Overview
In Northampton, Massachusetts, the Open Curriculum at Smith College Makes It the Students' Choice
Smith College, a liberal arts college for women, offers an open curriculum based in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and natural sciences. There are more than 1,000 course offerings the women are free to choose among. Smith's open curriculum offers its students flexibility, responsibility, and a challenging intellectual environment. Each first-year student is required to complete a writing-intensive course but there are no other required courses beyond the student's field of concentration. Students can develop their ability to think and to analyze critically as well gain as a historical and comparative perspective on the global community. Smith's broad, open curriculum prepares its graduates for leadership in a dynamic world.
Undergraduate students from fifty states and more than sixty different countries come to Northampton, Massachusetts, to make use of the outstanding equipment and facilities that are set aside for their use across Smith's 147 acres of tree-lined streets and paths. At Smith, what students learn inside and outside the classroom--and how they choose to put those pieces together--builds a sense of intellectual and social engagement that empowers them to make a difference throughout their lives, in their communities, in their professions, and in the world.
Built upon the open curriculum, the learning experience at Smith College is designed to help craft the character and fortitude necessary to lead and succeed in the world at large. Smith graduates understand the true value of their education once they begin to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their personal and professional lives.
Five Colleges Are Available for the Price of One Through the Five College Consortium
The Five College Consortium increases a student's choices for scholarly and social activities. Four liberal arts colleges--Smith, Amherst, Hampshire, and Mount Holyoke--along with the University of Massachusetts, lie within a 12-mile radius. Together, they offer a wealth of courses, joint courses of study, and certification programs in interdisciplinary fields. One result is that the more than 1,000 undergraduate courses offered at Smith College are supplemented by more than 4,000 additional courses at the four other schools at no extra cost to Smith's students. The benefits of the Five College Consortium, including fare-free bus service between schools, however, do not stop with this academic exchange.
There is also an exciting social exchange within and beyond the Five College Consortium. The social options are nearly limitless. With nearly 25,000 students attending the five colleges, there are always interesting men and women at Smith events, and Smith's students are welcome to attend events on the other campuses. These events also draw students from many other colleges. By interacting and sharing the college experience with so many other schools, Smith is able to benefit from and contribute to the shared experiences of a larger number of students. The diversity and cultural enrichment gained from this expanded student body benefits all Smith students.
Smith's home, Northampton, Massachusetts, combines small-town ambiance with big-city offerings. There are plays, music, and dance; shops trendy and traditional; a smorgasbord of some sixty restaurants; and several downtown venues that are popular spots for nationally known recording artists on tour. Between campus organizations, athletics, club activities, and social events, there's always something to do in and around Northampton.
Research and Internship Opportunities and Student-Faculty Collaborations Bring Education to Life at Smith College
Smith's 1:9 faculty-student ratio means most of its classes are small, averaging only 19 students. The professors, not graduate assistants, encourage, guide, and inspire the women on campus. In all courses, students are encouraged to ask questions, add their own insights, even challenge a professor's interpretations.
Student-faculty collaborations unfold on the Smith campus every day, and students are encouraged to develop projects based on their work in class or to pursue, in an intensive and structured way, a long-term academic interest. Because of Smith¿s emphasis on hands-on learning and student-faculty collaborations, students take what they have learned and see how it plays out in a real-world setting.
One of the keystones of a Smith College education is the opportunity for undergraduates to conduct research with faculty members who respect them and take them seriously as scholars. Who could be better to work with and ask questions of than a professor who, most likely, knows the key figures in his or her field-or is a key figure?
Praxis: The Liberal Arts at Work, is Smith's unique internship program. Summer internships, particularly those in start-up businesses, in the arts and media, and with nonprofit organizations, are often unpaid or low-paid positions. Through Praxis, each sophomore or junior may receive a one-time $2000 internship stipend to help her afford a summer internship that draws on her academic background, builds on her career goals, and expands her education. Each year, some 400 students receive Praxis stipends to work in the U.S. and abroad in such areas as health care, science, social welfare, technology, and education. The flexibility and opportunity provided through the Praxis program is unique among university internship offerings and can open doors that would otherwise be inaccessible to college students.
