and institutions. Sociology at HWS is activist and change-oriented, with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Spanish and Hispanic Studies

The Spanish and Hispanic Studies Department supports students on their path toward successful bilingual communication, cultural literacy, and global citizenship. The program follows the communicative approach with a curricular emphasis on meaningful learning contexts, cultural understanding, authentic materials, creative expression, and language immersion.

Special Education Childhood

A fifth-year Master of Arts in Teaching program leading to dual Initial New York State certification in childhood education and students with disabilities (grades 1-6). The program is designed to be completed in one academic year following the undergraduate Teacher Education Program.

Studio Art

The Studio Art program focuses students on formal and conceptual approaches to making and vigorously analyzing art practices. Majors develop technical competency in studio art media and learn to apply critical thinking to analyze and contextualize their artistic intentions.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

The Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate is an entry-level credential required for many jobs teaching English abroad. Requirements include courses in foundations in linguistics, language teaching and learning, and language and culture, along with a practicum experience. Completion is independent of any major or minor.

Theatre

The mission of the Theatre Department is to give students opportunities to make and study theatre with a particular emphasis on how theatre transforms society through sharing spaces, raising voices, and crafting stories. Majors make theatre through collaborative processes that bring together production elements including acting, directing, and design.

Writing and Rhetoric

The primary purpose of the Writing and Rhetoric Program is to offer rigorous courses at all levels that integrate the study of writing and the study of rhetoric. The courses help students strengthen their abilities to express themselves effectively in written discourse.