Hampshire College

Academic Programs

Hampshire College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and offers Bachelor’s degrees in over 50 fields. The school is comprised of five interdisciplinary schools: School of Cognitive Science; School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies; School of Critical Social Inquiry; School of Natural Science; and School for Interdisciplinary Arts. The College offers over 25 Academic Programs within these schools. The largest program on campus is in Visual and Performing Arts. The school does not offer traditional grading as part of their student feedback, instead offering narrative evaluations in lieu of letter grades. This is designed to eliminate unnecessary competition and enhance collaboration within the community. Per the Mission Statement, “The mission of Hampshire College is to foster a lifelong passion for learning, inquiry, and ethical citizenship that inspires students to contribute to knowledge, justice, and positive change in the world and, by doing so, to transform higher education.”

Student Life

There are over 1,400 undergraduate students enrolled in Hampshire College, most of whom live on campus among the 5 “distinctive residential areas.” The College sponsors over 100 clubs and student organizations, including club sports and intramurals. For the varsity athlete, Hampshire College fields teams in 3 sports (basketball, soccer and track/cross country) and participate in USCAA competition. Students understand and embrace the stated Values of the College: Commitment to Enduring Relationships – We foster constructive, long-term relationships with all external constituents of Hampshire College, including alums, parents, grandparents, trustees, friends, and donors; Commitment to Professionalism – We each behave in a manner that is consistently and strictly ethical and legal and we maintain optimal standards of quality and accountability in all we do; Commitment to Excellence – We, individually and collectively, take responsibility for always improving the quality of our work; Commitment to Best Practices – We each master the technical skills necessary to perform our jobs in alignment with best practices; and Commitment to Education – We are committed to the principle that every one of us is a learner, taking every opportunity to advance ourselves professionally through trainings, conferences, and much else, and we encourage our colleagues to do the same.