Kalamazoo College

Anthropology and Sociology

The related disciplines of anthropology and sociology seek to understand the nature of communities, organizations, institutions, the systems of cultural meanings that form and inform them, and the interplay between individuals' lives and the societies in which they live. Such understanding requires critical analysis of the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of power embodied in structures of class, gender, ethnicity, and race.

Art History

The Art History program cultivates critical thinking, close observation, and visual analysis skills. Students gain strong historical and theoretical grounding in multiple histories of art and visual culture and develop skills in applying critical lenses and methodologies that challenge dominant narratives and structures.

Art - Studio Art

Studio Art courses provide instruction in drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, printmaking, digital art, documentary video, and combined media. These courses help students explore creative visual modes of expression and learn both traditional and innovative media practices while developing practical and professional skills.

Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is a diverse community committed to the development of excellent chemistry and biochemistry majors in an environment of equity, inclusion, and respect. The department strives to fulfill the College's mission within the context of a liberal arts education.

Biology

The mission of the biology department is to educate students in the field of biology and foster a community of learning and practice embedded in the context of a Kalamazoo College liberal arts education. Through courses, research collaborations, advising, and departmental experiences, the department helps students develop a biologist's keen awareness of the natural world.

Business

Integrating economics and business, theory and practice, the Economics and Business department develops creative, broad-minded problem-solvers and leaders. The department introduces students to economic and business problems, theories, and policies within the context of a liberal arts education.

Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff committed to the development of excellent chemistry and biochemistry majors in an environment of equity, inclusion, and respect, in an undergraduate program that stresses the art of scientific thought and the role of chemistry.

Classical Civilization

Classics is the original interdisciplinary major, allowing students to experience the cultures of the Greeks and Romans across more than a thousand years and the entire Mediterranean world. The Classical Civilization major explores antiquity through courses in archaeology, art, history, religion, philosophy, and literature in translation.

Classics

Classics is the original interdisciplinary major, and the study of classics at Kalamazoo College allows students to experience every facet of the cultures of the Greeks and Romans, spanning a period of more than a thousand years and the entire Mediterranean world. The study of the classical languages is essential, alongside exploration through archaeology, art, history, religion, and philosophy.

Computer Science

The study of computer science enriches a liberal arts education by fostering skills in problem-solving, logical reasoning, organizing information to make it easier to understand and manipulate, expressing ideas precisely and effectively, and managing complexity. The department provides a firm foundation in computing to its majors and minors.

Critical Ethnic Studies

Critical Ethnic Studies interrogates the production of knowledge, requiring majors to theorize from multiple, and simultaneous, narratives of silenced peoples and epistemologies. It is an interdisciplinary field that untangles and analyzes colonial and racial projects that attempt to govern the relationship between people and land.

East Asian Studies

East Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary major that introduces students to the region that includes China, Japan, and Korea. Majors combine required courses, study abroad experiences, and elective classes to develop extensive knowledge of a specific country and broader familiarity with the region as a whole.

Economics

Integrating economics and business, theory and practice, the Economics and Business department develops creative, broad-minded problem-solvers and leaders. The department's primary objective is to ensure that students can apply economic and business principles to the world around them within the context of a liberal arts education.

English

The primary mission of the English Department is to create communities of learning in which students can enter into the power of language. Through the study of literature in English across global and historical cultures, the study of film and critical theory, and the discipline of writing in a variety of genres, the department leads students toward a comprehension of the complexity of their world.

French

The French and Francophone Studies program emphasizes a critical understanding of the French-speaking world by focusing on language skills, analytical tools, and the study of a variety of cultural expressions. Students interact with materials from diverse French-speaking regions including Africa, Europe, North America, and the Caribbean.

German

In studying languages, students acquire not only a linguistic skill but also an understanding of other peoples' cultures and histories. German Studies gives students a new perspective from which to view their own cultural background and language as part of the liberal arts program.

Greek

Offered through the Classics department, the study of classical Greek is essential to experiencing the cultures of the Greeks and Romans across the Mediterranean world. The department also encourages exploration of antiquity through courses in archaeology, art, history, religion, philosophy, and literature in translation.

History

Since everything has a history, the study of history occupies a central and important position in a liberal arts education. History students learn that thinking historically means recognizing that all problems, situations, and institutions exist in the contexts of their times, and they develop skills and tools that can be used in a variety of professions.

Independent Interdisciplinary Major

The Independent Interdisciplinary Major is intended for students who have a strong, well-articulated desire to pursue depth in an interdisciplinary area where the College does not have a defined major. The proposal must be feasible in the context of the College's existing curriculum and faculty expertise, and students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

International and Area Studies

This program is designed for students who have strong international and regional (area studies) interests and wish to pursue these interests systematically in their academic studies. It develops the ability to analyze global issues and to make explicit, systematic comparisons between the political, socioeconomic, or cultural dimensions of two or more societies.

Latin

Offered through the Classics department, the study of Latin is essential to experiencing the cultures of the Greeks and Romans across the Mediterranean world. The department also encourages exploration of antiquity through courses in archaeology, art, history, religion, philosophy, and literature in translation.

Mathematics

The mission of the Mathematics Program is to foster in all students critical habits of mind: description, analysis, and interpretation. The Program is designed to prepare its majors for successful lifetime engagement with mathematics through applied work in industry or government, research, teaching, or applying mathematics in the physical, computing, or social sciences.

Music

The music department seeks to cultivate an understanding of the language and history of music and to nurture artistic skill and musicianship. Academic courses in music theory, music history, and practical musicianship combine with music performance to provide an integrated approach to the discipline.

Philosophy

Philosophy involves inquiry into the fundamental questions that arise in trying to make sense of our lives, studying core features of the human condition such as morality, knowledge, nature, society, happiness, justice, beauty, selfhood, and friendship. It is a rational, systematic, self-critical process of inquiry that is committed to grounding its claims to knowledge.

Physics

The physics curriculum at Kalamazoo College provides preparation for the potential physicist as well as a solid background for students in the other sciences. A student majoring in physics can pursue further study in physics, engineering, computer science, astronomy, medical physics, or environmental science, among other careers.

Political Science

Political Science is an essential component of a liberal arts education, providing students with the tools to understand the complex world of politics and, in the process, to become better citizens. The study of politics utilizes philosophical, historical, comparative, and empirical analysis to examine governments, transnational institutions, political movements, politics, and policies.

Psychology

Psychology, broadly defined, is the study of animal and human behavior as well as human experience. The discipline involves the use of scientific methods in the discovery of facts and confirmation of theory as well as applications to problems, and the major includes a focus on the understanding and use of research skills and techniques.

Quantitative Economics

Integrating economics and business, theory and practice, the Economics and Business department develops creative, broad-minded problem-solvers and leaders. The quantitative economics major emphasizes quantitative tools and methods, requiring units within the department plus math cognate courses.

Religion

Religion is a powerful and dynamic force, influencing and shaping the world in which we live in diverse and complex ways. The Department of Religion offers traditions-based courses in Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and other religious traditions, as well as courses on particular questions, theories, and methods.

Spanish

The Spanish program emphasizes a critical understanding of the Spanish-speaking world by focusing on language skills, analytical tools, and the study of a variety of cultural expressions. The program offers courses in language, literature, linguistics, film, and other cultural expressions from the Spanish-speaking world.

Theatre Arts

The Department of Theatre Arts offers students access to the collaborative nature of drama through the integration of both creative and analytical courses, production laboratories, internships, and individualized projects. By studying worldwide theatre traditions, students gain research tools for self-discovery, critical thinking, and creative expression.

Women, Gender, and Sexuality

The major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality offers an interdisciplinary approach designed for students wishing to pursue these interests systematically in their academic programs. The program aims to include the widest possible spectrum of issues affecting women and GLBTQIA+ individuals and to understand how those issues intersect with other categories of identity, including race, nationality, religion, class, and ability.