Academics: Departments, Majors and Programs
All undergraduate students at CMC must complete at least one major. Majors can be pursued at CMC or through intercollegiate majors and off-campus majors offered through the Claremont Colleges consortium. Admission to off-campus majors is determined by those programs and is not guaranteed. In addition to completing the major requirements, students have the option to complete a “sequence,” which consists of a set of courses related to a subject, and selected from different disciplines offered at CMC or the other Claremont Colleges (akin to a minor). The college offers a number of accelerated, joint or dual degree programs as listed below. CMC has a single graduate program, a master of arts degree in finance.
Students have the opportunity to pursue a variety of academic areas of interest listed below, including the innovative new Integrated Sciences program and the prestigious Oxford-style PPE program (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics). In addition to traditional CMC majors, the academic areas of interest include dual majors, sequences, and integrated areas within other majors, as well as intercollegiate majors and off-campus majors offered through the Claremont Colleges consortium.
Departments
Undergraduate Academic Areas of Interest
- 3+2 Combined Program: Economics
- 3+2 Combined Program: Integrated Sciences
In CMC’s 3+2 Combined Program, students spend 3 years at CMC and 2 years at a partnering engineering program, resulting in a BA from CMC and a BS in engineering from the partner institution. The program has two pathways: “3+2 Combined Program: Economics” and “3+2 Combined Program: Integrated Sciences”.
The Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies (IDAS) offers a multidisciplinary curriculum that examines the experiences of African, African American, and Caribbean people from the liberal arts perspective. Faculty members from all undergraduate colleges are members of the faculty of IDAS. Other faculty members may also teach Africana studies courses.
Sponsored by the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges, American Studies is a multidisciplinary major that encourages students to think critically and creatively about American culture. The American Studies Program is coordinated by an intercollegiate faculty whose aim is to introduce students to the complexity of the American experience.
The Ancient and Medieval Studies program is an interdisciplinary sequence focusing on the pre-modern world, encompassing coursework in Classics and Classical Studies, History, Government, Late Antique and Medieval Studies, Literature, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. The program is designed for students with an abiding interest in pre-modern cultural experiences across multiple disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
The Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies (IDAAS) offers a rigorous, multi-disciplinary academic program that emphasizes social justice, critical thinking, and innovative analysis of the history, society, and cultural production of Asians in the United States, within both multiracial American and transnational contexts. The program seeks to prepare students for various careers in the community, private or public, along with graduate work.
Asian Studies is a cooperative program of The Claremont Colleges which provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to pursue an interdisciplinary program of study. The main programs of concentration available within Asian Studies are East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, and China and Southeast Asia.
- Integrated Sciences: Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health
- Integrated Sciences: Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences
- Integrated Sciences: Climate, Energy, and the Environment
The Integrated Sciences major is part of the academic program in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). The major is currently structured around three global societal and scientific challenges: Health (genomics, systems biology, and health), Brain (brain, learning, and decision), and Planet (climate, energy, and the environment). The Integrated Sciences major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to engage in research, critically evaluate new results and emerging trends, and reason and communicate about the relationship of science and society. The program seeks to develop strong foundations in the natural science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) combined with computational, data science, and experimental approaches. An Integrated Sciences major is especially appropriate for students interested in scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation, consulting, policy, and provides outstanding preparation for students who wish to continue on to medical school and other health-related careers.
Students in the class of 2028 majoring in Integrated Sciences take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Core requirements must be taken in KDIS with one exception that in academic year 2024-2025 only, students in the class of 2028 may request alternative core courses (excluding SCI 010L CM) offered through the W.M. Keck Science Department with the approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair. Students may request alternative elective courses with approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair.
- Integrated Sciences: Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health
- Integrated Sciences: Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences
- Integrated Sciences: Climate, Energy, and the Environment
The Integrated Sciences major is part of the academic program in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). The major is currently structured around three global societal and scientific challenges: Health (genomics, systems biology, and health), Brain (brain, learning, and decision), and Planet (climate, energy, and the environment). The Integrated Sciences major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to engage in research, critically evaluate new results and emerging trends, and reason and communicate about the relationship of science and society. The program seeks to develop strong foundations in the natural science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) combined with computational, data science, and experimental approaches. An Integrated Sciences major is especially appropriate for students interested in scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation, consulting, policy, and provides outstanding preparation for students who wish to continue on to medical school and other health-related careers.
Students in the class of 2028 majoring in Integrated Sciences take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Core requirements must be taken in KDIS with one exception that in academic year 2024-2025 only, students in the class of 2028 may request alternative core courses (excluding SCI 010L CM) offered through the W.M. Keck Science Department with the approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair. Students may request alternative elective courses with approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair.
The Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies of the Claremont Colleges is concurrently a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field of academic inquiry broadly relating to people of Latin American descent within the hemisphere, particularly within the United States and the wider diaspora. Courses in Chicanx - Latinx studies take into account the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, culture, gender and sexuality. These courses are distributed across three areas of study that make up the Chicanx Latinx Studies major: 1) Educación: Identities, Cultures, and Communities; 2) Experiencia: Literature, Music, and Representation; and 3) Sin Fronteras: Latinx Experiences in the Americas. Chicanx Latinx Studies contribute to all fields in the humanities and social sciences including professional programs such as education, social work, medicine, and law.
The classical studies major provides a broad, liberal arts education and the cultivation of critical thinking skills in multiple disciplines. It is designed for students who want a background in classical civilization while preparing for careers in business and commerce, education, government and law, medicine and the sciences, and other research-related fields such as consulting.
It is also complementary to graduate study in various disciplines of the humanities and social sciences (e.g., art history, government, history, law, literature, philosophy, religious studies, psychology) and provides auxiliary preparation for students planning to do graduate work in those areas. The major participates in the interdisciplinary classics program taught by faculty from Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, Pomona and Scripps Colleges, which offers access to a wide range of classics-related topics, including archaeology and art history, classical culture, government and political science, history, literature in translation, mythology, philosophy and religious studies.
Computer Science Sequence
This sequence is designed for liberal arts students to gain proficiency in both theory and practice. The sequence begins with introductory courses in programming, data structures, and the mathematics needed to build advanced algorithms. The sequence then continues with electives where a student can pursue specific interests in computer science. Completion of the sequence is listed on students’ transcripts.
Computer Science Courses and Majors at the other Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges offer courses in computer science in close collaboration. Students interested in majoring in Computer Science may do so through Harvey Mudd College with the approval of the sponsoring department. Students pursuing the Harvey Mudd Major should check current computer science major requirements at HMC.
Data science is an interdisciplinary subject drawing from statistics, computer science, and domain knowledge skills. The data science major and sequence are intended to give participants a foundation in the principles and application of data science. A student completing either should be familiar with the types of tools used for data science, and should be capable of handling real-world problems arising in science, government, and industry. Students may not pursue both the major and the sequence.
The Economics major is part of the academic program of the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance. Emphasis is placed on understanding economic behavior and institutions and the development of specific analytical skills. An economics major is especially appropriate for students interested in careers within business, accounting, law, government, or teaching.
Students majoring in economics take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Major requirements are flexible and, with approval of the chair of the faculty, can be modified to fit the program interests of individual students. Liberal provisions are made for the individual student, either as a major or as a non-major, to choose electives from an extensive list of special interest courses.
The Economics-Accounting major is part of the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance. The major in economics-accounting is a unique opportunity to learn accounting within a liberal arts setting. The major in economics-accounting emphasizes analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills in fields including consulting and financial advisory services. In keeping with the broader aims of a liberal arts education, economics-accounting majors are encouraged to combine study in economics-accounting with other areas of study for a dual or double major while still offering the breadth of courses necessary to prepare students with the technical skills for careers in public accounting, consulting, and financial management.
- Integrated Sciences: Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health
- Integrated Sciences: Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences
- Integrated Sciences: Climate, Energy, and the Environment
The Integrated Sciences major is part of the academic program in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). The major is currently structured around three global societal and scientific challenges: Health (genomics, systems biology, and health), Brain (brain, learning, and decision), and Planet (climate, energy, and the environment). The Integrated Sciences major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to engage in research, critically evaluate new results and emerging trends, and reason and communicate about the relationship of science and society. The program seeks to develop strong foundations in the natural science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) combined with computational, data science, and experimental approaches. An Integrated Sciences major is especially appropriate for students interested in scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation, consulting, policy, and provides outstanding preparation for students who wish to continue on to medical school and other health-related careers.
Students in the class of 2028 majoring in Integrated Sciences take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Core requirements must be taken in KDIS with one exception that in academic year 2024-2025 only, students in the class of 2028 may request alternative core courses (excluding SCI 010L CM) offered through the W.M. Keck Science Department with the approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair. Students may request alternative elective courses with approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair.
The Ethics Sequence is designed to accompany other majors, and its purpose is to assist students in thinking critically and constructively for themselves on issues of individual conduct and public policy. As such, it offers an opportunity for students to pursue interdisciplinary sequence of courses focusing on ethical theory and its application both to the conduct of individuals and to the formulation of public policy.
Completion of the sequence will be noted on students’ transcripts.
Film studies is part of an intercollegiate program in film and media studies which provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to pursue an interdisciplinary course of study. The program emphasizes the history, theory, and critical assessment of film, especially in terms of its impact upon, and reflection of, contemporary culture and society. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows students to connect the study of film to other interests, and, in cooperation with the other Claremont Colleges, to combine studies in theory and criticism with experience in film production.
The Financial Economics Sequence is part of the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance. The curriculum of the Sequence is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in the financial sector and/or graduate education in economics, finance, and related fields.
The Sequence has a rigorous quantitative focus and is designed to complement majors in economics, economics-accounting, and mathematics, as well as dual majors having an economics component. Under the auspices of the Financial Economics Institute (FEI), students complete the Sequence, which is noted on the transcript, thereby attesting to their solid understanding of the discipline.
The study of foreign languages, literature, and culture increases enables students to develop the skills and competence necessary to appreciate the richness of different cultures and societies. The study of foreign languages is a necessary component of students’ general education. It increases opportunities for those interested in careers in law, international relations, foreign service, teaching, public policy, and business. CMC students are encouraged to continue the study of a foreign language throughout their study at CMC or to take advantage of the opportunity to learn a new language.
The multi-disciplinary Gender and Sexuality Studies Sequence is committed to the critical analysis of gender and sexuality. Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) investigates the meaning, expression, and social construction of gender across cultures and historical periods. The Sequence aims to raise important methodological questions by crossing disciplinary boundaries including the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.
GSS courses offer students an opportunity to consider how assumptions about gender and/or sexuality operate in society and shape class, racial/ethnic, gender and sexual identities. Students analyze how such assumptions inform social and political structures. In exploring gender as a central category of social and cultural analysis, students also think critically about how gender and sexuality shape our lives as individuals and as members of larger communities and institutions, from the local to the global.
GSS students are encouraged to engage with the Claremont consortium by taking courses across the Colleges. At least one of the five courses must be completed at CMC.
The program in government offers an approach to a liberal arts education that emphasizes the literature and methods of ancient, modern, and contemporary students of politics and government. The object is to place students in the midst of controversy over the great issues of politics and the differing understandings of those issues, and to equip them to deal rationally and prudently with these issues.
The major is selected by students preparing for careers in law; local, state and national government; foreign service; business; government relations; and other areas of the private and public sectors in which a broad knowledge of the problems of modern society is appropriate. Advice on specific careers is available through the department chair.
Studying the past has the intrinsic value of stretching the imagination and satisfying our curiosity about human experiences. Additionally, history prepares students to become informed participants in an increasingly complex and interdependent world. A chief goal of the history major is for students to become comfortable locating themselves as valuable contributors in nearly any globalized context. For this reason, the Department of History teaches, as much as possible, a global map of cultures, religions, institutions, and their respective historical backgrounds. The faculty in the Department of History have areas of expertise that range across the geographical regions of the world and that span a chronological scope from antiquity to the present. Our courses offer an interdisciplinary array of methodologies, including traditional approaches, theory-driven interpretations of culture and society, and anthropological and literary approaches to material and textual evidence. The study of history builds skills and habits of thinking that are indispensable for any career: research, writing, and verbal skills; effective use of evidence and argument; and critical awareness of alternatives and consequences of choice.
The sequence in Human Rights, Holocaust and Genocide studies was developed in 2003-04 to help students obtain the knowledge, skills, and moral insight needed to identify, analyze, and act constructively to prevent current human rights abuses, and genocidal conflict. While the sequence emphasizes historical analysis and practical experience, it is interdisciplinary in its structure and balance of course requirements.
- Integrated Sciences: Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health
- Integrated Sciences: Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences
- Integrated Sciences: Climate, Energy, and the Environment
The Integrated Sciences major is part of the academic program in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). The major is currently structured around three global societal and scientific challenges: Health (genomics, systems biology, and health), Brain (brain, learning, and decision), and Planet (climate, energy, and the environment). The Integrated Sciences major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to engage in research, critically evaluate new results and emerging trends, and reason and communicate about the relationship of science and society. The program seeks to develop strong foundations in the natural science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) combined with computational, data science, and experimental approaches. An Integrated Sciences major is especially appropriate for students interested in scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation, consulting, policy, and provides outstanding preparation for students who wish to continue on to medical school and other health-related careers.
Students in the class of 2028 majoring in Integrated Sciences take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Core requirements must be taken in KDIS with one exception that in academic year 2024-2025 only, students in the class of 2028 may request alternative core courses (excluding SCI 010L CM) offered through the W.M. Keck Science Department with the approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair. Students may request alternative elective courses with approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair.
The International Relations program is a multi-disciplinary program designed for students preparing for graduate work or careers with an international focus, whether in government, business, or professions such as law, teaching, or journalism, or in other areas such as private foundations or international organizations.
The Jewish Studies sequence is an interdisciplinary program that examines Jewish life and thought through a range of disciplines including art history, history, literature, philosophy, politics, and religious studies.
Jewish Studies involves a critical engagement with the humanities and social sciences, and undertakes an examination of major historical and cultural issues, such as ethical beliefs and practices, and relations between minority communities and dominant political and social ideologies and systems. The sequence will provide students with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of Jewish history and life over the past three millennia. Coursework will include a study of the breadth of Jewish history, from antiquity to the present, in major centers of Jewish life (e.g., Middle East, Europe, United States), and in its various literary, social, and cultural forms.
The Leadership Studies program is a multi-disciplinary program focusing on the nature of leadership and followership. It addresses the scientific, philosophical, and literary approaches to the relationship between leaders and followers in political, business, and other settings.
The Leadership Sequence is designed for CMC students interested in pursuing a career involving the scholarly study and/or practice of leadership, who feel that an understanding of leadership would be helpful to them in another career, or students who are interested in the subject.
Completion of the sequence will be noted on students’ transcripts.
The intercollegiate and interdisciplinary program in Legal Studies seeks to illuminate law from a liberal arts perspective, with ideas and methods from disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. It is also intended to help unify and increase the student’s appreciation of these other disciplines by using them to study law as a central social phenomenon and repository of values. A premise of the program in legal studies is that law, when approached from a liberal arts perspective, reveals a collection of magnificent intellectual and social structures that are too important - and too interesting - to be left entirely to professionals.
By contrast, American law schools are specialized graduate institutions, with their own traditions and systems of values, and have a largely professional orientation. They teach the doctrine of law brilliantly, in their severely analytic style, but for this very reason they can give at best only secondary attention to the goal of exploring the relationships of law with other aspects of intellectual and social endeavor.
The literature major is designed to give students an understanding and appreciation of our literary heritage, and to allow them to develop and pursue their personal literary interests. Literature is a humanistic discipline that emphasizes close observation and analysis, imaginative response, thinking in a broad intellectual and historical context, and the skills of speech and writing. Literature majors thrive in many professions, but the skills we emphasize translate most directly into careers in law, government, business, advertising, journalism, education, and entertainment.
The major consists of a two-course survey of the principal writers of British literature, usually taken in the sophomore year; an intensive course in the history of literary criticism, usually taken in the junior year; one course focusing on the work of a single British or American author; one course in American literature; and a set of four electives, two unrestricted and two distributed by period. Literature majors should have an advisor in the department, or regularly consult with a member of the department as they are planning their courses.
The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers a rigorous program of study in Mathematics to prepare students for exciting careers in the mathematical sciences. Our Mathematics major provides second-to-none preparation for graduate education in mathematical sciences, natural sciences, economics, or engineering. Many mathematics majors pursue careers in business, industry, or finance immediately upon graduation or combine their major with pre-law or pre-med programs. The department offers sequences in Computer Science and Data Science; there is also an interdisciplinary major in Data Science. All prospective mathematics students are encouraged to seek the advice of department faculty in selecting their courses.
The Mathematics major provides a solid foundation for careers in all areas of Mathematics and its applications in the mathematical sciences and beyond. The Math major may be combined with another CMC to add rigorous analytical depth. Math majors enjoy an incredible range of electives at CMC and throughout the consortium. The senior thesis provides one of many opportunities for Math majors to engage in original research under the supervision of award-winning faculty, often resulting in journal publications. Math majors hone their communication skills in the Math majors seminars and can gain valuable experience mentoring other students in the Quantitative and Computing Lab.
Intercollegiate Media Studies at the Claremont Colleges is an interdisciplinary program that investigates social histories, cultural contexts, theoretical approaches, and technologies of media forms. IMS production is oriented toward “independent” narrative forms, documentary, video and digital art, and community-based and activist media. A major in Media Studies is available through Pitzer College.
The Middle East Studies major is an interdisciplinary major designed for students preparing for graduate work or professional careers in the government, business and finance, or with international and non-governmental organizations. The Middle East Studies major provides students with the skills necessary to understand the complex issues of the Middle East, and prepares them for careers in which a deep understanding of the region is essential.
The Middle East is an area of tremendous political, strategic, and social importance, and one that possesses a great historical and cultural heritage. The major is therefore robustly interdisciplinary, requiring advanced knowledge of at least one regional language and a Senior Seminar in Middle East Studies, which provides the major with a comprehensive understanding of the most prominent trends and movements in the social, political, religious, and cultural arenas of the Middle East.
- Integrated Sciences: Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health
- Integrated Sciences: Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences
- Integrated Sciences: Climate, Energy, and the Environment
The Integrated Sciences major is part of the academic program in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). The major is currently structured around three global societal and scientific challenges: Health (genomics, systems biology, and health), Brain (brain, learning, and decision), and Planet (climate, energy, and the environment). The Integrated Sciences major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to engage in research, critically evaluate new results and emerging trends, and reason and communicate about the relationship of science and society. The program seeks to develop strong foundations in the natural science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) combined with computational, data science, and experimental approaches. An Integrated Sciences major is especially appropriate for students interested in scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation, consulting, policy, and provides outstanding preparation for students who wish to continue on to medical school and other health-related careers.
Students in the class of 2028 majoring in Integrated Sciences take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Core requirements must be taken in KDIS with one exception that in academic year 2024-2025 only, students in the class of 2028 may request alternative core courses (excluding SCI 010L CM) offered through the W.M. Keck Science Department with the approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair. Students may request alternative elective courses with approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair.
Philosophy addresses some of the most important questions human beings ever face, questions central to a true liberal arts education. These include: What are the limits of human knowledge? Do human beings have free will? Do we have immortal souls? Does God exist? What is the right ethical code to live by? What are the right political principles for our society?
Most importantly, the study of philosophy develops one’s analytical, critical, and interpretative skills. Because of this unique combination, philosophy is an excellent foundation for any career path, and philosophy has long been known to provide an especially good foundation for law, business, and public policy. Students who complete the philosophy major will gain both broad and in-depth knowledge of some of humanity’s most crucial questions.
The major in Philosophy and Public Affairs (PPA) allows students to design a specialized course plan integrating philosophy with government and/or economics. This interdisciplinary major is housed in the Philosophy Department and offers students the chance to combine a philosophical knowledge of how society should work with practical information from government and economics about how society does work.
The Tutorial Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Claremont McKenna College is a specially designed, enrollment-limited, interdisciplinary major. It is adapted from a similar program at Oxford University and makes use of small seminars and tutorials to encourage students to develop their expository skills. Students apply for acceptance into the program in the fall of their sophomore year and usually start the program in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Participating students are designated as either Edward J. Sexton or Akshata Murty Fellows, in recognition of major endowment gifts to support the program, and receive a small grant for educational expenses.
The core of the PPE major is the three seminar-tutorial double courses, one in each of the three disciplines of the program. In these double courses, students typically participate in a weekly class seminar together with a weekly tutorial in which papers are read and discussed under the supervision of one of CMC’s senior professors.
- Integrated Sciences: Genomics, Systems Biology, and Health
- Integrated Sciences: Brain, Learning, and Decision Sciences
- Integrated Sciences: Climate, Energy, and the Environment
The Integrated Sciences major is part of the academic program in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). The major is currently structured around three global societal and scientific challenges: Health (genomics, systems biology, and health), Brain (brain, learning, and decision), and Planet (climate, energy, and the environment). The Integrated Sciences major aims to provide students with skills and knowledge to engage in research, critically evaluate new results and emerging trends, and reason and communicate about the relationship of science and society. The program seeks to develop strong foundations in the natural science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics) combined with computational, data science, and experimental approaches. An Integrated Sciences major is especially appropriate for students interested in scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation, consulting, policy, and provides outstanding preparation for students who wish to continue on to medical school and other health-related careers.
Students in the class of 2028 majoring in Integrated Sciences take a combination of courses suited to their particular interests. Core requirements must be taken in KDIS with one exception that in academic year 2024-2025 only, students in the class of 2028 may request alternative core courses (excluding SCI 010L CM) offered through the W.M. Keck Science Department with the approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair. Students may request alternative elective courses with approval by the KDIS advisor and department chair.
Psychological Science courses provide an understanding of human and social processes that are relevant for a variety of careers. The Psychology major is pertinent for students interested in graduate study or in using it as a liberal arts foundation for other careers. CMC Psychology majors have developed professional roles in mental health care, education, law, administration, health care, business, public service, data science, and user experience. Given the diversity in students’ career interests and the richness of course offerings available across The Claremont Colleges, students are encouraged to work closely with faculty, especially conducting research both in their labs and in the community.
The CMC Psychological Science program provides many possibilities for students to get hands-on experience working in applied research programs found on campus, including the Applied Mind and Health Lab, the Berger Institute, Center for Applied Psychological Research, Child Development and Public Policy Lab, Claremont Autism Center, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Cultural Influences on Mental Health Center, Decision Neuroscience Lab, Developmental Lab, Human Learning and Memory Lab, Kravis Leadership Institute, Memory and Aging Lab, and Methodological Examination of Teams Research in Inter-Cultural Settings (METRICS) Lab. Such participation allows students opportunities for course credit, paid research assistantships and summer internships.
The Public Policy Major supports the College’s mission “to educate its students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions, and to support faculty and student scholarship that contribute to intellectual vitality and the understanding of public policy issues.”
The major facilitates student mastery of the analytical tools, written and oral communication skills, and knowledge of governmental process required for professional and academic work in public policy. The major takes an interdisciplinary approach to policy that melds concepts from economics and political science. It emphasizes experiential learning through internships and faculty-supervised projects for real-world clients via the Policy Lab course. The major builds the interdisciplinary skill profile necessary to compete and succeed in the competitive public policy job market, and also helps prepare students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies in public policy.
The major in religious studies is a cooperative program offered jointly by Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona, and Scripps Colleges. The program of study is designed to serve both as a focus of a liberal arts education and as a foundation for students planning to pursue the study of religion beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students may enroll in religious studies courses offered at any of the undergraduate colleges, and advanced students may, with permission, enroll in master’s-level courses in their concentration at Claremont Graduate University. All students who decide to major in religious studies should obtain a member of the religious studies department as advisor and plan their courses in consultation with their advisor.
While offering a broadly based and inclusive program in the study of religion for all liberal arts students, the religious studies major affords the opportunity for more specialized work at the intermediate and advanced levels in, for example, particular historic religious traditions, geographical areas, philosophical and critical approaches, and thematic and comparative studies. Students may choose such concentrations in consultation with their religious studies advisor. Language study appropriate to the concentration and a period of study abroad are strongly encouraged.
With the population of Latinos in the U.S. rising to almost 30% by 2015, not to mention a world-wide population of 350 million Spanish speakers, studying Spanish language, cultures and literature opens many doors to you. Not only will you develop the language skills and cultural competence needed to engage meaningfully with Spanish speakers at home and abroad, you will find increased opportunities in fields such as law, international relations, foreign service, teaching, public policy, and business. Bilingual workers can even earn as much as $125,000 more over their lifetimes compared to monolingual peers. The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, cooperating with the Spanish programs at Pitzer, Pomona and Scripps, provides you with many opportunities to enhance your ability to communicate effectively in Spanish and to learn more about the various and diverse cultures and peoples that make up the Spanish-speaking world.
CMC students are encouraged to continue the study of a foreign language throughout their study at CMC or to take advantage of the opportunity to learn a new language. Students will not receive credit for college work in a foreign language that duplicates other college courses or foreign language study completed in high school.
Claremont McKenna College participates in The Claremont Colleges Theatre Program under the direction of the Pomona College Department of Theatre and Dance. Through a synthesis of body, mind, and spirit, theatre and dance celebrate the community of world cultures. The curriculum includes the study of performance, design and technology, dance, theatre history, dramaturgy, and dramatic literature. Theatre students become proficient in devising creative solutions to complex problems. They also develop sensitivity to the interpersonal relationships inherent in the collaborative process preparing them for a wide variety of careers in professions and organizations that value these qualities. The department also prepares students for further study on either the graduate or professional level. The department presents four major productions each year and numerous student generated works. Student performers and production personnel are drawn from majors and non-majors alike throughout The Claremont Colleges. A major in Theatre is available through the Pomona College Department of Theatre and Dance.
Accelerated, and Joint or Dual Degree Programs
- 3+2 Combined Program: Economics
- 3+2 Combined Program: Integrated Sciences
In CMC’s 3+2 Combined Program, students spend 3 years at CMC and 2 years at a partnering engineering program, resulting in a BA from CMC and a BS in engineering from the partner institution. The program has two pathways: “3+2 Combined Program: Economics” and “3+2 Combined Program: Integrated Sciences”.
M.A. Program in Economics
CMC students interested in graduate economics training for business, government, or non-profit enterprise are encouraged to consider the accelerated BA/MA program in economics at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Participants in this program enroll, with the permission of the program advisor and the CGU instructor, in graduate courses as part of their undergraduate education.
M.B.A. - Robert A. Day 4+1 BA/MBA Program
The Robert A. Day 4+1 BA/MBA Program provides an opportunity for CMC students to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from CMC and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) in just five years. The program is a unique alternative to the traditional route to an M.B.A.. Rather than interrupting their careers to pursue an M.B.A. degree, Day 4+1 students begin taking M.B.A. courses during the senior year at CMC. Students then graduate from CMC with their undergraduate classmates before completing the M.B.A. in a fifth year of full-time study at CGU.
M.A. Program in Political Science
Government majors in good standing and interested in pursuing a Master of Arts degree at Claremont Graduate University may begin work on a master’s degree in political science at the Center for Politics and Economics at The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) during their senior year at CMC. In their last year at CMC, program participants select classes that will count toward both the Bachelor of Arts degree (with a major in government) at CMC and one of the following master’s programs at CGU: public policy (MAP), international studies (MAGIS), or politics (MAP).
M.A. Program in Psychology
CMC and The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) offer psychology and neuroscience majors the opportunity to obtain an accelerated M.A. degree in psychology from CGU one year after receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree from CMC. Under this program, CGU will grant up to 16 units of graduate credit for advanced undergraduate courses taken while the student is an undergraduate at CMC. In addition to the CMC courses, in their senior year program participants must take two graduate courses (eight units) at CGU, including a core course and a four unit course in either statistics or methodology. After entering CGU, program participants must complete at least 32 units (eight courses) for the M.A. degree.
The Robert Day School of Economics and Finance at Claremont McKenna College offers a one-year Master of Arts in Finance degree program for graduates of the Claremont Colleges and small number of nominating partner institutions. This unique program of study provides a premier postgraduate education in financial economics that builds on the fundamental elements of a liberal arts education.
The rigorous and intensive 10-month program includes coursework in corporate finance, investments, accounting and related electives designed to foster analytical and quantitative expertise. Students who complete the graduate program enter the workplace with a deep knowledge of financial economics.
The Robert Day School offers a combined BA/MA program which allows students to complete both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Finance within four years. The BA/MA program requires 36 units of coursework, at least 20 of which must be completed in residence at CMC during at least 5 regular semesters. Students may alternately elect to complete the program in four and a half or five years (9 or 10 semesters). Students who anticipate taking more than four years to complete the combined degree program should plan their college expenses accordingly.