Majors, minors, courses

Breadth of knowledge, depth of study

Through sustained focus on a major, students develop expertise in one or more areas.

Bates offers more than 30 departmental and interdisciplinary program majors. Every student declares at least one major, but many students double major. Students may also declare a minor, which offers directed study in fewer courses. If students discover a well-defined intellectual interest that spans multiple disciplines, they may design their own major.

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Areas of study

African American Studies	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
American Cultural Studies	Major		Courses	Program
Anthropology	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Art and Visual Culture	Major		Courses	Department
Asian Studies		Minor	Courses	Program
Astronomy	Major		Courses	Program
Biological Chemistry	Major		Courses	Program
Biology	Major		Courses	Department
Chemistry	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Chinese	Major	Minor	Courses	Program
Classical and Medieval Studies	Major		Courses	Program
Dance		Minor	Courses	Program
East Asian Studies	Major	Minor	Courses	Program
Economics	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Education		Minor	Courses	Department
English	Major		Courses	Department
Environmental Studies	Major		Courses	Program
French	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Geology	Major		Courses	Department
German	Major		Courses	Department
German and Russian Studies		Minor	Courses	Department
Greek		Minor	Courses	Program
History	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Japanese	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Latin		Minor	Courses	Program
Mathematics	Major		Courses	Department
Music	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Neuroscience	Major		Courses	Program
Philosophy	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Physical Education			Courses	Department
Physics	Major		Courses	Department
Politics	Major		Courses	Department
Psychology	Major		Courses	Department
Religious Studies	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Rhetoric	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Russian	Major		Courses	Department
Sociology	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Spanish	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Teacher Education		Minor	Courses	Department
Theater	Major	Minor	Courses	Department
Women and Gender Studies	Major	Minor	Courses	Program

Full list of academic departments and programs

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Impressions

In focus

Declaring a major
- Students declare their major in the sophomore year. Some arrive at Bates with a fairly good idea of what their major will be. Others explore a variety of courses as a method of identifying their academic interests. More

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Voices

"We want students to leave Bates prepared to learn and lead throughout their lives, and to that end we consistently expect them to do a lot for themselves, to stretch, to take responsibility. Part of their growth and self-discovery involves learning to cope with circumstances." —President Elaine Tuttle Hansen

Facts

The most popular majors at Bates are politics, psychology, economics, biology, English and history.
8 students in the Class of 2008 graduated with an individual interdisciplinary major. 13 percent of the Class of 2008 graduated with a double major.

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