Anthropology: The field of anthropology promotes a holistic understanding of social life by offering complex accounts of human histories, societies, and cultures. Anthropologists do ethnographic, archival, and archaeological research on various aspects of individual and collective experience in all time periods and parts of the world. Because field experience is essential to the discipline, the department sponsors multiple opportunities for students to carry out anthropological field work under professional conditions. Options include the major, two interdepartmental majors (geography-anthropology, sociology-anthropology), and a correlate sequence. More
Art: The department offers courses in art history as well as studio courses in various media. Course offerings in art history are extraordinarily complete and diverse, beginning with a historical and analytical introduction to architecture, sculpture, and painting, team-taught by the entire department. Eligibility for the studio concentration is determined by evaluation of the student's class work and a review of the student's portfolio by the studio faculty. Students routinely undertake internships at major New York museums (the Metropolitan Museum, the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art, among others), as well as at New York galleries and auction houses. Options include a major in either art history or studio art, and a correlate sequence in art history. Both majors require a senior thesis or project. More
Biology: The department offers courses in all aspects of the biological sciences from molecular biology through ecology and behavior, and from microorganisms through botany and zoology. Coursework includes laboratory and field experience, and independent study (which often involves working directly with a faculty member in his or her area of research). Students have access to modern technology and instrumentation: a scanning electron microscope, tissue culture laboratories, a cell and molecular biology laboratory suite, a large greenhouse, a vivarium, and the Vassar Farm with a 280-acre ecological preserve and a field station for environmental studies. Options include the major, two interdepartmental majors (neuroscience and biopsychology), and four correlate sequences. Independent research is a prerequisite for departmental honors. More
Chemistry: The department offers lecture and laboratory experiences in all major areas of chemistry — general, organic, physical, inorganic, biochemical, analytical — and in many special topics of chemistry, such as structural, polymer, protein, organometallic, computational, and environmental. The department offers a degree accredited by the American Chemical Society. Independent research in chemistry is encouraged at all levels to provide students with the opportunity to work directly with a faculty member and to gain experience using sophisticated instrumentation, such as 300-MHz NMR, ICP-AES, GC-MS, FT-IR, UV-Vis-NIR, DNA synthesizer, fluorescence spectrometer, x-ray diffractometer, and lasers. Options include the major, an interdepartmental major (biochemistry), and a correlate sequence. A senior thesis based on a research project is required. More
Chinese and Japanese: The department offers two majors — Chinese and Japanese — with numerous courses in language, literature, and culture, taught either in English or in the language of study, depending on the course level and the nature of the material. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in China or Japan either during the summer or during junior year. Summer programs at Qingdao University, China, and Ochanomizu University, Japan, open to all Vassar students, offer intensive elementary, intermediate, and advanced courses in Chinese and Japanese. The department also offers a correlate sequence. More
Classics: The department offers courses in Greek and Latin language and literature as well as in classical civilization, including ancient literature in translation and ancient history. Coursework covers a wide range of literary genres including tragedy, comedy, epic, lyric, satire, pastoral, and elegy. Recent field work topics included a comparison of ancient and contemporary law, and an analysis of ancient art collections. Students have participated in summer programs at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the American Academy in Rome. Options include majors in Greek, Latin, and ancient societies and correlate sequences in the same. More
Computer Science: The program is grounded in theoretical foundations, coupled with experience in implementation, providing a sound background for graduate study as well as work in the profession. Courses in areas such as artificial intelligence, language processing, and graphics fit into the broader liberal arts education. The department maintains its own computer science library as well as two labs with Sun workstations and a variety of Macintosh computers. Through the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute, the Ford Scholars program, and other research programs, faculty and students participate in international research within various fields of computer science. Options include the major and a correlate sequence. More
Dance: The department offers a range of courses in movement, ballet, modern dance, jazz, and choreography. The Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre, a performing company of ballet, modern, and jazz dancers, is a credited course offering experienced dance students opportunities to present their own choreography and professional repertory in the studio theater and off campus. Dance is an elective, non-major course of study. More
Drama and Film: The department offers two majors — drama and film — both uniting theory and practice to an unusual degree. The drama program includes the study of the history of drama and theater from the Greeks through the 21st century, including considerable emphasis on non-Western drama and non-literary theatrical traditions, as well as work in acting, directing, design, and playwriting. Six to eight productions a year are presented in the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film and the Powerhouse Theater. The film program includes the study of the history and theory of cinema, as well as work in 16mm filmmaking, video production, digital media, and screenwriting. Each year, the department brings distinguished drama and film professionals to campus to conduct workshops, deliver lectures, or present film screenings. Options include majors in drama and in film. For both, a senior project or a senior thesis is required. More
Earth Science and Geography: The department combines the perspectives of the natural and social sciences. With the entire earth as a laboratory, earth science students investigate issues of climate change, hydrology and pollution, oceanography, sustainable agriculture, earthquakes and other natural disasters, sedimentology, and environmental planning. Geography students explore such topics as environmental perception and conservation, urban design and land-use planning, global economic change, migration and population patterns, regional studies, cartography, and geographic information systems. Both earth science and geography faculty also teach in various multidisciplinary programs, such as environmental studies, international studies, urban studies, and women's studies. Options include majors as well as correlate sequences in each discipline, and two interdepartmental majors, anthropology-geography and earth science and society. For a major in geography, a senior seminar and thesis are required. For geology, senior research is a prerequisite for departmental honors. More
Economics: The department offers students a wide range of courses encompassing economic theory, econometrics and statistics, various aspects of applied economics, and a sequence of courses in political economy. Faculty and students routinely collaborate on research projects. Majors often serve as research assistants to faculty during the academic year, and summer research opportunities are supported by the Ford and Dana Scholars programs. Teaching is conducted in Blodgett Hall in "smart" classrooms where faculty and students have access to the latest technology. Options include the major and three correlate sequences. A senior seminar or a senior exercise is required. More
Education: Vassar students preparing for teaching careers work within a strong interdisciplinary framework combining professional methods courses and a balanced program of study in a field of concentration. The program leads to certification in elementary and secondary education in the fields of English, social studies, biology, mathematics, and several foreign languages. Off-campus opportunities include programs in Ireland and New York City. Students use Vassar's on-campus nursery school, the Vassar Farm, and local schools for observation and practice teaching. More
English: The department offers a variety of courses in literature that focus on historical and cultural contexts, literary forms, and individual authors, as well as courses in literary theory and creative writing. Requirements for a concentration in English ensure the student's familiarity with a broad range of British and American authors from different historical periods, and non-Western literature written in English. Coursework culminates in the senior tutorial, with a long paper, either analytical or creative, developed through a close working relationship with a faculty member. Options include the major and five correlate sequences. More
French: The department offers numerous language, culture, literature, and film courses taught in French. Enhancing study are multimedia classrooms and access to daily newscasts from France. Majors are encouraged to spend one or two semesters of their junior year in France with the Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Paris or in other French-speaking countries. Summer study is also recommended. Options include the major and a correlate sequence. More
German Studies: German majors may concentrate either in German literature or German studies, choosing from course offerings in language, literature, and civilization. Options include the Vassar summer program in Münster, Germany, junior year abroad at such universities as Universität Hamburg and Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg, and independent, faculty-guided study. In addition, the department offers a correlate sequence. A senior thesis is a prerequisite for departmental honors. More
Hispanic Studies: Multidisciplinary in approach, the Hispanic Studies Program addresses language, literature, and history, among other disciplines, and transcends the traditional barriers separating European from Latin American studies. In addition to formal coursework, the department sponsors several activities — a Hispanic film series as well as a weekly Spanish table in the dining center for informal practice in conversation. In conjunction with Wesleyan and Colgate, Vassar sponsors a junior year abroad program in Madrid taught completely in Spanish and encompassing disciplines ranging from art history to political science. The department also offers opportunities for summer language study abroad. Options include the major and a correlate sequence. A senior thesis is a prerequisite for departmental honors. More
History: The department educates students to be active historians and encourages them to engage the library's rich collection of primary sources. Students take courses in African, Asian, European, Latin American, and United States history, as well as a course in pre-1700 history and two seminars. Student work culminates in a senior thesis incorporating analytical, writing, and research skills and often involving field work in local archives, such as the FDR Library and Museum in Hyde Park, or summer research in the United States or abroad. The department also offers a correlate sequence. More
Italian: Vassar's Italian program includes numerous language, civilization, and reading courses taught in the language of study. Students may spend junior year abroad in Italy — in Bologna and other locations. Summer study is also available in Siena, Italy. Options include the major and a correlate sequence. A senior project is a prerequisite for honors. More
Mathematics: The program offers a flexible major that enables students to tailor their course of study to meet a broad range of interests and needs, as well as a correlate sequence for students concentrating in other disciplines that make extensive use of mathematics. The department integrates technology into its teaching, and students have access to mathematical software in the department's computing laboratory. Intellectual life in the department centers around a biweekly colloquium that brings mathematicians from other institutions to campus to speak and meet with students. The annual Asprey Lecture in Mathematics has featured some of the most distinguished mathematicians in the world. Through the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute, students collaborate with faculty on mathematical research. A senior seminar is required. More
Music: The program includes history, theory, and performance, allowing for a complete study of music as a discipline. Majors explore coursework at the introductory and advanced levels, as well as performance through recitals and ensemble work. Academic internships and research assistantships in the department give students an opportunity to work closely with faculty on projects in music history, theory, composition, and electronic music. In Skinner Hall, students have access to 21 practice rooms, an electronic music studio, and one of the country's finest music libraries, with 33,000 scores and almost 30,000 recordings (in addition to 22,000 books). Skinner also houses part of the college's collection of 65 Steinway pianos. The department also offers an alternative concentration in performance, and four correlate sequences. For students pursuing the alternative concentration in performance, a senior recital is required. More
Philosophy: Courses give students an understanding of major traditions in philosophy (ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, continental and analytic) while developing an ability for independent criticism and argumentation. Fundamental questions concerning the nature of knowledge, of existence, and of goodness are brought to bear on contemporary issues in politics, personal identity, language, and the arts. The senior thesis is an opportunity to pursue a special area of interest. Options include the major and several correlate sequences. More
Physical Education: The department offers lifetime sports classes at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as courses in athletic injury care, hiking and backpacking, and nutrition and exercise. Physical education is an elective, non-major course of study. More
Physics and Astronomy: The department offers majors in physics and astronomy as well as a correlate sequence in physics. Students have access to laboratories equipped with UNIX, Windows, and Apple workstations for work in observational astronomy and computational physics. Physics teaching labs are equipped with instrumentation in crystal structure, holography, and blackbody radiation. Physics faculty and students also have access to parallel supercomputers on campus and at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Opportunities also exist for research in physics education and physics teaching. In astronomy, students have access to 8'', 20'', and 32'' telescopes (the larger equipped with charge-coupled devices) and a spectrograph in the Class of 1951 Observatory. Students can participate in faculty research during the year or summer, or conduct summer internships at national laboratories such as Brookhaven in New York or Kitt Peak in Tucson. The department is also a member of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium which has a summer exchange program and student conferences during the year. More
Political Science: Politics, the pursuit and exercise of power, exists in many realms of social life — not just in government, but wherever human beings congregate and organize. Political science is the study of politics in its various forms and manifestations. The department offers a broad array of classes in the four central fields of the discipline — American politics, comparative politics, international politics, and political theory. Courses in each of these subfields are offered at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced seminar level. Options include the major, four correlate sequences, senior thesis, and independent study. Extramural options include internships in such settings as the United Nations, Capitol Hill, law offices and courts, and political campaigns. Junior year abroad may include destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. More
Psychology: The department offers a wide range of courses in developmental psychology, personality, social psychology, perception, learning, memory and cognition, physiological psychology, and research methodology. Students often actively participate in faculty research and also engage in research through field work, internships, independent study. Options include the major in psychology and two interdepartmental majors (cognitive science, and neuroscience and behavior). More
Religion: The study of religion offers opportunities to learn how human thought, ceremonies, literature, architecture, art, community, and politics are woven into a cultural fabric. The department's approach to this elaborate weave is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Faculty members are trained in the history, sociology, textual interpretation, and philosophy of religion. The department encourages comparative and cross-cultural studies of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Juniors often study abroad at Hebrew University in Israel and the Program for Tibetan Buddhist Studies in Nepal. Options include the major and a correlate sequence. A senior thesis is required. More
Russian Studies: The Russian program offers a broad range of courses in language, literature (both in the original and in translation), and culture. Students may participate in a number of study-abroad programs, including those based in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yaroslavl. Supplementing coursework are a native-speaking language fellow residing in one of the residence halls, a Russian lounge, Russian newspapers, a Russian club, a large library of videocassettes, and a Russian table at the dining center. The department also offers correlate sequences in language and literature as well as a teaching certification program. A senior thesis is a prerequisite for departmental honors. More
Sociology: The study of sociology at Vassar begins with an introduction to the classical thinkers in sociology in the context of contemporary materials. Students then go on to study a broad range of sociological issues through courses in criminology, media, medicine, science, race, gender, urbanism, research, and theory. Most students pursuing a major in sociology integrate field work into their programs of study and participate in a variety of projects in the local community and New York City, including work in prisons, homeless shelters, social service agencies, advertising agencies, and urban planning departments. A senior thesis is required. More
