Academics
An open curriculum and a focus on undergraduates are the foundations of the Amherst College education, where approximately 1,900 students choose their own intellectual path from 42 majors, numerous research opportunities, and additional classes and resources available from other members of the Five College Consortium. It's an "academically rigorous undergraduate education," but there are multiple resource centers to foster awareness and help students "continue and worship our identities" as well, including the Center for International Student Engagement, Women's and Gender Center, Multicultural Resource Center, Queer Resource Center, and Class & Access Resource Center. The "open curriculum offers the student a perfect level of curricular control over their own education," and students can supplement this with "fully-funded field trips or interesting guest lecturers" and a "plethora of research opportunities for undergraduates." Students still need to declare a major and fulfill the requirements, but they find the open curriculum "gives you so much space and freedom to take a variety of classes at this liberal arts college."
Faculty at Amherst "always leave their door open" with "ridiculously extensive and lenient office hours," and small class sizes further encourage "strong relationships with professors." They "help you think of paper topics, read drafts, and give active feedback." One student shares, "My professors have treated me like family-literally, I have been invited over for dinner...and academically and professionally pushed and helped to do my best." Classes are mainly "small group discussions that require students to teach other students," and students have the opportunity to engage in a variety of subjects with "different perspectives through collaboration."