Bowdoin College

The success of a Bowdoin education is evident in the capacity of graduates to be informed and critically analytic readers of texts, evidence and conclusions; to be able to construct a logical argument; to communicate in writing and speaking with clarity and self-confidence; to understand the nature of artistic creation and the character of critical aesthetic judgment; to have the capacity to use quantitative and graphical presentations of information critically and confidently; and to access, evaluate, and make effective use of information resources in varied forms and media. These fundamental capacities serve as crucial supports for a commitment to active intellectual inquiry -- to taking independent and multi-faceted approaches to solving complex problems; knowing how to ask important and fruitful questions and to pursue answers critically and effectively; sharing in the excitement of discovery and creativity; and being passionately committed to a subject of study. Graduates should thus have the ability to engage competing views critically, to make principled judgments that inform their practice, and to work effectively with others as informed citizens committed to constructing a just and sustainable world.

Bowdoin College complies with applicable provisions of federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, admission or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, marital status, place of birth, veteran status or against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability.

The Bowdoin curriculum offers a realization of the Offer of the College for the twenty-first century. The College requires students to seek breadth and depth in their education: breadth through distribution and divisional requirements that encourage exploration and broaden students' capacities to view and interpret the world from a variety of perspectives; and depth through the completion of a major in a department or interdisciplinary program, which challenges students to develop a deeper understanding and self-assurance as independent and creative contributors to an area of study. Students complete at least one full-credit course in each of five distribution areas along with a first-year seminar in their first two years of study, declaring a major in spring of the sophomore year. For graduation, students complete a minimum of thirty-two courses, leaving ample room for exploration in the curriculum.

Bowdoin College believes that exposure to an increasingly interconnected world is critical to a liberal arts education in the 21st century. It is part of the Offer of the College, which asserts that our students will "be at home in all lands and ages" and will "carry the keys of the world's library" with them. Students have the opportunity to reflect upon their own citizenship and its broader meaning through profound cross-cultural dialogue and discovery, rooted in academic coursework on campus and abroad, research, internships, and service learning.

At Bowdoin, study abroad is not simply traveling to a different country; it is an integrated component of a rigorous liberal arts education. Academic preparation for study abroad begins before students embark on their journeys -- with relevant coursework completed prior to participation--and continues to shape and contribute to their academic studies upon return and beyond through independent research, honors projects and postgraduate professional and scholarship opportunities. Whether deepening their knowledge in a particular field of study from a new perspective, navigating an urban subway map in a different language, or learning how to interpret the subtleties of a communal meal, studying abroad helps students to expand their concepts of self and world. Bowdoin students find that their immersion in and adjustment to a culture distinct from their own serves as a springboard for academic curiosity and as a foundation for continued interest in international affairs, and can positively impact their commitment to serving the common good.

Bowdoin's academic program challenges students to stretch their understanding of today's most pressing issues, to try new experiences, and begin their lives as global citizens. The interdisciplinary focus of the curriculum often connects disciplines and ideas in surprising ways, and includes more than 70 designated International Perspectives courses. Bowdoin faculty members are internationally recognized scholars and artists who publish and contribute at the top of their fields, present at conferences, and collaborate with peers at leading research institutions around the world. They actively include undergraduates in their work, include them in professional conferences, and mentor students' research, field work and internships.

Bowdoin alumni have had a major impact on the international stage for over two centuries. They have been presidents, diplomats, merchants, seafarers, teachers, researchers, artists. Many Bowdoin students, past and present, are making a difference in the world through humanitarian and environmental projects -- while others choose to live and work overseas. Today, there are nearly 600 alumni living in 80 foreign countries and active Bowdoin Alumni Clubs around the globe.

A liberal education cultivates the mind and the imagination; encourages seeking after truth, meaning, and beauty; awakens an appreciation of past traditions and present challenges; fosters joy in learning and sharing that learning with others; supports taking the intellectual risks required to explore the unknown, test new ideas and enter into constructive debate; and builds the foundation for making principled judgments. It hones the capacity for critical and open intellectual inquiry – the interest in asking questions, challenging assumptions, seeking answers, and reaching conclusions supported by logic and evidence. A liberal education rests fundamentally on the free exchange of ideas – on conversation and questioning – that thrives in classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories, studios, dining halls, playing fields, and dormitory rooms. Ultimately, a liberal education promotes independent thinking, individual action, and social responsibility.

Since its opening in 1802, Bowdoin has understood the obligation to direct liberal education toward the common good.In the 21st century, that obligation is stronger than ever. The challenge of defining a “common good” and acting on it is highlighted, however, in an interconnected world of widely varied cultures, interests, resources, and power. To prepare students for this complexity, a liberal education must teach about differences across cultures and within societies. At the same time, it should help students understand and respect the values and implications of a shared natural world and human heritage. By doing so, a liberal education will challenge students to appreciate and contend with diversity and the conflicts inherent in differing experiences, perspectives and values at the same time that they find ways to contribute to the common project of living together in the world.