Amherst College

Amherst Fact

By joining with four peer schools in a pioneering partnership, Amherst College will replace nearly half its energy use with solar power—and reduce its carbon footprint by 17.5 percent

transparent — Learn More About the Partnership

Like. Little. Upon. One.

**Words most used by Emily Dickinson** **Students in “Data Science,” taught by Professor of Statistics Nick Horton, studied Emily Dickinson, not just as a poet, but as the generator of a complex data set.**

“ The College’s distinctive combination of core values—critical thinking, persistent questioning, pursuit of truth, freedom of inquiry, freedom of expression, equity, civility, and friendship—is never more important. ”

President Biddy martin — **President Biddy Martin** **Biddy Martin, announcing the start of the College’s new fundraising campaign**

The Liberal Arts

A liberal-arts education develops an individual’s potential for understanding possibilities, perceiving consequences, creating novel connections and making life-altering choices. It fosters innovative and critical thinking as well as strong writing and speaking skills. The liberal arts prepare students for many possible careers, meaningful lives and service to society.

Facts You Should Know

More Facts

80%

Percentage of Amherst alumni who report that they have attended graduate or professional school

Our Alumni

84%

Percentage of Amherst courses that have fewer than 30 students

Liberal Arts

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Giving Day

Help us reach our goal on April 19, all day, for Giving Day #ForAmherst

Latest Videos

March 26, 2018

As part of our on-going Alumni in the Field series, where alumni reflect on their career paths and how their Amherst experience shaped their lives, meet Luciana Duarte ‘93, a native Brazilian, who was originally set on being a literature major, but found herself adding a new subject after an experience many fellow alumni can relate to: she took a class and fell in love with anthropology.

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March 21, 2018

The new mammoth mascot design is unveiled, the football team wins, and alumni revel in a variety of events. Take a look at our Homecoming Recap.

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March 21, 2018

Here's what happened when we asked members of the Amherst College community to give us their best interpretation of what a mammoth sounds like. The results are entertaining, to say the least!

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March 1, 2018

Amherst’s new science center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. The state-of-the-art building will be a home for teaching and research and offer additional classrooms and gathering spaces for the entire campus. The science center also will set a new standard in energy efficiency. The average science building uses 250 kilo BTUs per square foot per year; we intend to reduce that number by 73%. [Video transcript]

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February 13, 2018

From the time he used to sneak into the Pratt Museum late at night to catalog fossils, Kirk Johnson ’82 has always seen the importance of preserving history in three-dimensional form. Now as the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where he is responsible for a collection of more than 145 million objects, Johnson sees more value in cataloguing natural history than ever before. Then, as now, Johnson believes that the true value of museums is in sharing, not only an understanding of the history of the planet and of humans, but of how the two interact.

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November 15, 2017

Before his talk at Amherst College titled “How Not to Think About Race, Culture and Class,” author, professor and philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah sat down for an interview with Stefan Yong ’18. He discussed moral relativism, dignity, respect, and our capacity to recognize human suffering. —Video recorded and edited by Marcus DeMaio.

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September 20, 2017

As part of our on-going Alumni in the Field series, where alumni reflect on their career paths and how their Amherst experience shaped their lives, Catherine Brownstein ’97 discusses how her liberal arts education at Amherst College prepared her for a profession that didn't even exist when she started her undergraduate journey. [Video transcript]

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Aerial view of the Amherst College football stadium

The new Science Center at Amherst College under construction

Alumni in the Field Video: Catherine Brownstein '97

Distinctive Courses

Our open curriculum lets you choose among interesting classes taught by exceptional faculty.

Humanities Social Sciences Science & Math Arts

Our Majors

Art & the History of Art; Asian Language & Civilizations

Arts of China

Description

Get to know Chinese art and its cultural contexts from neolithic times until the late 20th century. Topics include ritual bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Buddha imagery, painting and calligraphy.

Anthropology & Sociology; Environmental Studies

Environmental Movements

Description

Draw upon sociological research to understand diverse global environmental movements and proposed environmental solutions, which reflect a wide range of perspectives and interests, as well as social inequalities.

English; Film & Media Studies

Videogames and the Boundaries of Narrative

Description

Explore how video gaming helps us conceptualize the boundaries between our experiences of the world and representations thereof. Play and analyze games while engaging texts from other critical and creative disciplines.

Geology

Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

Description

Study igneous and metamorphic processes and environments. Apply chemical principles and experimental data to igneous and metamorphic rocks. Identify, analyze and map rocks in the laboratory and field.

Black Studies; History; Mathematics & Statistics

≠ (Inequality)

Description

Examine inequality in K-12 math education. How is variation in accomplishment in mathematics related to race, gender and socioeconomic class? How do public attitudes toward math affect student learning?

Spanish

Puerto Rico: Diaspora Nation

Description

Examine the literary and cultural manifestations of the Puerto Rican diaspora. In partnership with the Holyoke Public Library, conduct oral history interviews in Holyoke, Mass., and in Puerto Rico during spring break.