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Africana Studies
We acquaint students with a critical perspective on the Africana world, found primarily in Africa, the United States, the Caribbean, and South America, but also among peoples of African descent in Asia and Europe.Major
Minor
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American Studies
Our program studies the American nation, its internal diversity and conflicts, and its place in the world.Major
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Anthropology
Our students gain a profound understanding of human nature and the role of culture in everyday lives, including their own.Major
Minor
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Arabic
Our students learn to read, write, and converse in the Arabic language. -
Architecture
Students explore the built environment through an integrated curriculum of architectural history and studio practice.Major
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Art History
Our internationally recognized art history program, one of the oldest in the country, offers innovative courses and concentrations.Major
Minor
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Asian American Studies
This interdisciplinary minor examines the lives, cultures, and histories of people of Asian descent living in the Americas.Minor
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Astronomy
Housed in the Whitin Observatory, our department serves both the novice stargazer and students making astronomy a central part of their lives.Major
Minor
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Astrophysics
Our interdepartmental major offers a coordinated combination of courses in physics and astronomy.Major
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Biochemistry
Students learn about central concepts and contemporary research at the interface of biology and chemistry.Major
Minor
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Biological Sciences
We examine life at all levels, from molecular interactions to communities of plants and animals facing global climate change.Major
Minor
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Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing
In these innovative writing courses that started at Wellesley, students learn to explain complex concepts to a broad audience. -
Chemical Physics
We study the structure and properties of atoms, molecules, and materials, drawing upon aspects of chemistry and physics.Major
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Chemistry
Students collaborate to understand molecules and reactions, and get hands-on experience solving real-world problems in the lab.Major
Minor
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Chinese Language and Culture
Our students learn Chinese and learn about Chinese culture.Minor
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Cinema and Media Studies
Our students examine media as systems of cultural production, distribution, and representation that span a range of technologies from camera obscura to photography, cinema to video games, and social media to AI.Major
Minor
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Classical Civilization
This major requires the study of either Greek or Latin and course work in English on different aspects of the ancient world.Major
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Classics
Students explore the ancient world through texts and artifacts, and consider how later poets, politicians, and playwrights have reimagined that world.Major
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Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences
Students investigate the nature and origins of thought and language, choosing a concentration in psychology, linguistics, computer science, or philosophy.Major
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Comparative Literary Studies
We offer the study of literature beyond individual national and linguistic boundaries, allowing students to link literary studies with other areas of interest—film, philosophy, linguistics, translation, human rights, gender and sexuality, and more.Major
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Comparative Race and Ethnicity
This Sociology minor offers a global approach to race and ethnicity that is intended to complement U.S.-based race and ethnic studies.Minor
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Computer Science
Our curriculum covers the study of computation, information processing, and the design and development of computer systems and software, with the goal of preparing students to lead in a world shaped by computation and data.Major
Minor
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Data Science
Students in data science develop a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, and statistics, and complete coursework that emphasizes the integration of these areas.Major
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East Asian Languages and Cultures
The East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) Department offers an immersive study of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, from beginning to advanced levels.Major
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East Asian Studies
We offer a customizable interdisciplinary major in coursework focused on Korea, Japan, and China.Major
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Economics
Students gain an understanding of economic principles, the ability to engage in critical reasoning, and competency in making written and oral arguments supported by empirical analysis.Major
Minor
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Education Studies
Students examine teaching and learning in classrooms while also exploring broader societal issues reflected in schools.Major
Minor
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Engineering
Engineering studies at Wellesley approaches engineering as a humanitarian activity intrinsic to the modern liberal arts. -
English and Creative Writing
Students form and develop the skills of analysis, interpretation, and argument through the intensive study of writers and their works in literary, cultural, and historical contexts.Major
Minor
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Environmental Studies
Our department helps students cultivate the expertise, confidence, and empathy needed to tackle pressing environmental issues.Major
Minor
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French & Francophone Studies
Students learn to speak and understand the French language and expand their knowledge of French-speaking cultures.Major
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French Cultural Studies
This major encompasses courses in the French department and courses on France or Francophone countries offered by any other department.Major
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Geosciences
Students experience the geosciences curriculum through inquiry-based research projects, field work, analogue modeling, and engagement with Earth materials and scientific data.Major
Minor
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German Studies
German studies concerns the languages and cultures of Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland.Major
Minor
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Global Portuguese Studies
Our students learn Portuguese and immerse themselves in the histories and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world.Minor
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Greek
Our students learn to read ancient Greek and explore historical and cultural contexts of the works they are reading. -
Minor
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Hebrew
Our students learn to read, write, and converse in the Hebrew language through biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern materials. -
Hindi/Urdu
Our students learn to read and converse in Hindi/Urdu, and to read and write in the separate Hindi and Urdu scripts. -
History
Our courses cover almost every region and era of the human past, with students thinking in broadly humanistic ways about subjects such as government, war, culture, race, and economics.Major
Minor
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International Relations - Economics
Students electing this International Relations track focus on global trade, development, and finance.Major
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International Relations - History
Students electing this International Relations track focus on the history of modern global relations and its role in contemporary international issues and in the analysis of global change.Major
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International Relations - Political Science
Students electing this International Relations track concentrate on modern and historical global politics.Major
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Italian Studies
Our students learn to speak and understand Italian and develop advanced knowledge of Italian literature, film, history, social and political movements, and legal questions.Major
Minor
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Japanese Language and Culture
Our students immerse themselves in the language and culture of Japan.Minor
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Jewish Studies
Students explore Jewish people, ideas, culture, and institutions.Major
Minor
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Korean Language and Culture
Our students learn the Korean language, with a focus on spoken language proficiency, and explore Korean culture and society.Minor
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Latin
Our students learn to read Latin, with advanced classes translating poetry, plays, and novels. -
Latin American Studies
Through our interdisciplinary program, students explore Latin America’s history, cultures, economies, and literature.Major
Minor
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Latina/o Studies
Students electing this American Studies track focus on the experiences, cultures, and politics of people of Latin American descent living in the United States.Minor
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Mathematics
Our courses offer a good representation of pure and applied mathematics.Major
Minor
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Media Arts and Sciences
Our interdisciplinary program, jointly supported by the computer science and art departments, focuses on media creation that balances artistic sensibility with analytical reasoning.Major
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Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Students explore European and Mediterranean civilizations in all their richness and diversity, from the fourth through the 17th centuries.Major
Minor
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Middle Eastern Studies
Students explore the many facets of Middle Eastern and North African civilizations, including the languages, literature, history, religion, art, societies, and politics of the region, as well as its diaspora.Major
Minor
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Music
Students expand their musical knowledge through courses on theory, history, and composition, and a wide range of performance activities.Major
Minor
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Neuroscience
Students explore how the brain and nervous system develop and function to generate our conscious experience and guide our behavior.Major
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Peace and Justice Studies
Our curriculum combines conflict analysis with the study of strategies for promoting peace and justice.Major
Minor
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Philosophy
Students think profoundly and creatively about consequential human questions and construct clear and persuasive arguments concerning them.Major
Minor
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Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics
Our department develops students’ skills and knowledge in physical activities. -
Physics
Our students explore and examine the physical universe, from particles to galaxies.Major
Minor
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Political Science
Our students explore political institutions, ideas, and movements across the globe.Major
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Psychology
We offer the study of human behavior and mental processes.Major
Minor
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Quantitative Reasoning
Our program oversees Wellesley's quantitative reasoning and data literacy requirement. -
Religion
Our courses explore the texts and contexts associated with major religious traditions as well as the intersections among religion, culture, law, ethics, and science.Major
Minor
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Russian
Founded in the 1940s by famed author and critic Vladimir Nabokov, our department teaches Russian in the broader context of Russian society, culture, visual art, and music.Major
Minor
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Russian Area Studies
Our interdisciplinary program explores the Russian language and literature as well as Russian and Eurasian culture, history, and politics.Major
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Sociology
Our students address a question that is fundamental to a liberal arts education: Who am I in the world?Major
Minor
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South Asia Studies
Our program focuses on the histories, cultures, and people of South Asia and its diaspora.Major
Minor
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Spanish and Portuguese
Our language classes help students build oral proficiency and individual expression, while literature classes include analyses of writing from different periods.Major
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Statistics
Our courses teach students the theoretical foundations of statistics and applied data analysis.Minor
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Studio Art
In Studio Art courses, students strengthen visual awareness, independent thought, and creative flexibility while using a range of fine art media.Major
Minor
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Teacher Certification
Our program enables students to earn a professional Massachusetts teacher's licensure, transferable to most states. -
Teaching and Learning Studies
Our students explore processes of learning as well as the work of teaching.Minor
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Theatre Studies
Our program encompasses performance, playwriting, design, stagecraft, directing, and public speaking, as well as academic investigations into the history and currency of this ancient global art form.Major
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Women's and Gender Studies
Students explore gender and its intersections with other relations of power, such as race, social class, sexuality, nationality, age, and ethnicity.Major
Minor
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Writing Program
Our program offers First Year Writing courses, upper-level writing courses, and a peer writing-tutor program.