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Majors at Pomona are designed to sharpen students' abilities to think critically and
in depth using the analytical methods of a discipline. Instead of narrowing
students' options, a major enlarges the postgraduate opportunities he or
she may pursue. Skills in reading, writing, analysis, and synthesis are developed
in all majors, from studio art to physics, and all of the majors Pomona
offers lead to a broad range of careers.
 While opening a number of different doors for our students, Pomona's academic
programs also provide outstanding training for fields directly related to the
majors offered here. International relations majors have gone on to
exceptional careers in the foreign service, science graduates have become some of
the most productive scientists in the nation, and graduates who majored in English
have established themselves as writers and literary critics of the first order. And
in many cases, art history and music majors have attended medical school.
Students at Pomona generally explore several fields of study during their
first two years, and are required to make a definite choice by the end of the
sophomore year.
Majors may include coursework from a single department or
they may be interdisciplinary in nature, drawing upon the course offerings of
several departments. Some programs offer two or more options for the
major, either as variations of the standard coursework required or as
optional additions. Students may request permission to pursue a double
major and in some fields, a minor.
Majors and Academic Programs are offered in:
Humanities and Fine Arts
Art and Art History
Chinese
Classics
(Classical Studies option available)
English
(Writing option available)
French
German
Japanese
Linguistics
Music
(Composition, History, Performance, or Special Research)
Philosophy
Religious
Studies
Romance
Languages
Russian
Spanish
Theatre
and Dance (Dramatic Literature, Dramaturgy, Performance, Design
and Technical Theatre, or Theatre/Dance)
Natural Sciences
Biology
Chemistry
Computer
Science
Geology
Mathematics
Molecular
Biology
Neuroscience
Physics
(Astronomy option available)
Psychology
Social Sciences
Anthropology
Economics
(Mathematical option available)
History
Politics
Sociology
Interdisciplinary Programs
American Studies
Asian
Studies (Regional and disciplinary emphasis)
Black
Studies
Chicano
Studies
Environmental Analysis
German
Studies
International
Relations
Latin
American Studies
Media
Studies
Philosophy,
Politics, and Economics
Science,
Technology, and Society
Pomona also offers two interdisciplinary programs that complement
existing majors: Public
Policy Analysis is offered in combination with anthropology,
biology, chemistry, economics, geology, physics, politics, psychology,
sociology, or science technology, and society.
Gender and Women's
Studies is offered in combination with anthropology, art history,
English, French, history, politics, psychology, sociology, theatre,
or science, technology, and society.
Special Majors
With the assistance and approval of a committee of three
faculty members, students may arrange individual special majors. Special
majors require more planning, but for many the rewards of designing one's
own course of study are great. Students applying for special majors must
do so by the beginning of the second semester of their sophomore year.
Recent special majors have included:
- Art and Society
- Behavioral Physiology
- Biology and Environmental Policy
- Biosocial Anthropology
- Comparative Socio-political Studies of Japan and America
- Cultural Anthropology and Ecology
- Geochemistry
- The Interaction of Gender-related Behaviors and Health
- Language, Culture, and Gender
- Latin American Studies
- Mass Media and Political Behavior
- Medical Social Science
- Mechanical Design
- Natural History: Ecology and Evolution
- Philosophy in Literature
- Politics Through French Literature
- Twentieth-Century Literature and Religion
- Women's Health Care Policy
Double Majors
With the approval of the Academic Procedures Committee and both major department chairs,
students may complete two majors as part of their undergraduate studies. If approved, double
majors are required to complete all requirements of both majors, including the senior exercise.
Minors
The College offers an academic minor for students who wish to complete one, in addition to a
major or double major. A complete list of departments that offer a minor is available at the
Office of the Registrar. A student may not minor in the same area in which the major has been
completed.
The Senior Exercise
Each student's major, whether
departmental, interdisciplinary, or self-designed, culminates in a senior
exercise designed to deepen understanding and integrate the content and method of
his or her field of study. Ideally, the senior exercise leads the student to
synthesize the diverse courses chosen for the major. Exercises vary
depending on majors, and may involve a substantial research paper or thesis, work in a
laboratory, a comprehensive examination, or a portfolio of work. Whatever the
case, each requires the student to demonstrate mastery of the methodology,
principles, and practice of the chosen course of study.
The senior exercise typically allows students to work independently and follow
their own interests. Rather than meeting in a class several times a week,
students completing a thesis or other project usually work one-on-one with a
faculty adviser, meeting weekly or every other week to discuss the progress of
the project and explore possibilities for its improvement or expansion.
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