Westmont College

Art

The art department helps students discover and develop their creativity and become attentive to the power of the visual arts in the world. Emphasizing basics and breadth, students begin with foundation courses in 2-D disciplines, expand into 3-D and 4-D learning, and develop media specializations through studio electives integrated with courses in art history and critical theory.

Art History

Housed in Westmont's art department, the art history major challenges students to understand the visual arts within their intellectual, aesthetic, and historical contexts. Coursework spans surveys from prehistoric through modern and contemporary art alongside theory, criticism, and museum studies.

Biology (B.A.)

The Biology major equips students for professions related to laboratory, environmental, and medical studies while cultivating knowledgeable care and appreciation of the living world. The B.A. is designed for those who wish to maintain a high level of involvement in other disciplines and is common for those entering the health sciences.

Biology (B.S.)

The Biology major equips students for professions related to laboratory, environmental, and medical studies while cultivating knowledgeable care and appreciation of the living world. The program emphasizes conceptual understanding, laboratory techniques, field methods, communication skills, and informed sensitivity to issues involving biology, ethics, culture, and faith.

Chemistry (B.A.)

Chemistry investigates the composition, properties, and changes of substances and various elementary forms of matter, giving students an opportunity to develop modern knowledge and techniques with instrumentation. The chemistry program provides a broad knowledge of the field and includes multiple tracks.

Chemistry (B.S.)

Chemistry investigates the composition, properties, and changes of substances and various elementary forms of matter, giving students an opportunity to develop modern knowledge and techniques with instrumentation. The professional track leads to graduate study and careers in research, industry, and pharmaceutical chemistry, while other tracks support biochemistry, pre-medical, and related paths.

Communication Studies

The Communication Studies major explores how messages lead to meaning, how public discourse influences culture, and the effects of image-based communication, considering our symbol-making nature in all its manifestations. The department helps students improve in both wisdom and eloquence, developing facility in communication and bringing Christian values to bear on communication as a moral act.

Computer Science (B.A.)

The computer science program teaches students how to think computationally as preparation for careers in the field, equipping them with programming across multiple languages and platforms, algorithmic thinking, and the ability to handle ambiguity. Students learn to function in an imprecise world using research, group work, critical thinking, and creativity.

Computer Science (B.S.)

The computer science program teaches students how to think computationally as preparation for careers in the field, equipping them with programming across multiple languages and platforms, algorithmic thinking, and the ability to handle ambiguity. Students learn to function in an imprecise world using research, group work, critical thinking, and creativity.

Data Analytics

The Data Analytics major brings together foundational courses from mathematics, computer science, and economics and business, providing a rigorous and flexible set of tools for storing, transforming, and drawing meaning from data. As an inherently cross-disciplinary program set in a liberal arts context, graduates are equipped to apply their skills in diverse arenas and communicate conclusions effectively.

Economics and Business

The economics and business department equips students to serve and lead in dynamic settings with a major that integrates the essential components of economics and business. Rather than offering separate degrees, Westmont intentionally blends these academic fields from a distinctively Christian perspective, challenging students to address contemporary issues with critical thinking and personal conviction.

Engineering

Westmont's engineering program grants a General Engineering degree built on three pillars: excellence in technical engineering training in small classes, integration of engineering design and innovation throughout the curriculum, and a solid Christian liberal arts foundation. Graduates have breadth to work in industries such as design, energy, sustainability, robotics, biomedical design, aeronautics, and manufacturing.

Engineering Physics (B.A.)

The engineering physics major has core components in both physics and engineering, with physics courses emphasizing fundamental science and mathematics and engineering courses providing a strong foundation for an engineering career. Beyond the regular B.S. degree, students may pursue a B.A. in Applied Physics combining the fundamentals of physics with additional flexibility.

Engineering Physics (B.S.)

The engineering physics major has core components in both physics and engineering, with physics courses emphasizing the fundamental science and mathematics essential for graduate study or professional work in physics and engineering courses providing a strong foundation for an engineering career. State-of-the-art instrumentation and research opportunities with physics and engineering faculty enrich students' laboratory experience.

English

Studies in English lead to mastery in reading literature with precision, researching thoroughly, and writing with sensitivity and imagination. Through reading and writing across genres and centuries, the English major develops the capacity for critical thinking and the ability to communicate in rhetorically sensitive prose.

English—Modern Languages

Westmont offers modern language courses in French, German Studies, and Spanish, with students learning about culture and civilization through reading literature and a variety of media. The English-Modern Language major combines the study of English with modern language study, taught by professors personally acquainted with the cultures of the languages they teach.

Environmental Studies

The interdisciplinary environmental studies major encompasses environmental science as well as the environmental humanities and social sciences, developing students' knowledge and skills to engage pressing global issues such as biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and environmental change. Westmont situates stewardship of the earth in the context of Christian theology and environmental ethics.

French

The French major develops the capacities for a sensitive and refined use of language and an appreciation for peoples whose cultural achievement is distinguished, drawing on the great body of French and Francophone literature. The major combines residential liberal arts study with a full semester of study at an approved university in a French-speaking region.

History

History is the study of human activity in the world and its meaning from the earliest times to the present, sharpening analytical and critical skills essential to intelligent citizenship. The department offers courses across a variety of time periods and geographic areas, and majors choose from tracks that align with their particular interests and goals.

Interdisciplinary Studies (B.A.)

A student with a particular interest or goal may construct an individualized interdisciplinary major and submit it for approval. The proposal must specify the title and degree (B.A. or B.S.), demonstrate the coherence, breadth, and depth of the field, and be endorsed by a faculty sponsor and the relevant department chairs.

Interdisciplinary Studies (B.S.)

A student with a particular interest or goal may construct an individualized interdisciplinary major and submit it for approval. The proposal must specify the title and degree (B.A. or B.S.), demonstrate the coherence, breadth, and depth of the field, and be endorsed by a faculty sponsor and the relevant department chairs.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the study of the art and science of human movement, spanning biophysical, sociocultural, and behavioral spheres and subdisciplines such as biomechanics, exercise physiology, and motor learning. The department offers two tracks: a B.S. in Movement and Exercise Science and a B.S. in Movement and Biomedical Sciences.

Liberal Studies

The liberal studies program is a multi-disciplinary major designed for those preparing to become elementary teachers, requiring students to develop themselves across a wide range of academic fields. Designed with California Commission on Teacher Credentialing content standards in mind, it prepares candidates to meet state Subject Matter Competency requirements before enrolling in a Multiple Subject credential program.

Mathematics (B.A.)

Mathematics is a language capable of clear and precise expression and an analytic tool for solving complex problems, valued both for its applications and as a creative art in which human reason finds its purest expression. Students increase their mathematical knowledge, become more proficient communicators of mathematical ideas, and ponder the connections between faith and mathematics.

Mathematics (B.S.)

Mathematics is a language capable of clear and precise expression and an analytic tool for solving complex problems, valued both for its applications and as a creative art in which human reason finds its purest expression. Students join a community of learners with small class sizes, opportunities for summer research, and close student-faculty collaboration.

Music (B.A.)

The Music Department equips students for the serious study, composition, and performance of great music within the liberal arts tradition and the context of Christian faith and worship. Students majoring in music may complete one of four tracks on the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree: Liberal Arts, Performance, Composition, or Worship Leadership.

Music (B.M.)

The Music Department equips students for the serious study, composition, and performance of great music within the liberal arts tradition and the context of Christian faith and worship. The Bachelor of Music degree offers programs in Performance (Orchestral Instruments, Piano, or Voice) as well as a Bachelor of Music (Pre-Teaching Credential) option.

Nursing

Students enroll in an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program that occurs over a sixteen-month period and graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The curricular framework incorporates national nursing competencies with Christian Servant Leadership, Compassionate Care, the nursing process, and professional codes of ethics as threads throughout.

Philosophy

Philosophy is a thorough and systematic examination of the most fundamental questions facing human beings. The program is designed to foster the ability to think critically and analytically, communicate clearly and logically, interact with the philosophical tradition, and explore the relationship between philosophy and the Christian faith.

Physics (B.A.)

Physicists seek a fundamental understanding of the physical universe, and the skills gained in studying physics apply to research and to several applied disciplines. The major includes courses in mathematics, computer science, and physics, with the B.A. track offering greater flexibility for students desiring breadth or a double major.

Physics (B.S.)

Physicists seek a fundamental understanding of the physical universe, and the skills gained in studying physics apply to research and to several applied disciplines. In addition to theory courses, laboratory classes and hands-on research provide practical training relevant to graduate school or professional work, and a Computational and Data Physics track pairs core physics with computer science.

Political Science

The political science major helps students understand the organization and functions of political systems, institutions, and processes in the United States and the global community. Students select among four tracks—standard, pre-law, international affairs, or international security and development—and the faculty combine theory and political practice with research, service learning, and internships.

Psychology (B.A.)

Psychology is the science that deals with the behavioral and cognitive functioning of individuals, spanning basic scientific and applied aspects from neurophysiological to social levels. All degree options incorporate methodological and theoretical foundations, coursework in allied disciplines, core upper-division lecture and laboratory courses, and a senior capstone experience.

Psychology (B.S.)

Psychology is the science that deals with the behavioral and cognitive functioning of individuals, spanning basic scientific and applied aspects from neurophysiological to social levels. The department provides several types of training and opportunities to enrich students' academic and professional development and help them achieve their career goals.

Religious Studies

The Religious Studies major offers the coursework and experiences students need to understand the Christian tradition in conversation with other traditions, with knowledge of the Bible as its foundation. Majors develop biblical and theological literacy, cultivate skills in interpretation, and may concentrate in biblical interpretation, theological and historical studies, or world religions and Christian mission.

Social Science

The social science major studies human beings by applying the methodology of science to human behavior as individuals and in groups, drawing on history, political science, sociology, and economics. It provides a broader program than any single-subject major and may serve as preparation for seminary, a teaching field, or graduate study in an area of emphasis.

Sociology

Sociology studies the relational patterns and social behavior through which societies conduct group life, and its practitioners endeavor to explain the origins and functions of these social patterns. The major helps students develop a sociological and anthropological perspective within the context of Christian faith, including academic credit for supervised field experience.

Spanish

The Spanish major develops advanced proficiency in Spanish and provides intercultural competencies to function effectively in a Spanish-speaking environment, emphasizing the culture, civilization, and literature of Spanish speakers. Majors complete at least one semester abroad at an approved university in Spain or Latin America.

Theatre Arts

The study of Theatre Arts blends traditional and contemporary approaches to the art of the stage through an integrated study of acting and directing, design and technology, dramatic literature and theory, and theatre history. Students select one of two major tracks and take advantage of off-campus programs and an active production season.