Hamilton College

Transcription

Hamilton College

Hamilton College
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY, USA
For Clients
University Profile
November 21, 2012
KENT CONSULTANCY GROUP
©Copyright, Kent Consultancy Group, 2012, All rights reserve
d
1
Hamilton College
Copyright 2012, the Kent Consultancy Group
Kent Consultancy Group Report is published for the sole use of Kent Consultancy Group clients. It may
not be duplicated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or retransmitted without the express
permission of Kent Consultancy Group, Address: 1507, Eastern Block, Coastal Building, Third Haide
Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P.R. China. Phone: +86-755-86270330. Fax:
+86-755-86270377. Kent Consultancy Group can be reached by e-mail at: [email protected]. For more
information, contact the Kent Consultancy Group. All rights reserved. All opinions and estimates herein
constitute our judgment as of this date and are subject to change without notice.
Sources: The data and information used in the profile are retrieved from a diversity of sources,
including the Wikipedia, US News, College Board, Common Application, school official website and
some database available for public.
d
2
Hamilton College
Executive Summary
Hamilton College is a private institution that was founded in 1812. It has a total undergraduate
enrollment of 1,864, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 1,300 acres. It utilizes a
semester-based academic calendar. Hamilton College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is
National Liberal Arts Colleges, 16. Its tuition and fees are $44,350 (2012-13).
Hamilton College is located in Clinton, N.Y., 45 minutes east of Syracuse and 90 minutes west of Albany.
The college offers a wide variety of unique student clubs on campus, from the cooking club Love ’n
Spoonful to the comedy troupe Urban Outwitters. Hamilton also has an active Greek life, with 18
fraternities and sororities on campus. The school fields NCAA Division III varsity sports teams and is a
member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. All underclassmen are required to live
on campus, and about 98 percent of students live in the 27 residence halls.
Hamilton is the third-oldest college in New York and was named after its former board of trustee and
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton College was originally a men’s college
until 1978 when it became coeducational after uniting with its sister institution, Kirkland College.
Nearly half of students study abroad during their time at Hamilton through 180 programs around the
world or the school’s consortium programs in Spain, India, France, and China, as well as U.S. locations
in New York, Boston, and Washington. Annual traditions on campus include FebFest, a winter carnival;
and May Day, a spring outdoor concert festival. Notable alumni include poet Ezra Pound, actor and
writer for The Office Paul Lieberstein, and psychologist B.F. Skinner.
d
3
Hamilton College
Hamilton College
About Hamilton College
Overview
Hamilton College (or Vandy) is a private research university located in Nashville,
Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping
and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt
its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the South. The
Commodore hoped that his gift and the greater work of the university would
help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the Civil War. Hamilton College is a
private liberal arts college in Clinton, New York, United States. Founded as a boys' school in 1793, it
was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812. It has been coeducational since 1978, when it merged
with its sister school of Kirkland College. Hamilton is sometimes referred to as the "College on the Hill,"
owing to its location on top of College Hill, just outside of downtown Clinton.
One of the "Little Ivies," Hamilton was ranked 16th in the nation among National Liberal Arts Colleges
in the 2013 U.S. News and World Report.
Mission and Uniqueness
A national leader in teaching students to write effectively, learn from each other and think for
themselves. Ten Things You Should Know About Hamilton:
1. Uncommon Curriculum — Hamilton's rigorous yet flexible open curriculum means you will choose
courses because they interest you and fit your individual academic plan, not because you need to
fulfill some requirement. We provide this freedom because we think highly motivated students
learn more and learn better when they are enrolled in courses that genuinely interest them.
2. Find Your Voice — You will learn to defend your opinions and to get your ideas across clearly and
compellingly. After all, what good is developing a great idea if you can't communicate it effectively?
At Hamilton, words matter.
3. This is Not a Spectator Campus — Learning at Hamilton is active and hands-on, and we expect you
to participate. Whether it's in the classroom or the lab, on the stage or behind the podium, with a
student-run club or service organization, on the playing field or court — students get involved.
4. It's Good to be Different — A student at Hamilton can be grungy, geeky, athletic, gay, tall, short,
black, white, fashionable, artsy, nerdy, preppy, liberal, conservative ... it doesn't really matter. Be
yourself at Hamilton and be respected for who you are.
5. Our Campus is Historic and State-of-the-Art — Hamilton was founded 200 years ago, and we're
proud of our rich history. We've invested more than $150 million to renovate and expand our
academic, residential and recreational facilities in the past decade, but all of our spaces — both old
d
4
Hamilton College
and new — are just the means that enable you to do great things.
6. Our Backyard: We Work, Play and Study in a Beautiful Part of the World — Sure we get our share
of snow in the winter (OK, more than our share), but Hamiltonians embrace their surroundings.
Our hilltop campus is gorgeous, the Village of Clinton is picturesque, and there are plenty of things
to do in our backyard from hiking in the Adirondacks and dining at ethnic restaurants, to movies,
shopping and more.
7. Love It Here ... Now Go Away — Nearly half of our students participate in Hamilton's off-campus
study programs in France, Spain, China, India, Washington, D.C., and New York City, or choose
from among hundreds of other approved programs on every continent (yes, even Antarctica).
8. Career Planning: Four Years Go Fast — While you're busy thinking about where to go to college,
we're already thinking about what you will do when you graduate. Career planning is a priority at
Hamilton. Our Career Center has more experienced counselors and resources than most of our
peer colleges. That means we can provide you with personalized training and career-related
experiences so you can conduct an educated, targeted job or graduate
school search that meets your goals.
9. Our Admission and Financial Aid Promise — Fewer than 50 U.S.
colleges and universities are need-blind in admission and meet 100%
of students' demonstrated need for four years; Hamilton is among
them. If you are accepted at Hamilton but cannot afford our price, we
will provide a financial aid package equal to your demonstrated need
so that you can attend.
10. The Hamilton Network — Alumni love this place, and they give
generously of their resources and time. The Hamilton grad who helped
fund a new scholarship or summer internship may be the same
Hamilton College Chapel
person speaking in your public policy class, helping you get a job
interview or meeting with you to discuss career options. And,
speaking of careers, we think you'll be impressed with what our graduates are doing with their
Hamilton degree.
History
Hamilton began in 1793 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, a seminary founded by Samuel Kirkland as
part of his missionary work with the Oneida tribe. The seminary admitted both European-American
and Oneida boys. Kirkland named it in honor of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who was a
member of the first Board of Trustees of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy.
The institution was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812, making it the third oldest college
established in New York after Columbia and Union. It had expanded to a four-year college curriculum.
In 1978, the all-male Hamilton College merged with the women's Kirkland College, founded by
Hamilton in the 1960s and located adjacent to it. The primary public reason for the merger was
Kirkland's imminent insolvency, as women's colleges had become less popular after the rise of the
d
11
Hamilton College
women's movement and other social changes. It took nearly 7 years to complete the merger; women
students were given the option of receiving a Kirkland diploma instead of a Hamilton diploma until
1979.
The original Hamilton campus is referred to by students and some school literature as the "light side"
or "north side" of the campus. Formerly, the original side of campus was referred to as the "Stryker
Campus" after its former president, Melancthon
Woolsey Stryker (or incorrectly "Striker Campus").
On the other side of College Hill Road, the original
Kirkland campus is referred to as the "dark side"
or as the "south side."
Since the 1970s, Hamilton has been a member of
the New England Small College Athletic
Conference (or the NESCAC) (despite technically
Painting of the Campus
being located outside of New England). This
conference also includes Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Middlebury, Trinity,
Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams. Rivalries with many of these schools, Middlebury in particular, predate
the establishment of the conference.
Campus
During the summer of 2006, the school completed a $56 million science building. The art department
has separate studios for each of the studio arts taught, most of which are in the midst a $37.5 million
renovation project. Hamilton's athletic facilities include an ice rink, swimming pool, several athletics
fields, a golf course, a three-story climbing wall, and a 10 Court Squash Center.
Carol Woodhouse Wellin Performance Hall
The 700-seat hall hosts the College Orchestra conducted by Heather Buchman, Choir, Jazz Band,
Oratorio Society, and Faculty Dance Concerts as well as guest artists from around the globe.
The Sage Rink
Hamilton College’s Sage Rink is America's second oldest indoor collegiate hockey rink after
Northeastern University's Matthews Arena. It was financed by the widow of industrialist Russell Sage,
whose name graces a number of Central New York college edifices, including Russell Sage College. In
addition to Continental men's and women's teams, youth hockey, high school teams, adult amateur
efforts and the famous Clinton Comets, who dominated the semi-professional Eastern Hockey League
in the 1960s and early 1970s, have played at the Sage Rink. It was renovated in 1993, when it
received better lighting, ice-making equipment, and structural enhancements. The rink houses the
college's Men's and Women's varsity hockey teams, intramural ice hockey, physical education classes,
and local youth hockey games.
Bristol Swimming Pool
Completed in 1988, the pool was christened by a Guinness Book of World Records setting event in
d
12
Hamilton College
April 1989 when the world's longest swim relay was completed in the Bristol pool.
Steuben Field
Home to the Hamilton College football team, Steuben Field was founded in 1897, and is one of the ten
oldest collegiate football fields in the United States. In summer 2009, the field received a renovation
that included the installation of FieldTurf and a new scoreboard. The field
is now home to Men's and Women's Lacrosse as recently as the 2010
spring season.
Litchfield Observatory
IAU code 789, from which C. H. F. Peters discovered some 48 asteroids.
The observatory burned down but is currently marked on campus by its
Minor Theatre
telescope mount outside of the Suida Admissions and Financial Aid House.
The current observatory, a quarter of a mile from campus, is powered by
solar energy and is open for student use. The existing observatory, located 100 feet from College Hill
Road, was built with rock from the same quarry as the original building.
Hamilton College Chapel
The college's chapel is a historically protected landmark and is the only three-story chapel still
standing in America. The chapel is topped by a signature quill pen weather vane, which represents
Hamilton College's long standing commitment to producing graduates with exceptional writing and
communication abilities.
Kirkland Cottage
The cottage was the original residence of Samuel Kirkland when he began his missionary work to the
Oneida. The cottage is completely original, although it was moved from its original location on
Kirkland's property (known today as Harding Farm) to its current place on the main quadrangle of the
Hamilton Side. The cottage is currently used for matriculation ceremonies.
Birthplace of Elihu Root
At one time serving as the residence of the Oren Root family, the house was the birthplace of Elihu
Root, who served as Secretary of State and won the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize. Built in 1812, the house
served as the student dining hall for Hamilton College. In 1834 it was adapted as a residence for
Horatio Buttrick, superintendent of the Buildings and Grounds Department and college registrar. After
his daughter married Oren Root, he allowed the young couple to take over the house. Their son Elihu
Root was born there. The house has since been renamed Buttrick Hall. It serves provides office space
for the President of the College and the Dean of Faculty.
Elihu Root House
The Elihu Root House originally belonged to Elihu Root, who used it as his summer house. It was next
used by the Office of Admission. As of September 2009, it houses the Dean of Students Office, the
Registrar, and the department of Residential Life.
d
13
Hamilton College
Academics
Hamilton currently offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in any of over 50 areas of concentration.
Additionally, Hamilton students may study abroad. The College runs programs in China, France, and
Spain, as well as domestic programs in New York City and Washington, DC. Hamilton is well known for
its "open" curriculum, for which there are no distributional requirements; students have nearly total
freedom over their course selection. Hamilton College, Brown University and Smith College are
institutions with such a policy. The college has long adhered to an academic honor code. Every student
matriculating at Hamilton must sign a pledge to observe the Honor Code, and many examinations are
not proctored.
Hamilton expects students to take responsibility for their educational choices. They will be counseled
and supported by teachers and advisors, but the ultimate responsibility, just as the ultimate growth,
will be the student's. For this reason, Hamilton does not have distribution requirements, which are
found at nearly every other American college and university. We trust students with the freedom to
select courses that make sense for their own intellectual development. As a result, Hamilton students
attend classes because they are genuinely interested in the subject, not because they are fulfilling a
requirement.
Africana Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Africana Studies Department is to explore the
dynamics of African-based cultures in their many dimensions and across
many borders and eras.
Overview
American and European scholars long viewed Africa not only as a primitive
continent, but as a cultural space outside the Western principles of
meaning and progress — a place where "history is out of the question," as
the German philosopher Hegel claimed two centuries ago. But Africa and
its descendants are no longer invisible. African-based cultures and peoples are a crucial part of our
collective experience, from art and literature to women's studies, from geopolitics to jazz and hip-hop.
In truth, they always have been.
Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary program that offers both a major and a minor in the history,
culture and politics of people of African descent. It focuses on four geographic areas: Africa, the
Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. Students may focus on one or more of those areas as
they pursue courses in Africana studies as well as anthropology, classics, comparative literature,
English, French, government, history and many other disciplines. Students who choose to major in
Africana studies design an individual plan of study with the help of a faculty member.
Research Opportunities
Africana studies majors are encouraged to spend at least one semester abroad, and the program
accepts study abroad and/or coursework in overseas programs toward the major with the approval of
the program director.
d
14
Hamilton College
The Senior Program
The Senior Program in Africana studies is a culminating intellectual experience in which students focus
and integrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the first three years. At its center is the
senior project, an interdisciplinary project that leads to a thesis, performance or exhibition. The
project is carried out under the close supervision of two faculty members.
Resources
Students in the Africana Studies Department have access to a substantial collection of works on
Africana in Burke Library, including a number of rare texts. Most notable is the Beinecke Lesser Antilles
Collection, regarded as one of the world's most important research collections of historical documents
from and about this Caribbean region.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Africana Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Financial Analyst, Lazard Capital Markets
Volunteer, U.S. Peace Corps
Ad Sales Analyst, Weather Channel
Assistant Project Coordinator, Democracy Program, The Carter Center
Architectural Designer, Coyle & Associates
Teacher, Bronx Academy of Letters
American Studies
The goal of Hamilton's American Studies Program is to impart a
deep understanding of the uniqueness of U.S. culture through
interdisciplinary study that provides students with the tools to
uncover the philosophical and creative connections linking
American political institutions, social structures and artistic
practices, both in the past and today.
Overview
American Studies is the exploration of civilization and culture in the United States. It uses the methods
and perspectives of several disciplines — particularly history and literature — as lenses through which
the nation and its cultural heritage may be examined. In this way, the American Studies Program at
Hamilton is representative of the most enduring liberal arts traditions and principles, yet American
studies program is highly innovative as well. Our interdisciplinary approach fosters creativity and
originality by encouraging students to work closely with faculty members as they develop and pursue
individual plans of study.
d
15
Hamilton College
American studies courses stress the development of rigorous, critical reading and research skills.
Majors can build on these skills by receiving funding to work in collaboration with faculty mentors
during the summer as Emerson Fellows. Students' knowledge of the world and habits of critical
thinking are enhanced by closely working with their professors, who are themselves active in their own
specialties. Conducting research is crucial to helping you frame and integrate what you have learned in
the classroom.
Senior Program
Coursework in American studies culminates in a unique interdisciplinary seminar, often team taught by
professors in two different discplines, on a special topic in American cultural life. Honors students in
American studies complete a final project — usually a thesis, but creative work and field research
projects are also possible — completed under the supervision of the program director.
Resources
As an interdisciplinary program, American studies at Hamilton draws on the extensive resources and
rich traditions of many disciplines and departments: English, history, government, anthropology,
economics, sociology, Hispanic studies, even religious studies and art history. Writing skills are also a
critical part of the American studies major, and the College's Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center is
regarded as one of the nation's best — a model for other colleges and universities. Here students learn
the fine points of researching, developing and organizing essays.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in American Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Controller, Washington National Opera
Pastry Chef Instructor, Culinary Institute of America
Writer/Editor, Businessweek
Assistant Professor, New York University
Deputy Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Department of HUD
President, Learning Connection
Business Analyst, Northern Trust Bank
Architectural Historian, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
Acting President & CEO, National Constitution Center
History Teacher, Hingham Public Schools
Anthropology
The goal of Hamilton's Anthropology Department is to offer students two distinct tracts — cultural
d
16
Hamilton College
anthropology and archaeology — through which to explore the diverse culture, beliefs and practices of
human beings throughout time.
Overview
Anthropology — The study of the rich cultural, social, linguistic and biological
diversity of humanity — is a hands-on learning experience at Hamilton. Small
liberal arts colleges rarely offer all four areas of study (cultural and social,
linguistic, and biological anthropology and archaeology), but Hamilton does.
Students take introductory and theory courses and choose between two
tracks: cultural anthropology and archaeology. This curriculum familiarizes
you with all sub-areas, teaches you to write and think critically, and prepares
you for a field that contributes to a wide range of areas: international
business, epidemiology, social impact studies, organizational analysis and market research, just to
name a few.
Every other summer, the department offers an archaeology field course. Students spend two months
in the desert of Nevada implementing methods learned in the classroom. Excavation takes place at
one of the earliest archaeological sites in North America, dating to more than 10,000 years ago.
Students explore a variety of field methods and gain the experience living and interacting in a field
camp.
The Senior Program
The senior project in anthropology provides students the opportunity to conduct independent research
under the direction of two departmental advisers. Students having an average of 88 in anthropology
may become candidates for departmental honors by continuing their projects during the second
semester of the senior year.
Resources
The Anthropology Department offers lab facilities used most frequently by concentrators in
archaeology. In addition, Hamilton boasts a collection of rare artifacts, pertinent to study in
anthropology and archaeology, to which students have access.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Anthropology are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Assistant Attorney General, State of Connecticut
Physician, Jefferson General Medical & Pediatric Group
Vice President, Credit Suisse First Boston
Deputy Copy Desk Chief, Plain Dealer
Judge, U.S. Immigration Court
d
17
Hamilton College
Vice President of Sales, Bayer Corporation
National Medical Director, Travelers Insurance Company
Professor, Brandeis University
Architecture Specialist, Unisys Corporation
Exhibition Assistant, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Art
The goal of Hamilton's Art Department is to raise students to a
level of self-sufficiency, independent critical thinking and
proficiency in the creation and discussion of works of art in order
that they might sustain a lively, generative and relevant practice
outside of the College environment.
Overview
A society's artists may be its historians, its philosophers, its
priests and confessors, its outlaws or its visionaries. Art may document the artist's world, it may
imagine the past or future, or it may express an inner landscape that cannot otherwise be shared. At
Hamilton, student and faculty artists explore this rich dynamic by both creating and critiquing works of
visual art.
Hamilton's art program introduces students to fundamental skills and concepts across multiple
mediums and histories. Through intensive interaction with peers and faculty, students are encouraged
to build a methodical studio practice. Discussions, critiques and readings teach uses of oral and written
language that are both precise and descriptive. Through experimentation with various genres, styles
and materials, students develop an increasingly advanced visual language. A generative studio
practice refines our young artist’s ability to properly evaluate their own work and the work of others,
and helps them to situate their work within its proper historic and contemporary contexts.
Many art majors take advantage of Hamilton's extensive study-abroad programs to spend their junior
year in Italy, France, Spain, Great Britain or elsewhere. The adventure of studying great art in its own
cultural setting, and of developing one's own skills and vision at the same time, can be a transforming
experience for young artists.
The Senior Program
All senior art majors embark on an intensive two-semester senior project. The culmination of the
year’s work is the annual spring student exhibition in Hamilton’s Emerson Gallery. As an entering
senior concentrator students are assigned a semi-private studio space. The success of this program
depends on rigorous pursuit of independent production of works of art, both object based and visual
incidents.
Faculty and peers provide students with strategies for getting started and for maintaining stamina, but
d
18
Hamilton College
the responsibility for production rests with the student artists. Individual group critiques provide
opportunities for students to discuss works-in-progress with their peers and faculty members. Studio
work is further supplemented with lectures, technical demonstrations, discussions, research and
engagement with visiting artists and those artists’ studio practices.
Resources
The College's List Art Center and neighboring facilities house studios for ceramics, drawing,
printmaking, sculpture, painting, photography and video. Senior art concentrators have private studio
space.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Art are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Owner, Sarah Fritchey Gallery
Technical Director, Pixar Animation Studios
General Partner/Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
Director, High Museum of Art
Professor of Art, University of California, Davis
Photographer, United Nations
Associate Art Director, Reader’s Digest
Owner/Founder, Vermont Glass Workshop
Vice President, Credit Suisse
Development Coordinator, Nashville Children's Theatre
4th-Grade Teacher, Dubai American Academy
Art History
The goal of Hamilton's Art History Department is to introduce students
to the rich cultural and historical contexts in which art is created and
experienced through courses that cover a range of periods, cultures
and critical approaches.
Overview
Throughout history, societies have defined and transformed
themselves through their art. When we experience a work of art today, we can see not only the work
itself, but also the world that produced it. We see something of ourselves, too.
Art history students at Hamilton have an exciting range of opportunities to do independent research
and study on and off campus. Their creative, engaged efforts go far beyond passive "art appreciation."
d
19
Hamilton College
Students work with professors both during the academic year and over the summer. These
collaborations can lead to publication and student-curated exhibitions at the Emerson Gallery. A recent
Emerson exhibition, for example, contrasted male and female artists’ differing depictions of war. Many
art history majors also serve internships at galleries and museums in New York City, in Boston and
across the country. And the department encourages its students to study abroad during their junior
year in order to explore the diversity and richness of artistic traditions and styles.
The Senior Program
Senior art history majors prepare an extensive research project in connection with a seminar that is
taken in the fall or spring. The program culminates in an oral presentation before an audience of art
history majors, faculty members and interested members of the College community.
Resources
The department draws on a range of artistic and cultural resources on campus and off. Hamilton’s
Emerson Gallery hosts a vibrant program of exhibitions, lectures, performances and films. Many
courses make use of the gallery’s offerings as well as the College’s permanent collection. The
permanent collection is available for student research and includes the Beinecke Lesser Antilles
Collection, recognized as the finest gathering of rare books, maps, manuscripts and art on the Eastern
Caribbean in the world. The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, minutes away in Utica, houses
one of the most important collections of American art in the country.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Art History are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Production Manager, ABC News, Good Morning America
Vice President, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising
Contemporary Art Specialist, Sotheby's
President, McGraw-Hill Companies
Senior Vice President, William Doyle Galleries
Professor of Art History, University of Tennessee
Gemologist, Lang Antiques
Development Associate, American Museum of Natural History
Vice President and Real Estate Counsel, Lehman Brothers
Curator, Decorative Arts and Design, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Asian Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Asian Studies Program is to combine the study of cultural traditions and identity,
language and contemporary social and political transformations.
d
20
Hamilton College
Overview
With 30 percent of the world's land — more than all the Americas combined — and seven of the
world's 10 most populous nations, Asia is the planet's largest, most peopled and arguably most diverse
continent. It sprawls nearly halfway across the globe, merging with Europe in the West, bordering
Africa in the Southwest, and stretching a finger nearly to Alaska in the East. It is bound in some
quarters by the world's most deeply rooted traditions and driven in others by the most futuristic
technology. Hamilton's Asian Studies Program begins with the conviction that a real understanding of
this immense human tapestry requires an interdisciplinary approach to the continent's cultures,
languages and society.
The Associated Colleges in China Program, sponsored by Hamilton and several
other prestigious institutions, is hosted by the Capital University of Economics
and Business in Beijing. There students are immersed in Chinese language
instruction and Chinese culture. One-semester programs are offered, but
students are strongly encouraged to plan for a two-semester stay. In addition to
the China program, students have a number of opportunities to work closely with
faculty members in designing projects and conducting research abroad and at
the College. Some students receive summer research grants through Hamilton.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is the culminating intellectual experience at Hamilton, in which the knowledge,
language skills and insights gained in the first three years are combined and integrated. The
centerpiece of the Senior Program is the senior project; majors work independently, with the close
guidance of at least two faculty members, to produce and present a final, focused work of scholarship.
Resources
The Asian Studies program sponsors a number of important cultural, educational and social events
each year, many of them in conjunction with the student-run Asian Cultural Society and other
departments. Recently these have included a performance of the Beijing Opera, the celebration of the
Lunar New Year, and a range of talks and other presentations. Students typically have an opportunity
to meet and talk with distinguished visitors. They also share views and experiences at the College's
monthly Asia Forum.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Asian Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Research Assistant Professor, University of Hong Kong
Marketing Coordinator, MTV Networks
Director, Japanese Equities, Merrill Lynch, International
Attorney, State of New York
d
21
Hamilton College
Assistant to the Director of Education Programs, National Committee on US-China Relations
Investment Representative, Deutsche Bank Americas
Manager, School and Family Programs, Museum of Television & Radio
Astronomy
The goal of Hamilton's Astronomy Program is to offer students a clearer understanding of the universe
through selected physics courses and hands-on research opportunities.
Overview
In a sense, astronomy is the ultimate scientific endeavor — the
attempt to know the unknowable, the entirety of the universe.
Astronomers are only beginning to peer into the distant past, at
least 10 billion years, to explore the origins of the cosmos. Even the
deepest explorations into space have barely taken us beyond our
terrestrial doorstep. And while centuries of ever-more-sophisticated observations and measurements
from Earth have revealed a great deal, they have also raised mind-boggling new questions. But the
study of astronomy also has critical long-term implications for practical science and our own well being,
from space flight to environmental and health issues. In addition, a basic knowledge of the universe
helps us to live with imagination and insight in our own technological world.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The close student-faculty collaboration that is at the heart of Hamilton's physics program means that
every astronomy minor completes an extended independent-study research project with close faculty
supervision. Hamilton regularly offers research options in such fields as general astronomy, theoretical
quantum gravity, general relativity, nuclear physics, laser spectroscopy and nonlinear dynamics.
Student projects often lead to papers that are presented at professional conferences and/or published
in scholarly journals.
RESOURCES
Hamilton is home to the solar-heated C.H.F. Peters Astronomical Observatory, which houses an 11 1/4"
Maksutov telescope and several smaller telescopes. The observatory has been recently upgraded and
now features computer control of the telescope mount and CCD readout for collecting images. In
addition, state-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and small classes at the Science Center mean
that Hamilton undergraduates have the opportunity to work closely with instruments available only to
graduate students at many schools.
Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
The goal of Hamilton's Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Program is to encourage students to explore
biochemical concepts through extensive research opportunities and close collaboration between
students and instructors.
Overview
d
22
Hamilton College
The study of biology gives us an understanding of the structure, the evolution and the diversity of
living organisms. The study of chemistry reveals the composition and behavior of matter itself. These
two fundamental forms of scientific inquiry meet in biochemistry — the study of living organisms at the
molecular level. At Hamilton, the biochemistry/molecular biology program combines the strengths and
resources of the two disciplines to create a third distinct research-based major.
Hamilton's emphasis on discovery-based laboratory work and research means that courses provide
practical, hands-on training, with many opportunities to learn outside the classroom:

The Merck/American Association for the Advancement of Science program at Hamilton offers
summer research stipends each year for projects in biology, chemistry and biochemistry.

Additional funds for summer research are offered by the College's Summer Research Program as
well as by grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the
Dreyfus Foundation.

Exceptional biochemistry students may also arrange to spend a semester at the National
Institutes of Health.

Independent study projects and the senior project offer further opportunities to do research
during the academic year.
Biochemistry students are encouraged to pursue independent research, and they regularly collaborate
with faculty members on projects that lead to publication in top research journals and presentations at
scholarly conferences.
The Senior Program
The centerpiece of the Senior Program in biochemistry/molecular biology is the
senior project. Under the guidance of a professor, students conduct
independent laboratory research and experimentation. For most students, the
project involves one semester of lab work, followed by part of a second
semester dedicated to writing a thesis and preparing for an oral presentation
to departmental faculty and student peers. The senior thesis is a culmination of
each student’s undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, research
and discussion into a focused statement of intellectual growth and insight.
RESOURCES
State-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and small classes at the Science Center mean that
Hamilton undergraduates have the opportunity to work closely with instruments available only to
graduate students at many schools. The Taylor Science Center is fully wireless and houses more than
100 teaching and research laboratories as well as offices and classrooms, student areas and a coffee
shop. Science Center instrumentation includes a 500 MHz variable-temperature multinuclear nuclear
magnetic resonance spectrometer, several Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometers, a gas
chromatograph-mass spectrometer, and a dual pump, high-pressure mixing high-performance liquid
chromatography. Also available are versatile ultraviolet/visible spectrometers, a high-performance
d
23
Hamilton College
glove box, a refrigerated centrifuge and several vacuum lines.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology are pursuing careers in a
variety of fields, including:
Director, U.S. Regulatory Affairs, Pfizer Foundation
Clinical Fellow, National Cancer Institute
Plastic Surgeon, New York University Medical Center
Neurosurgery Resident, Mount Sinai Hospital
Senior Operations Analyst, Baxter Healthcare
Pediatric Cardiologist, Hasbro Children's Hospital
Biology
The goal of Hamilton's Biology Department is to introduce a broad range of students to the life
sciences, while providing a strong scientific grounding with practical, hands-on training for those who
plan to pursue graduate study or a career in the health professions.
Overview
Perhaps nothing is as basic to human knowledge as the examination
of life itself. The study of biology gives us a deeper understanding of
ourselves and our world – the structure and function of plants and
animals, the evolution and diversity of living organisms and the cellular
processes of life. Biological concepts and processes also are central to
many of the most crucial issues of our time, from AIDS to genetics,
environmental damage and the threat of bioterrorism.
Biology students at Hamilton have ongoing opportunities to collaborate and perform research with
faculty members both on and off campus. The energy and engagement created by these collaborative
efforts gives the biology program its distinctive identity and sense of community. Each year, dozens of
students work in the lab alongside their professors on special projects. Others pursue paid summer
internships at Hamilton and such prestigious institutions as Yale University's School of Medicine, The
Johns Hopkins University, the National Institutes of Health and the National Zoological Park.
The biology program extends far beyond the conventional lab. Biology majors have opportunities to do
fieldwork in such varied settings as the Adirondack High Peaks, Costa Rica and Antarctica. Student
researchers share their findings with others in the scientific community. In recent years, Hamilton
students presented research papers at national meetings of the American Malacological Union, the
Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology, the National Council of Undergraduate
Research, the New York Natural History Conference and SUNY-Binghamton's Annual Biological
Sciences Research Symposium.
d
24
Hamilton College
The Senior Program
At the core of the Senior Program in biology is the senior project, an intensive two-semester field or
laboratory research project carried out in association with a faculty member. The project concludes
with a written project and an oral presentation given in the second semester of the senior year. The
senior project is an opportunity to synthesize and focus previous coursework. It culminates in an
original work of scholarship that provides an in-depth examination of a particular empirical or
theoretical issue.
Resources
Hamilton's Biology Department and laboratories are housed in the Taylor Science Center. This
state-of-the-art facility gives undergraduates access to many of the same instruments that are
available only to graduate students at many schools, including both transmission and scanning
electron microscopes, imaging workstations, a radioisotope laboratory, scintillation and gamma
counters, two environmental chambers, an indoor stream, a greenhouse, and a bioinformatics
computing facility. Hamilton is also well situated to take advantage of a variety of habitats for field
studies.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Biology are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Conservation Biologist, Wildlife Conservation Society
Teacher/Naturalist, Massachusetts Audubon Society
Chemist, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
Head/Section of Cardiovascular Imaging, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Zoology Professor, Ohio Wesleyan University
Executive Editor, Horticulture Magazine
Science Department Chair, New York City Department of Education
Director, Financial Planning, The Gillette Company
Executive Director/CEO, Ohio Historical Society
VP Investments, Smith Barney Inc.
Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Cinematographer/ Microbiologist, Wilderness Film & Video Productions
Chemical Physics
The goal of Hamilton's Chemical Physics Program is to encourage students to make connections across
the chemistry and physics disciplines through extensive research opportunities and close collaboration
between students and instructors.
d
25
Hamilton College
Overview
Chemical physics explores the rapidly evolving research at the intersection where chemistry, the study
of the composition of matter, meets physics, the study of the behavior of matter and energy. One of
Hamilton's newest academic concentrations, the chemical physics major offers science students an
opportunity to build their knowledge and laboratory skills in both fields. As an interdisciplinary
program, chemical physics draws on the shared resources of two strong departments and exemplifies
the College's innovative approach to making connections across different fields and perspectives.
Students are among Hamilton's most important researchers in chemical physics, working closely with
professors in a variety of fields during the academic year as well as the summer. In addition Hamilton
students pursue summer research at other colleges, government laboratories and in industry. In
recent years, students have presented research at the national meeting of the American Chemical
Society and at an international symposium of the Quantum Theory Project, and won the outstanding
poster award at an international symposium. Students also have co-authored papers published in the
Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Journal of Organic Chemistry, the Journal of Physical
Chemistry, the Journal of Chemical Physics, the Journal of Luminescence, Tetrahedron Letters and
Biochemistry.
THE SENIOR PROGRAM
All senior chemical physics students work collaboratively with faculty
members on research projects as part of the Senior Program in either
chemistry or physics. This intensive one- or two-semester project
combines original scientific research with reading and understanding
the scientific literature. It culminates in a senior thesis that is defended
in a public presentation to departmental faculty and student peers.
Resources
State-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and small classes at the
Science Center mean that Hamilton undergraduates have the opportunity to work closely with
instruments available only to graduate students at many schools. The Science Center is fully wireless
and houses more than 100 teaching and research laboratories as well as offices and classrooms,
student areas and a coffee shop. Science Center instrumentation includes a 500 MHz
variable-temperature
multinuclear
nuclear
magnetic
resonance
spectrometer,
several
Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometers, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, and a dual
pump, high-pressure mixing high-performance liquid chromatography. Also available are versatile
ultraviolet/visible spectrometers, a high-performance glove box, a refrigerated centrifuge and several
vacuum lines.
Chemistry
The goal of Hamilton's Chemistry Department is to introduce a broad range of students to the
principles of scientific inquiry, while providing those who plan to pursue gradute study or careers in the
health professions practical, hands-on training.
d
26
Hamilton College
Overview
Chemistry is call the central science, and for good reason. The inquiry into how matter is composed
and combined is a foundation of all fields of scientific knowledge. The chemist's laboratory stretches
from the interior of living cells to the most distant reaches of the universe. Between the extremes,
chemistry is a key to many of our most crucial issues: environmental safety, global warming,
renewable energy, bio- and chemical terrorism, medicine and fertility. At Hamilton, students don't just
study chemistry; they help break new ground as members of a scientific community.
Students are among Hamilton's most important researchers in
chemistry, working closely with professors in a variety of fields.
In connection with their senior projects or as senior fellows,
senior students do research with faculty members. Some
juniors, sophomores and even first-year students work in the
laboratory during the academic year and summer. In addition to
the 30 or so students who participate in campus chemistry
research each summer, Hamilton students pursue summer
research at other colleges, at government laboratories and in industry.
In recent years, students have presented research at the National Organic Symposium, at the national
meeting of the American Chemical Society and at an international symposium of the Quantum Theory
Project. Hamilton students won the outstanding poster award at an international symposium for two
consecutive years. Students also have co-authored papers published in the Journal of the American
Chemical Society, the Journal of Organic Chemistry, the Journal of Physical Chemistry, the Journal of
Chemical Physics, the Journal of Luminescence, Tetrahedron Letters and Biochemistry.
The Senior Program
All senior chemistry students work collaboratively with faculty members on research projects as part of
the Senior Program. This intensive two-semester project combines original scientific research with
reading and understanding the scientific literature. It culminates in a Senior Thesis that is defended in
a public presentation to departmental faculty and student chemistry majors.
Resources
State-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and small classes at Taylor Science Center mean that
graduate students at many schools. The Science Center is fully wireless and houses more than 100
teaching and research laboratories as well as offices and classrooms, student areas and a coffee shop.
Instrumentation includes a 500 MHz variable-temperature multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance
spectrometer, several Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometers, a gas chromatograph-mass
spectrometer, and a dual pump, high-pressure mixing high-performance liquid chromatography. Also
available are versatile ultraviolet/visible spectrometers, a high-performance glove box, a refrigerated
centrifuge and several vacuum lines.
d
27
Hamilton College
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Chemistry are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Engineer, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Researcher, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Public Relations Director, AT&T Corporation
Professor of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine
Medical Oncologist, Yale Cancer Center/Yale University School of Medicine
Senior Toxicologist/
Pharmacologist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Surgeon in Charge, Division of Dentistry, Cornell Medical College
Vice President, Prudential Equity Group
Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Dow Chemical Company
East Asian Languages and Literatures
The goal of Hamilton's East Asian Languages and Literatures Department is to introduce students to
the region's changing identity while emphasizing language proficiency in Chinese and Japanese.
Overview
The rapid growth of the Pacific Rim as an economic and
technological giant in world affairs has spurred a parallel interest
in the region's languages and people. Chinese and Japanese
have become two of the most widely taught foreign languages in
the United States, critical to a wide range of professions and
interests from politics and diplomacy to business, education and
cutting-edge technology. But the interest extends beyond purely
practical concerns to a growing fascination with the unique play
of tradition and innovation, ritual and creativity in the cultures of Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Balancing past and future, they have emerged as both partners and competitors in a shifting global
order.
Study Abroad Opportunities
The Associated Colleges in China (ACC) Program, a consortium of several prestigious liberal arts
colleges administered by the East Asian Languages and Literatures Department, provides summer, fall
and spring studies in Beijing (hosted by the Capital University of Economics and Business) with
intensive coursework through individualized instructions with a high level of participation and
d
28
Hamilton College
interaction. The courses are taught entirely in Chinese and encompass topics including advanced
language, Chinese politics, society, economics, religion, art, folklore and literature. Unique features
and activities of the program include the language pledge (speaking Chinese only), language
practicum (individual projects conducted with local citizens), Chinese host families, Chinese language
table, field trips outside of Beijing and extracurricular activities such as Taichi, Chinese food cooking,
Chinese calligraphy, etc.
Students of Chinese are eligible for the ACC program. Students of Japanese have the opportunity to
study abroad through such programs as Kyoto Center for Japanese Language (Kyoto), CIEE-Sophia
University (Tokyo) and Nanzan University (Nagoya).
The Senior Program
The Senior Program in Chinese is the culminating intellectual experience at Hamilton, in which the
cultural experience in China, the language proficiency and insights gained in the first three years are
combined and integrated. The centerpiece of the Chinese concentration is the senior project. The one
semester project requires the concentrators to finish and present a work of scholarship completely in
Chinese and/or using substantial materials in the original language. Chinese majors work closely with
a faculty member(s) each week and during two group presentations during the semester, including a
final defense.
RESOURCES
While Hamilton students have full access to a modern language laboratory, an audiovisual center, a
recording studio and Hamilton on-line system, the East Asian Languages and Literature Department
provides complete multimedia, interactive, digital versions of the Chinese language courses for all
levels in the language laboratory. Further, professors, instructors and teaching fellows in the
department are native speakers of the Chinese and Japanese languages.
The department sponsors weekly Chinese and Japanese language tables, invited talks and lectures in
Chinese and Japanese literatures and cultures, Chinese and Japanese movie series, an Asian New Year
celebration and annual study tour to China.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in East Asian Languages and Literatures are pursuing careers in
a variety of fields, including:
Associate, New Asia Partners Investment Holdings Limited
Director of International Outreach, Mount Holyoke College
Owner, Council on International Educational Exchange
Vice President, Capital Intro-Americas, Merrill Lynch Global Markets & Investment Banking
Legal Assistant, International Trade Group, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Llp
Interactive Media Planner, Draftfcb
Equity Researcher, BMO Capital Markets
d
29
Hamilton College
Business Systems Analyst, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Program Management Assistant, STG International, Inc.
Cinema and New Media Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Cinema and New Media Studies Program is to
blend study in film history and theory while providing students
opportunities to pursue their own artistic visions through the uses of new
technology.
Overview
In today's digital world, moving images extend far beyond the traditional
movie screen. Cinema and New Media Studies explores film as an ―intellectual nexus‖ — a way of
thinking about the world across boundaries. And because film studies at Hamilton is combined with
new media, students have opportunities to see the broader context of imagery and text in the
production of knowledge and culture. Courses from throughout the curriculum examine the ways
religion, race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, class, the natural environment and other social and
physical forces are represented and explored in cinema and new media as artistic expression.
OPPORTUNITIES
Integrating classroom learning with experiences and skills necessary in the non-academic world is one
of the goals of Hamilton’s liberal arts program. Students have hands-on opportunities to work with a
variety of media. Examples include courses in which film or Web-based assignments are required, such
as Virtual Worlds, Women Filmmakers and Seminar in e-Black Studies: Race and Cyberculture.
A special opportunity came recently when students participated in a recent film treatment challenge
presented by Thomas Tull, a Hamilton alumnus and founder/CEO of Legendary Pictures. Tull invited
students to present an idea for a film for review by Legendary’s production company professionals,
who came to campus to hear ―pitches.‖ One student writer was selected to visit Legendary’s
headquarters in California to continue discussions with the firm’s creative team.
Hamilton brings to campus film writers and directors who lend insight into their work. Recent guests
included world-class director Mira Nair (Mississippi Masala, Salaam Bombay, Vanity Fair) who discussed
her film Monsoon Wedding, in which a family travels from around the world to reunite in New Delhi for
a last-minute arranged marriage; Tracy Fullerton, who presented a lecture on online video game
design; critically acclaimed Devil Music Ensemble, who provided musical accompaniment during the
screening of the silent martial arts film Red Heroine; Iranian-born artist Shirin Neshat (Passage,
Women Without Men); and Academy Award-winner and master of montage Chuck Workman (Precious
Images).
RESOURCES
Research and technical support at Hamilton goes beyond mere access to materials and equipment.
Our library, audio/visual and information technology staffs contribute to the learning experience by
helping students think about the possibilities and limitations of the media they use.
d
30
Hamilton College
Students and faculty members utilize Hamilton's Media Library, which has a fine collection of DVDs and
VHS for study and research. Students have access to digital cameras and various computer programs
such as Second Life and Final Cut Pro.
Classics
The goal of Hamilton's Classics Department is to offer students an
inclusive view of the ancient world and its relation to contemporary
society through a focus on classical languages or classical studies.
Overview
Classics has traditionally been the study of languages and societies of
ancient Greece and Rome. At Hamilton, the Classics Department reflects
this tradition, while offering a broader view of the ancient world and its
relation to our own time. The study of classics in this wider sense offers a variety of benefits: It
enables students to perceive the continuing influence of Greek and Roman literature and culture on
the art, literature and thought of our own time; it improves students' communication skills by giving
them a deeper understanding of how language works; it provides a foundation for learning other
languages, in particular romance languages; and it leads to an increased mastery of English.
Hamilton is affiliated with the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and the American
School of Classical Studies in Athens, and students are encouraged to spend a semester or two in one
of those programs. Hamilton Students interested in study in Greece are also encouraged to spend a
semester or two in the program run by Arcadia University.
The Senior Program
During their senior year, all classics concentrators work closely with a faculty member on one-semester
independent research projects of their choosing.
Resources
Students of classics have access to the interactive resources such as the Perseus and VRoma Web sites,
as well as to the department's Perseus and Pandora computer systems, invaluable tools for the study
of the ancient Greek and Roman world. In addition, Hamilton's Burke Library has an especially strong
collection in classics.
Each year, the department's Winslow Lectureship brings a number of visiting speakers to campus for
lectures and workshops. Past visitors include Anne Carson, Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, Stanley
Lombardo and Helen North. In addition, Aquila Productions, a well-known performance group from
London, England, has visited Hamilton to stage classical drama and to work with classics students.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Classics are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Physician/Gastroenterology, Temple University Hospital
d
31
Hamilton College
Principal Dancer, Kansas City Ballet
District Court Judge, Nassau County, New York
President, Breckinridge Capital Advisors
School Psychologist, Westport Public Schools
Marketing Program Manager, Dell Computer Corporation
Business Analyst, Fidelity Investments
Associate Regional Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
President/CEO, The Teagle Foundation
Communication
The goal of Hamilton's Communication Department is to
explore the principles of communication across contexts —
interpersonal, social, political, economic, cultural and beyond
place and time — and by means of various forms of
technology.
Overview
There is nothing more mysterious than the reciprocal interplay
of two people sharing their thoughts. The beauty of speech and gesture captures the imagination of
poets, philosophers and artists. Our human nature depends on our ability to use language. In that
process there are moments when communication between people results in greater understanding
and a new vision.
The interdisciplinary nature of communication study means that research opportunities are plentiful
and take many forms, from quantitative and statistical studies, to historical analyses, to interpretive
and theoretical essays. Classes are small, and students engage in rigorous discussion. Many courses
are writing-intensive, multiplying the occasions for in-depth, scholarly research. A number of students
have presented their work at national and international conferences.
Recent communication majors gave presentations at the International Workshop on Presence at the
Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain; at the annual convention of the New York State
Communication Association; and at the National Undergraduate Honors Conference, hosted by the
Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California.
The Senior Program
Senior majors in communication participate in an intensive Senior Program, during which they work
closely with a faculty member on a one-semester senior project. The project represents a culmination
of each student’s undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, research and discussion into a
focused statement of intellectual growth and insight. In communication, the project consists of both
d
32
Hamilton College
written and oral components, culminating in a final draft of original research and an oral presentation
to students and faculty at the end of the course.
Resources
The Communication Department hosts several guest speakers each year who are distinguished in
scholarly and professional fields. Among the recent speakers are David Gunkel, an award-winning
educator and scholar in the field of information and communication technology, and author of Thinking
Otherwise: Philosophy, Communication, Technology; and Jim Kennedy, vice president and director of
strategic planning for the Associated Press. Students have a variety of opportunities to engage
distinguished guests in conversation.
The College hosts an annual public speaking competition. The six speaking awards are among the
most prestigious student honors on campus and include $6,000 in prizes. Topics and formats vary —
persuasive speeches, informative speeches and essays may be considered. Additionally, Hamilton is a
member of Lambda Pi Eta, a national honor society dedicated to encouraging and recognizing
excellence in communication studies. Membership is based on scholastic performance and
commitment to the field.
There are also many resources available to help students across disciplines improve their
communication skills and prepare for life — academic or professional — after Hamilton. Hamilton's
Oral Communication Center offers support services, workshops and tutoring options designed to help
students improve their public-speaking skills and classroom performance. The Nesbitt-Johnston
Writing Center offers peer writing conferences to help students clarify, organize and strengthen their
ideas.
Many communication students earn working internships in such professional fields as media
production, public relations, marketing and advertising. The College's Maurice Horowich Career Center
helps find and arrange internships in New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and other locales.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Communication are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Associate Producer, ESPN
Script Assistant, Good Morning America
Ice Hockey Coach, New York University
Homeland Security, The White House
Senior Regulatory Analyst, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Executive Assistant to Katie Couric, ABC News
Investment Analyst, Octagon Credit Investors
Assistant Account Executive, Saatchi & Saatchi
d
33
Hamilton College
Teacher and Coach, Hebron Academy
Senior Counselor, Brooklyn Arts Exchange
Comparative Literature
The goal of Hamilton's Comparative Literature Department is to
expose students to traditional literary analysis while they learn
to question familiar assumptions and recognize the complex
ways in which literature interacts with culture and politics.
Overview
A work of literature always makes connections. It not only
reaches individual readers; it can invoke other literary works
and traditions, it can challenge or embrace scientific or historical knowledge, it can be translated into
another language or transformed by film. Comparative literature explores this rich tapestry of
relationships. At Hamilton, comparative literature is the study of literary and cultural texts from around
the globe.
Students of comparative literature often have the opportunity to work as research assistants with
faculty members, both during the summer and during the academic year. In addition, many students
take advantage of the rich opportunities for study abroad provided by Hamilton. In recent years,
students of comparative literature have studied in such places as France, Chile, Spain, India, Ireland,
China, Nepal, Scotland, England and Kenya.
The Senior Program
All majors in comparative literature participate in an intensive senior seminar, during which they work
closely with faculty members on topics involving translation of literary works and communication
between cultures. In addition seniors are encouraged to pursue — and those seniors interested in
departmental honors are required to complete — a senior project, which leads to the writing of a
senior thesis. Carried out under the close supervision of a faculty member, the senior thesis represents
a culmination of each student's undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, discussion and
personal reflection into a focused statement of intellectual growth and insight.
Resources
The College's Burke Library offers a strong collection of texts and periodicals on various facets of
comparative literature and the literary and cinematic traditions of other cultures. Also housed at the
library is the College's Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection, regarded as the world’s finest collection of
16th- to 19th-century materials on this region of the West Indies, with more than 1,800 print volumes
and 1,000 manuscripts.
The Comparative Literature Department has strong interdisciplinary ties to a number of other
programs on campus: Asian studies, Russian studies, American studies, women’s studies, Africana
studies, Latin American studies and the Diversity and Social Justice Project. All of these provide
d
34
Hamilton College
personal and scholarly resources of interest to many comparative literature students.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Comparative Literature are pursuing careers in a variety of
fields, including:
Fashion Editor, Marie Claire
Senior Marketing Director, L’Oreal USA
Senior Publicist, The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Professor of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Producer, Fresh Air Weekend, WHYY-FM, Philadelphia
Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice
Children’s Book Editor, Little Brown & Co.
Teacher, Action for Boston Community Development
Associate Brand Manager, Hasbro, Inc.
Psychotherapist, California Graduate Institute Counseling Center
Computer Science
The goal of Hamilton's Computer Science Department is to
prepare students to adapt and excel in an ever-changing field by
combining a strong foundation in mathematics, logic and
language with exposure to the latest innovations in technology.
Overview
The fundamental question at the root of computer science is:
What can be automated? Hamilton's computer science students
explore that question through hands-on courses and research that
are – like the field itself – constantly evolving. Students focus on both the experimental and theoretical
sides of computer science, but they also consider the growing place computing has in the modern
world. What are the ethical and social risks and benefits of such technology, and how do we manage
them?
Computer science majors are regularly hired as research assistants during the school year and over
the summer. In this role they collaborate with faculty members on a range of projects funded by such
sources as the National Science Foundation. Many of these projects lead to publication and
presentations at professional conferences. Computer science majors also frequently serve as teaching
and laboratory assistants during the school year. Further, the lab-based computer science curriculum
at Hamilton makes virtually every course a research experience.
d
35
Hamilton College
The Senior Program
As seniors, computer science majors frame and conclude their study by participating in a senior
seminar. There they provide computer expertise and support for faculty research and other projects.
Majors who are seeking departmental honors undertake an additional semester-long project in
collaboration with a faculty member. Recent senior projects have focused on topics such as
steganography (embedded information), cryptography, Kolmogorov complexity, algorithm
visualization and automatic derivation of instruction scheduling.
Resources
Computer science majors have access to the department’s own laboratories, as well as to a
campus-wide range of computing resources typically found only at large universities or in graduate
departments. Hamilton's Multimedia Presentation Center offers cutting-edge hardware and software
as well as support services for authoring multimedia-enhanced presentations.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Computer Science are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Financial Analyst, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Information Technology Project Manager, General Electric
Aviator, U.S. Navy
Senior Software Engineer, IBM Corp.
Senior Engineer, Google
Orthodontist/Oral Surgeon, West End Orthodontics
Computer Scientist, Air Force Research Laboratory
Digital Production Center Manager, Ikon Office Solutions
Senior IT Systems Engineer, Motorola
Senior Product Manager, Apple Computer, Inc
English and Creative Writing
The goals of the English Department for students engaged in mastering the arts of creative writing
and the study of literary texts are to develop a sophisticated understanding of the role literature plays
in human experience, both historically and in contemporary life; to
strengthen and refine skills in literary analysis and interpretation; and to
become compelling, elegant writers.
Overview
One single word can't begin to capture the possibilities offered by English
study at Hamilton. English is not so much a subject as an ensemble of
d
36
Hamilton College
interrelated disciplines. It explores the cultural place and vitality of language. It considers the artistic
pleasure and social role of literature. It surveys the historical sweep of prose, poetry, theatre and film
in their many forms. And it illuminates the creative spark at the very center of all meaningful human
activity.
Many English majors spend a semester or a year studying abroad, typically in England, Ireland or
Australia. Hamilton-affiliated programs offer a chance to explore first-hand the historical roots and
cultural settings of many of our most important authors and works. While study abroad is an integral
part of the liberal arts curriculum, it has special resonance for students of English as they learn to
analyze not only traditional texts but the larger cultural and creative interactions that produce them.
The Senior Program
English majors at Hamilton progress toward a unique senior seminar, a culminating experience in
which students work with a professor to define and articulate the critical approach to literary study
they have developed over previous semesters. Honors students in English participate in a
two-semester project that concludes with a public presentation and a written thesis. Senior creative
writing students seeking honors undertake a one-semester work or collection that is presented in a
public reading.
Resources
Hamilton's Burke Library has among its substantial literary holdings an important collection related to
the American modernist poet and Hamilton alumnus Ezra Pound. It also offers a wide selection of
Caribbean literature and a remarkable handwritten, hand-decorated manuscript from 1465 that
students in medieval courses may examine and handle.
While nearly every campus has a writing center, Hamilton’s Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center is
regarded as one of the nation’s best — a model for other colleges and universities. Here students learn
the fine points of researching, developing and organizing essays. All students have access to — and
most make use of — the center’s student tutors, who are drawn from the best writers in every
discipline across campus.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in English are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Communications Manager, IBM Corp.
English Professor, Smith College
Physician, Senior Deputy Editor, Annals of Internal Medicine
Director, National Aquarium in Baltimore
President, Scholastic Media
Attorney, Internal Revenue Service
d
37
Hamilton College
Reading Specialist, Poughkeepsie City School District
Executive Editor, ESPN, Inc.
Vice President, Wachovia Bank N.A.
Editor, Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger
Articles Editor, Gourmet Magazine
Director, Electronic Publishing, Scientific American
Dance and Movement Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Dance Department is to help students find and develop
their own voices and identities through classes, workshops, projects an
productions that consider dance from creative, technical, historical and
scientific contexts.
Overview
The program in dance at Hamilton has both an educational and an artistic
mission. It explores the power of human movement to express and
communicate. It studies the rich cultural context in which dance takes place.
And it celebrates the creation of performance art and the growth of the
performer. Students in dance develop the tools with which to approach other disciplines with creativity
and rigor. The demands and rewards of artistic performance encourage personal responsibility and
empowerment, and they build a sense of community both within the creative ensemble and between
performer and audience.
Performance and Research Opportunities
At Hamilton, students of dance and theatre have diverse performance, choreography, directing and
design opportunities. Auditions for main stage theatre productions are open to all students. Each year,
faculty members and students produce two dance concerts choreographed by faculty members, two
or three plays directed by faculty members, and as many as 10 productions directed, choreographed,
designed, performed and produced by students. Students and faculty also participate in the national
American College Dance Festival.
Student dance majors have taught and performed at local schools and art centers as well as with
regional dance companies and summer theatres. Students interested in arts administration gain
experience in the department box office and as house managers. Many theatre majors secure
internships with summer theatres after their junior year. Theatre and dance students also participate
in many outstanding programs abroad and have studied in such places as Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bali,
Germany, London and Paris.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is a focused project, carried out under the close supervision of a faculty member.
It draws together coursework and creativity, theory and practice. Each dance student choreographs
d
38
Hamilton College
and performs in an original work.
RESOURCES
Hamilton offers a variety of classroom and performance facilities: Wellin Hall, Minor Theater, Blood
Fitness and Dance Center, List Dance Studio and Beinecke Events Barn. In addition, the theatre and
dance programs provide a range of specialized staging and design equipment as well as stock and
computerized lighting systems in various production shops.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Dance are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Assistant Professor, Ohio University
Assistant to the Director, Dance Division, The Boston Conservatory
Operations Officer, People’s Production House
Pediatric Residency Program Director, Children’s Hospital at Sinai
Psychotherapist, (private practice)
Senior Project Associate, Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education
Economics
Overview
Do you want to engage in discussions about health care, financial markets or
Social Security reform? Or perhaps you'd like to investigate why working
women earn a fraction of what men earn, or the effectiveness of policies
aimed at improving the environment, or even the impact of our economy's
growing globalization. If you are interested in developing a coherent
framework to answer questions like these, then you should consider studying
economics at Hamilton.
Economics students at Hamilton have opportunities to conduct original research either over the
summer as part of the Levitt Fellows or Emerson Grant programs or during their senior year as part of
the Senior Program Examples of past topics include climate finance, the labor market and the "Great
Recession", and entrepreneurship among immigrants.
In addition some concentrators work during the academic year and in the summer as research
assistants with faculty members, and the results of their collaborations have appeared in co-authored
papers in professional journals.
The Senior Program
The Senior Project in economics can be satisfied either by a project in a designated 500 level course or
by a Senior Thesis. Projects require a paper or a series of papers demonstrating a mastery of
d
39
Hamilton College
advanced methods, an understanding of the scholarly literature on a topic or an understanding of the
evolution of important issues in the discipline. The Senior Thesis is a written report of an original
research project undertaken in the department's Research Seminar (Economics 560). Students
participating in this seminar make a number of presentations of their work in progress during the
semester and usually submit their theses to the department for consideration for department honors.
On several occasions, these theses have become the basis for collaborative work with faculty
supervisors that has resulted in publications in professional journals.
Resources
The Economics Department is headquartered in the newly renovated Kirner-Johnson Building.
Classrooms are "technology-enhanced," including either a projection screen and data projector or a
LCD screen on the wall, and are equipped with large flat-screen computer monitors that allow students
to collaborate. "Annotation screens" allow students and professors to add comments to computer
displays. Four tiered "case study" classrooms have two rows of seats in a horseshoe configuration to
further encourage student-teacher and student-student interaction.
The Economics Department regularly sponsors guest lecturers and holds a joint seminar series with
the Economics Department at Colgate University for faculty and students. The department also
regularly receives funds from Procter & Gamble for academic needs.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Economics are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Agricultural Economist, U.S. Department of State
Biostatistician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Reporter, The New York Times
Actuarial Analyst, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Offensive Quality Control Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Professor of Economics & Public Policy, College of William and Mary
Math Teacher/Golf Coach, Fayetteville-Manlius High School
Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Teddy Bear Co.
Vice President and Financial Strategist, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives
Director of Product Managment, The Gap, Inc.
Vice Chair GE, President and CEO GE Infrastructure, General Electric/GE Commercial Finance
Education Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Education Studies Program is to allow students to focus on a particular major
while receiving intensive hands-on training and guidance in the educational dimensions of that
d
40
Hamilton College
discipline.
Overview
One of the most revealing indicators of educational quality at a college is the number of educators that
the institution itself produces. It's no coincidence that education consistently ranks No. 1 or No. 2 as
the field in which Hamilton graduates begin their careers. Many teach in private schools or work in
volunteer teaching corps; others advance to graduate study in education. The minor in education
studies is a valuable option for students who intend to pursue careers in teaching or related fields.
Students in education studies often pursue summer internships by working as tutors, teacher
assistants and counselors in a variety of settings: private and public schools, nonprofit educational
programs, urban summer education programs and summer camps. Internships are a form of
work-related experience highly valued by education employers, and Hamilton's Career Center provides
guidance and assistance to students seeking internships.
In addition, all students in education studies gain crucial field experience as well as college credits
through their extended work in local schools.
The Senior Program
Seniors who minor in education studies pursue a full Senior Program as
part of their major. This typically involves the completion and oral
presentation of an extensive senior project under the guidance of at
least one faculty member. In addition, senior education students
produce a final exhibition or portfolio presentation of their work that is
evaluated by the Education Studies Program Committee.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who minored in Education Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
6th Grade Teacher, Rensselaer City School District
Educational Consultant, Abington Friends School
Learning Disabilities Teacher, Lincoln-Sudbury High School
President/CEO, Planned Parenthood
School Social Worker, Bloomfield School District
Teacher, Temple Israel Hebrew School
Environmental Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Environmental Studies Program is to encourage students to explore the impact
of human interaction with our environment through an interdisciplinary approach that balances broad,
practical groundwork with focused, individual study.
d
41
Hamilton College
Overview
Environmental studies as an academic field is only a few decades old, but the concept is ancient. We
interact continuously with our surroundings, and we benefit deeply from understanding that
interaction. But while the environment has always shaped human life and culture, we also shape the
environment — and never more so than today, in an era of rapid technological change and population
growth.
At Hamilton, student research is an essential part of the academic experience. It enables you to
integrate what you have learned in the classroom into a broad, authoritative understanding of your
field and its applications to real-world problems and issues. Environmental studies offers a broad
range of research options, including field work and laboratory work, carried out independently or in
collaboration with a faculty member.
Those majors who choose the natural sciences track have opportunities to join a fascinating variety of
research outings. In recent years, students and professors in the geosciences have conducted
expeditions not only to Antarctica but to Hawaii, Iceland, the Florida Keys, Colorado, the Pacific
Northwest and the European Alps. They also do regular field work in Central New York and the nearby
Adirondack mountains.
The College also provides substantial financial support for students who are interested in pursuing
summer research. Many students present the results of their work at regional, national and
international conferences. Some co-author scholarly papers and journal articles in collaboration with
faculty partners and mentors.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is an integrating, culminating
experience that draws on the knowledge and research skills
you have developed in the first three years. At its heart is the
senior project. The project is a detailed exploration of an
environmental topic that culminates in a research paper and
oral presentation. The Senior Project should demonstrate
competent application of methods and concepts from within
the student's selected discipline but may also incorporate
methods and concepts of other academic fields reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of environmental
issues. Majors plan and pursue this independent project under the close supervision of a faculty
member and the program's advisory committee.
RESOURCES
As an interdisciplinary field, the environmental studies program draws on the rich and diverse
resources of the many disciplines and facilities at Hamilton that contribute to it. The College maintains
extensive fossil and mineral collections that include the Oren Root Mineral Collection, one of the finest
in the country. The geosciences, biology and chemistry programs that provide the natural sciences
curriculum are housed in Hamilton's Science Center, which offers an array of tools that rival those of
d
42
Hamilton College
top graduate-level research institutions.
Among them: a sedimentology lab with particle size analyzer (laser optics) and magnetic susceptibility
system; oceanographic instrumentation including a conductivity, temperature and transmissivity
recorder; geochemistry facilities including X-ray diffraction and fluorescence instrumentation and total
organic carbon analyzer; rock cutting and thin-section equipment; a complement of petrographic
microscopes with photographic capabilities; hydrogeology equipment including a digital current meter,
flow cells, groundwater sampling equipment, field chemical analysis system, well-testing equipment
and a groundwater flow meter; and a computer array including Macintosh and IBM/NEC machines
with a host of software and a digitizing table.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Environmental Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of
fields, including:
Energy Markets Data Analyst, Nuenergen
Environmental Director, Scenic Hudson, Inc.
Policy Coordinator, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Senior Associate, Investment Solutions, UBS
Vice Chairman, Training Program, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Foreign Languages
The goal of Hamilton's Foreign Languages Program is to offer
students opportunities to develop proficiency in multiple
languages — a skill that will serve them well in a wide range of
endeavors.
Overview
Hamilton students may major not only in individual languages,
but also in a foreign languages program that emphasizes multilingual skills, a broad familiarity with
other cultures and histories, and study abroad. There is a growing professional demand for graduates
able to lead and communicate in a multilingual, multicultural world. And beyond career considerations,
the foreign languages program exemplifies Hamilton's most enduring liberal arts tradition — to reach
beyond the limits of one's own experience and make connections with others.
The College offers a remarkable variety of study-abroad programs that are particularly well suited to
language students, including highly regarded programs in France, Spain and China. Hamilton also
belongs to the American Collegiate Consortium Exchange Program for study in Russia and elsewhere
in the former Soviet Union; and to the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and the
American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
d
43
Hamilton College
The Senior Program
The senior program is the culminating intellectual experience at Hamilton. In it, students integrate and
focus the skills and knowledge they have gained in the first three years. Majors in the foreign
languages program must pass two language proficiency tests in order to complete the program.
Majors also may pursue departmental honors by meeting requirements specified by individual
language programs.
RESOURCES
Foreign language majors draw on the extensive resources of individual language programs, including
films, presentations, lectures, and up-to-date language and computer labs. Outings and activities
abound as well, from La Mesa de Español and Club Español in the Hispanic studies program to regular
trips to Montreal in the French Department.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Foreign Languages are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Vice Chairman, Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Senior Manager, Worldwide Market Intelligence, IBM Corporation
Senior Marketing Manager, Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.
Regional General Manager, Fragrance, Chanel Asia Pacific Pte Limited
Professor of French, Allegheny College
Professor of Dermatology, Tulane Medical Center
Lieutenant, New York City Police Department
Chairman, Department of Neurology, University of Utah
Attorney, Nixon Peabody LLP
French
The goal of Hamilton's French Department is to encourage an
appreciation of the heritage and culture of French-speaking peoples
and help students develop language proficiency necessary for a
mature understanding of France and Francophone countries, past
and present.
Overview
The word "language" itself is of french orgin, a fact that suggests the dramatic reach and importance
of French throughout history and in the modern world. French is the language of much of the world's
greatest literature and philosophy. It is widely spoken in such regions as Africa, the Middle East and
Southeast Asia, a legacy of the colonial era. It preceded English as the international language and so
d
44
Hamilton College
remains deeply woven into the discourse of history and diplomacy. English itself bears the
centuries-old imprint of Norman French, and Canada's history and culture, from the colonial era to
contemporary politics, is in part a story of the clash and interplay between French and English.
The French program encourages a range of research skills and activities: laboratory work in language
proficiency, outings to nearby Quebec, and literary scholarship in Hamilton's extensive Burke Library
holdings. At the center of the program, though, is the Junior Year in France. Students study for a full
academic year at the Université de Paris III and other more specialized institutions; the curriculum is
known for its academic rigor and attention to individual learners' needs. Students are immersed in the
language, culture and history of the French as they enjoy the intellectual and social experience of a
lifetime.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program serves as Hamilton's integrating and culminating intellectual experience. At its
center is the senior project, an extended research effort in which students use the knowledge and
methods gained in their first three years of study. Each senior French major works closely with at least
one faculty member while completing the project, which includes a senior research course and major
paper. Seniors also demonstrate language proficiency in French with an interview.
Resources
The department sponsors the French Club; a newsletter, La Gazette; a weekend cultural excursion to
Montreal; weekly radio shows; and a series of lectures, films and presentations revolving around
French culture, history and language. Up-to-date computer facilities, language laboratories, an
audiovisual center and a recording studio are available for student use. Qualified Hamilton seniors are
invited to join the College's chapter of Phi Sigma Iota, the foreign language honor society.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in French are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Director of International Programs, Union College
Publicity Manager, Harpercollins Publishers
Chairman and CEO, Procter & Gamble
Executive Director, Estee Lauder
Asia Pacific Wind Energy Analyst, Emerging Energy Research
Clinical Research Coordinator, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Professor of French, Wesleyan University
Senior Vice President, International Licensing, Tommy Hilfiger USA
Managing Director/Partner, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
d
45
Hamilton College
General Manager, Minnesota Twins
Medical Writer, Providence Journal
Photojournalist, Time Warner, Inc.
Geoarchaeology
The goal of Hamilton's Geoarchaeology Program is to
encourage connections between geological concepts and
methods to aid in the interpretation of the archaeological
record of past societies.
Overview
Geoarchaeology at Hamilton represents a new generation of
innovative, interdisciplinary study in the earth sciences. Using
geologic methods and principles to enhance our ability to interpret and understand the archaeologic
record, geoarchaeology is a major field that has undergone tremendous growth in recent decades.
The Hamilton program is a research-oriented bridge between the Geosciences Department and the
Archaeology Program operated within the Anthropology Department. It combines the extensive
resources of these two disciplines to provide specialized training to undergraduates that is typically
available only to graduate students in large, research-oriented institutions.
Field studies through the College's summer programs in geosciences and archaeology offer students a
remarkable range of opportunities to develop research skills and integrate classroom learning. In
recent work, students have traced stone tools to their geologic sources, explored how and when sites
were occupied in light of landform evolution, and determined how processes of disturbance affect
archaeological deposits. Such studies often lead to collaborative papers and presentations in which
students and faculty members publish their research in scholarly journals and speak at conferences.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program serves as an integrating and culminating experience for geoarchaeology majors in
which they employ the knowledge and methods gained in the first three years of study. At the center
of the program is the senior project, a two-semester independent-study effort carried out under the
close guidance of the faculty and concluding with a public presentation.
Resources
The program's home in the state-of-the-art Science Center offers an array of tools and facilities that
rival those of top graduate-level research institutions. Among them: a sedimentology lab with particle
size analyzer (laser optics) and magnetic susceptibility system; oceanographic instrumentation
including a conductivity, temperature and transmissivity recorder; geochemistry facilities including
X-ray diffraction and fluorescence instrumentation and total organic carbon analyzer; rock cutting and
thin-section equipment; a complement of petrographic microscopes with photographic capabilities;
hydrogeology equipment including a digital current meter, flow cells, groundwater sampling
d
46
Hamilton College
equipment, field chemical analysis system, well-testing equipment and a groundwater flow meter; and
a computer array including Macintosh and IBM/NEC machines with a host of software and a digitizing
table.
Geosciences
The goal of Hamilton's Geoscience Department is to provide students with a foundation from which to
pursue study of the physical structure of the Earth and planets to understand how natural systems
work and evolve over time.
Overview
There is perhaps no more dramatic example of the
remarkable evolution of the geosciences than a recent
Antarctic expedition involving a Hamilton professor and his
students. While studying the collapse of a major ice shelf near
the bottom of the world, they discovered a vast underwater
ecosystem — the first of its kind found in the Antarctic — that
itself may yield previously unknown species of marine life.
Working at the intersection of geology, marine biology and
environmental studies, the Hamilton team exemplifies the
College's geosciences program and approach to the liberal arts: interdisciplinary, innovative and driven
by student research.
Field work is a vital part of study in the geosciences. At Hamilton it has been integrated into nearly all
courses at every level. In recent years, students and professors have conducted expeditions not only
to Antarctica but to Hawaii, Iceland, the Florida Keys, Colorado, the Pacific Northwest and the
European Alps. They also regularly do field work in the Central New York region surrounding the
College.
The department encourages student-faculty collaboration on a range of projects, and it provides
substantial financial support for students who are interested in pursuing summer research. Many
students present the results of their work at regional, national and international conferences; some
co-author scholarly papers and journal articles in collaboration with faculty partners and mentors.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program in geosciences is a two-semester course in which majors plan and pursue an
independent senior project under the close supervision of at least one faculty member. The senior
project is an integrating, culminating experience that draws on the skills and knowledge acquired in
the first three years; for many students, it represents graduate-level work.
Resources
The College maintains extensive fossil and mineral collections that include the Oren Root Mineral
Collection, one of the finest in the country. The department's home at the state-of-the-art Science
Center offers an array of tools and facilities that rival those of top graduate-level research institutions.
d
47
Hamilton College
Among them: a sedimentology lab with particle size analyzer (laser optics) and magnetic susceptibility
system; oceanographic instrumentation including a conductivity, temperature and transmissivity
recorder; geochemistry facilities including X-ray diffraction and fluorescence instrumentation and total
organic carbon analyzer; rock cutting and thin-section equipment; a complement of petrographic
microscopes with photographic capabilities; hydrogeology equipment including a digital current meter,
flow cells, groundwater sampling equipment, field chemical analysis system, well-testing equipment
and a groundwater flow meter; and a computer array including Macintosh and IBM/NEC machines
with a host of software and a digitizing table.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Geosciences are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Geophysical Technician, Alaska Volcano Observatory
Earth Science Teacher, Pinecrest High School
Project Manager, NASA
Professor, University of Arizona
Outreach Educator, Children's Museum At Saratoga
Commissioner of Planning, Orange County New York
Exploration Geologist, Pioneer Natural Resources
Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Senior Environmental Scientist, Ambient Engineering, Inc.
Financial Analyst, IBM Corporation
Engineering Geologist, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Science Coordinator, Chicago Public Schools
German Studies
The goal of Hamilton's German Studies Department is to examine from an
interdisciplinary perspective the language, literature, culture, historical
development and politics of German-speaking countries.
Overview
When east and west Germany were reunited in 1990, much more than
political symbolism was involved. Reunification created Europe's most
populous nation by far, an economic and geopolitical force capable of countering the dominant powers
in Asia and the Americas. Germany's important contemporary position, its rich cultural legacy and its
turbulent history at the center of European affairs makes it an important topic of study for a wide
range of interests: language and literature, government and diplomacy, international trade, and
science and technology.
d
48
Hamilton College
Semester or year-long study abroad in a German-speaking country is strongly encouraged. Students
may choose to enhance their language skills and knowledge of German culture by participating in the
College's ongoing exchange program with the University of Dortmund. In the past, students have also
attended programs in Vienna, Munich, Freiburg, Tübingen, Berlin and Hamburg. While abroad,
students are enrolled directly in the German or Austrian university and live with German/Austrian
students. Often, the senior project grows out of an academic or personal interest developed while
abroad.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is a culminating intellectual experience in which students draw on and integrate
the knowledge, research and language skills gained in the first three years. The core of the program is
the senior project, a research paper of approximately 30 page that can be written in either German or
English, but must incorporate German language sources. The project is independent work that is
closely supervised by a faculty member in the German program in consultation with colleagues from
other departments. Majors may also seek departmental honors through distinguished achievement in
the classroom and on the senior project.
Resources
Students of German and Russian have full access to a modern language laboratory, an audiovisual
center and a recording studio on campus. Our student exchange programs with the University of
Dortmund assures close interaction with young German natives in the department and on campus.The
weekly German tables and German Club activities help keep the German language and culture alive.
Advanced students in German may apply to be teaching assistants in introductory language courses or
to work in Hamilton's peer tutoring program.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in German Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
William H. Laird Professor of German, Carleton College
Webmaster, IBM Corp.
Vice President, Deutsche Bank Americas
Senior Vice President, Coca-Cola Company
President, World Emergency Relief
Head of Languages, St. Paul's School
General Counsel, Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentsale
Director, International Technology Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Director, Copyright, Public Broadcasting Service
d
49
Hamilton College
Designer, EuroEast Tours
Bureau Chief, Financial Times
Government
The goal of Hamilton's Government Department is to engage students in discussion pertaining to the
political dynamics of human life through research and intensive writing. Students emerge prepared to
shape, analyze and fully participate in civic life.
Overview
Societies are not just groups of individuals. Each has a political dimension — a collective identity, a
structure of power and a system of public values. This dimension is the focus of the study of
government at Hamilton. How do societies organize collective effort? Do they achieve the public good?
Are individual citizens included in the decision-making process?
The Hamilton Washington, D.C. Program offers a
combination of rigorous academic study and
real-world experience in national government to the
16 juniors and seniors who participate each fall.
Students do research and attend seminars led by a
resident member of Hamilton's Government
Department while working full time in a Washington,
D.C., office. In recent years, students have worked in
the White House Communications Office, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the State Department and
the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.
Created in 1969, the program provides a combination of academic study and experience in national
government to the 16 juniors and seniors who participate in the program each fall. Students conduct
research and attend seminars led by a resident member of the department while working full time in
Congressional and/or executive offices. In recent years, students have worked in the White House
Communications Office, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Department of Justice Civil Rights
Division, and in the State Department.
The Senior Program
Senior majors in government complete a senior thesis and a research paper, working closely with a
faculty member in the department. In the Senior Program, students draw on their accumulated skills
and knowledge to produce focused, high-level scholarship on a specific topic or problem.
Resources
Hamilton's Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center is one of the College's most active and important
resources. Government majors and other students engage in the civic life of the region through the
center's Community Outreach Office, service learning projects, and numerous field trips and
conferences. Students and faculty members collaborate on community-based research directed by the
d
50
Hamilton College
Levitt Center, while the Levitt Scholars Program sends Hamilton students to high schools to speak on a
variety of civic topics. And the center's Think Tank, a student-led discussion group, provides an
informal forum for students and faculty members to discuss current issues.
The department's Linowitz Professorship in International Affairs — named for the late Sol Linowitz, a
Hamilton alumnus, presidential advisor and ambassador — brings a series of eminent diplomats to
Hamilton as visiting professors. Recent Linowitz Professors include Edward S. "Ned" Walker Jr., former
ambassador to Israel, former assistant secretary of state and a Hamilton alumnus; Brandon H. Grove,
former ambassador to Zaire and 35-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service; and Bernard Kalb, former
assistant secretary of state and a veteran diplomatic journalist for The New York Times, CNN, NBC and
CBS.
The Levitt Center Lecture Series also brings well-known civic servants and public-affairs scholars to
Hamilton each semester. Recent visitors include Alice Rivlin, founding director of the Congressional
Budget Office and former vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board; Nobel Prize recipient in economics
Joseph E. Stiglitz; Lawrence J. Korb, former assistant secretary of defense; Catholic and feminist
scholar Elizabeth Fox-Genovese; former Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt; and former
presidential advisor, author and conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Government are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Global Network Consultant, AT&T
Assistant Chief, U.S. Department of Justice
CEO/Vice Chairman/COO, Saks Fifth Avenue
Assistant Director of Corporate Communications, New England Patriots
Senior Investment Manager, General Electric Company/GE Commercial Finance
Attorney, MGM
Chairman/CEO, Legendary Pictures
Maynard-Knox Professor of Government, Hamilton College
Publisher, TV Guide
Bond Trader, Credit Suisse First Boston
Senior Vice President, Prudential Securities
Advertising Director, Self Magazine
Hispanic Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Hispanic Studies Department is to foster an appreciation for the heritage and
culture of Spanish-speaking peoples, and to help students reach a proficiency in the Spanish language
crucial to a mature understanding of Spain and Latin America, past and present.
d
51
Hamilton College
Overview
Do you think of Spanish as a "foreign" language? Reconsider. It was the first spoken European
language in the Americas, preceding English across most of the South, Midwest and West of the
United States. Hundreds of cities and many states bear the imprint of Hispanic culture in their very
names as well as their populations, from Florida to Montana and Colorado, from Miami to Los Angeles
and San Francisco. Spanish is the first language of more than 30 million U.S. residents — making the
United States the world’s third most populous Hispanic nation after Mexico and Spain.
Research takes a variety of forms in Hispanic studies, from laboratory
work in language proficiency to literary scholarship in Hamilton's
extensive Burke Library holdings to field work in Latino communities.
Certainly one of the most important research fronts, however, is the
Hamilton's Academic Year in Spain program. Established in 1974 to
provide the highest academic standards — small classes, distinguished
professors and total immersion in Spanish life and language — the
Madrid-based program provides an intellectual, cultural and social
experience that cannot be duplicated in any classroom.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program serves as an integrating, culminating experience in which Hispanic studies majors
bring the knowledge, skills and research experience of the first three college years to an in-depth
research project. Each student works closely with at least one faculty member during the project.
RESOURCES
The Hispanic Studies Department offers an ongoing series of lectures, films and presentations. It also
supports La Mesa de Español, where students and faculty members meet weekly for lunch and
conversation in Spanish. Students in the program direct Club Español, which organizes cultural
activities related to Spanish and Latin American cultures, and La Vanguardia, for students of Latino
background. The department and the College provide computer facilities, a modern language
laboratory, an audiovisual center and a recording studio for student use.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Hispanic Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
7th-8th Grade Spanish Teacher, Norwich City Schools
Anethesiologist, Parish Anesthesia of Baton Rouge
Assistant Editor, Newsday
Chair, Department of Language, Literacy and Technology, Nazareth College
Director of Ticket Sales, Seattle Mariners Baseball Club
d
52
Hamilton College
Director, Spain & Portugal, Cambridge University Press
Finance Manager, Ameriprise Financial
Public Information Officer, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Vice President/Senior Projects Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Teacher of Intervention Reading, ESL, New York City Department of Education
History
The goal of Hamilton's History Department is to introduce a
broad range of students to the histories of various cultures,
peoples, places and times while honing their skills in writing,
speaking and research.
Overview
Do you think of history as a list of names and dates, battles
and treaties, inventors and emperors? Be ready for a revelation.
At Hamilton, history is a living, vibrant discipline. Whether you
are tracing the spread of Buddhism from India to Japan or exploring the African diaspora in the U.S.
today, the study of history is about building a perspective on other cultures, times and places. History
students develop sophisticated writing and speaking skills, they learn to conduct research, and they
hone the ability to think critically about complex issues and events of other times, and gain a
historically informed understanding of the present.
The Department of History encourages its students to seriously consider study abroad for a semester
or a year during their stay at Hamilton. Typical destinations for history majors include Spain, France,
Italy, England, China, Austria and Japan. Many of these can be visited through Hamilton-affiliated
programs. While study abroad is an integral part of the liberal arts curriculum, it has special resonance
for students of history as they study events and issues at their source and in their larger cultural
context.
All Hamilton history courses stress the development of rigorous, critical reading and research skills. A
number of history majors build on these skills by receiving funding to work in collaboration with faculty
mentors during the summer as Emerson Fellows. History students' knowledge of the world and habits
of critical thinking are enhanced by closely working with their professors, who are themselves active in
their own specialties.
The Senior Program
The senior seminar paper or honors thesis is the culminating experience for history majors at Hamilton.
It is a semester-long research project in which students draw on their accumulated skills and
knowledge to produce focused, high-level scholarship on a specific topic or problem.
d
53
Hamilton College
Resources
Hamilton has a fully accredited chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history and
one of the oldest and most respected honor societies in the nation. Hamilton history majors deliver
papers at regional and national meetings of Phi Alpha Theta and publish papers in the society’s journal.
The department also regularly invites a spectrum of distinguished historians and scholars to campus
for talks, panel discussions and workshops.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in History are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Coordinator Corporate Litigation, Exxon Mobil Corp.
Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. Department of Commerce
Henry J. Baker Professor of Law, Tufts University
Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Embassy - Dakar
Director, Department of Education and Interpretation, National Museum of American History
Editor, New York Post
Producer, ABC News - Good Morning America
Social Studies Teacher/Coach, New Hartford High School
Chief Psychologist, Beth Israel Medical Center
Manager of Forecasting & Analysis, Dow Jones & Company Inc.
Environmental Policy Analyst, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Interdisciplinary Concentration
The goal of Hamilton's Interdisciplinary Concentration is to allow students the flexibility to craft a
program of study that matches their interests and goals.
Overview
Hamilton's innovative liberal arts curriculum dispenses with core courses and encourages academic
freedom of choice. That allows most students to pursue their interests in a traditional major or
concentration, where they can focus on a particular topic while exploring many other fields.
Occasionally, however, students have interests and needs that are different or highly specialized. In
such instances, they may work with members of the faculty to create their own concentration.
Conducting research, typically with the
assistance of a faculty member, is a key
to helping you integrate what you have
learned in the classroom. Research can
d
54
Hamilton College
take many forms, depending on your academic interests: laboratory work, computer-assisted research,
traditional scholarship, field work in settings ranging from Antarctica to archaeological digs to urban
neighborhoods.
In addition to the many research opportunities Hamilton provides during the school year, the College
offers a range of summer research grants to students for work on campus. Other students pursue
summer internships off campus. Internships are a form of work-related experience highly valued by
employers, and Hamilton's Career Center provides guidance and assistance to students seeking
internships.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program serves as an integrating and culminating experience for all Hamilton students. At
the center of the Senior Program is the senior project, in which you focus and apply the knowledge
and skills you have developed in your first three years of study. The senior project takes different
forms in different disciplines. But each student works closely with at least one faculty member, and the
project typically concludes with a public presentation or defense. As a student with an interdisciplinary
concentration, you will design your own Senior Program as part of your overall plan of study; the
Committee on Academic Standing must approve it.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Interdisciplinary Concentration are pursuing careers in a
variety of fields, including:
Founder & CEO, Independent Comedy Network
Urologist, Cleveland Clinic
Architect, Studios Architecture
Finance Director, Beth Israel Medical Center
Professor, University of Georgia
Japanese
The goal of Hamilton's Japanese Program is to emphasize language
proficiency while introducing students to Japanese literature, film,
culture and society.
Overview
Japenese has become one of the most widely taught foreign
languages in the United States. It has assumed critical importance in a wide range of professions and
interests, from politics and diplomacy to business, education and cutting-edge technology. But the
recent growth of the Pacific Rim as an economic and technological giant in world affairs has spurred a
fascination with the region's cultures as well as a practical interest in its languages. Hamilton serves
both these needs through a minor in Japanese, offered through the East Asian Languages and
Literatures Department.
d
55
Hamilton College
Conducting research, either through collaboration with a faculty member or independently, is key to
helping you integrate what you have learned in the classroom.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program serves as an integrating and culminating experience for Japanese by requiring
students to use the methodology and knowledge gained in their first three years of study. Each
student works closely with at least one faculty member during the course of the program.
RESOURCES
The Asian Studies Program sponsors a number of important cultural, educational and social events
each year, many of them in conjunction with the student-run Asian Cultural Society and other
departments. Recently these have included a performance of the Beijing Opera, the celebration of the
Lunar New Year and a range of talks and other presentations. Students typically have an opportunity
to meet and talk with distinguished visitors. They also share views and experiences at the College's
monthly Asia Forum.
Students of Japanese have full access to a modern language laboratory, an audiovisual center and a
recording studio on campus.
Jurisprudence, Law and Justice Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Jurisprudence, Law and Justice Studies Program is
to provide students with the analytical and empirical foundation to
understand how the theory, practice and meaning of law stimulates civic
engagement.
Overview
Although their prominence in the curriculum has varied throughout the
years, courses engaging jurisprudence, justice and the examination of law in social life have had a
place at Hamilton since the 1830s. The minor concentration in Jurisprudence, Law and Justice Studies
(JLJS) establishes a curricular home for such courses, in keeping with the College’s liberal arts mission
and with the goal of advancing a number of pedagogic aims.
Conducting research, either through collaboration with a faculty member or independently, is key to
helping you integrate what you have learned in the classroom.
Latin American Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Latin American Studies Program is to blend Hispanic studies, history,
government, sociology, women's studies and anthropology to present the Latin American mosaic in all
its diverse dimensions.
d
56
Hamilton College
Overview
The United States has a population approaching 300 million people and covers roughly 3.5 million
square miles. Latin America has a population approaching 600 million people and covers roughly 8
million square miles. Yet we habitually think of Latin America, with its rich tapestry of cultures so
deeply interwoven with our own, as the "other" America. The Latin American Studies program at
Hamilton challenges such mental borders by allowing students to see this emerging, energetic and
often contradictory region through new eyes.
Students in the Latin American studies program have a number of opportunities to study abroad with
the assistance of the program faculty, and Hamilton College encourages all students — particularly
those studying other cultures and traditions — to experience life beyond campus and borders.
On campus, Burke Library houses the Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection. It is one of the world's most
important research collections of historical documents from and about this Caribbean region that was
the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, who gave the College his name.
RESOURCES
Students in Latin American studies can draw on the resources of the many departments and programs
that contribute to the minor, particularly the Hispanic studies program. These include an ongoing
series of lectures, films and presentations. La Mesa de Español provides an opportunity for students
and faculty members to meet weekly for lunch and conversation in Spanish. Students in the program
direct Club Español, which organizes cultural activities related to Spanish and Latin American cultures,
and La Vanguardia, for students of Latino background. The department and the College provide
computer facilities, a modern language laboratory, an audiovisual center and a recording studio for
student use.
Mathematics
The goal of Hamilton's Mathematics Department is to provide all
students with opportunities to hone logical thinking and statistical
reasoning skills, while offering concentrators an understanding of
fundamental areas of pure and applied mathematics and what
constitutes legitimate, rigorous argument through the analysis and
construction of written proofs.
Overview
Ancient thinkers recognized that mathematics was the language of the natural world. Today we
recognize that it is also the language of science and social science, of business, commerce and
industry, even of art and design. Doing math can be as simple as executing a computer search and as
momentous as planning a mass evacuation or tracing a disease epidemic, but it assumes ever-greater
importance in our lives. At Hamilton, mathematics is both a popular major and a crucial part of the
College's broader liberal arts curriculum.
d
57
Hamilton College
Research is crucial to mathematics and all the sciences. At Hamilton it is also one of the keys to the
liberal arts curriculum. It begins with Hamilton's small, interactive classes and continues through the
Senior Program. The Mathematics Department also has a number of students return to campus each
summer for professional research. Conducting research, either through collaboration with a faculty
member or independently, is the means by which students integrate and apply what they have learned
in the classroom.
Each summer, Hamilton and the Mathematics Department offer exciting opportunities for
undergraduates to conduct hands-on collaborative research in math, computer science and other
fields. The Summer Science Collaborative Research Program provides grants for dozens of students to
work with faculty members on a variety of cutting-edge projects. Many of these projects lead to
scholarly papers and presentations co-authored by students.
The Senior Program
Mathematics majors begin the senior year with a senior seminar. These small seminars focus on
different areas of mathematics and are devoted largely to presentations by students and intensive
discussion. Then, in the spring semester, students may elect to write a thesis, working independently
but under close faculty supervision. The senior thesis is a culmination of each student's undergraduate
experience; it synthesizes coursework, research and discussion into a focused statement of intellectual
growth and insight. Strong student papers sometimes are published in scholarly journals — a
remarkable accomplishment at the undergraduate level.
Resources
The Quantitative Literacy Center offers peer tutoring in courses that include a
mathematics/quantitative component. Students may drop in to review topics as needed or to use the
resources of the computer and video library. Other programs offered by the center include a review for
the mathematics portion of Graduate Record Exam and workshops designed to accompany specific
courses. Tutors at the center are top students who have been recommended by the departments for
which they tutor. They have taken the courses they tutor and have been trained in tutoring techniques
and interpersonal relations.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Mathematics are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Senior Vice President, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization
Principal Research Physicist, Princeton University
Fellow, Robert Wood Johnson Scholar, Yale University
Actuarial Senior Analyst, CIGNA Corp.
Computer Engineer, National Institutes of Health
Partner, CPA firm of Johnson O'Connor Feron & Carucci LLP
d
58
Hamilton College
Manager of Finance, General Electric Company/GE Commercial Finance
Vice President and Technology Fellow, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Senior Scientist, GlaxoSmithKline
Engineer, Xerox Corp.
President/Chairman, United Nations Association of U.S.A.
Preparatory School Math Teacher, Choate Rosemary Hall
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program is to give
students opportunities to explore these crucial periods in our development
from a variety of perspectives by focusing on their similarities, their
differences and their implications for what has followed.
Overview
When and how did the modern world emerge? It is a question that has
attracted generations of thinkers as they seek to illuminate the past and, with
it, the present. The conventional answer has been to mark an imaginary line through the 14th century.
On the far side lies the "darkness" of the Middle Ages. On the near side lies the "light" of the
Renaissance — empirical science, the printing press, the growth of cities and trade, and the revival of
classical models of thought, art and architecture. Scholars now challenge that view, however. They
point out that the past is far too complex to fit such a simple pattern. And that has led them to explore
the very ways in which history is told and recorded.
Research is at the center of the Hamilton liberal arts philosophy — a way of encouraging each student
to integrate classroom learning with a larger individual vision and intellectual journey. Student projects
are carried out with the close supervision of faculty members, and often with their collaboration. Many
students have the opportunity to do graduate-level research and co-author scholarly papers for
publication in scholarly journals or presentation at professional conferences.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program serves as an integrating and culminating experience for Medieval and
Renaissance Studies by requiring students to use the methodology and knowledge gained in their first
three years of study. Each student works closely with at least one faculty member during the course of
the program.
RESOURCES
The College's Burke Library offers a strong collection of texts and periodicals on many aspects of the
medieval and Renaissance epochs. The library also houses a rare copy of The Nuremburg Chronicle,
one of the monumental works of early European book publishing. Printed in 1493 in Germany and
illustrated with 1,600 woodcuts, this remarkable precursor of the encyclopedia depicts a medieval
d
59
Hamilton College
world on the threshold of the Renaissance. It is joined in the Burke collection by several other
important early German volumes as well as the Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection, regarded as the
world’s finest collection of 16th- to 19th- century materials on this region of the West Indies.
Music
The goal of Hamilton's Music Department is to help students explore and build proficiency in the many
dimensions of musical experience through performance and/or studying historical and theoretical
concepts behind a variety of styles and forms.
Overview
Music is a fundamental form of human art, communication and pleasure – celebratory, sacred,
exploratory and communal. Music is typically one of our earliest and simplest childhood experiences,
yet it also can achieve the dizzying complexity of a great symphony. It can be as structured as a string
quartet or as fluid and improvisational as a jazz solo. It inspires and informs a remarkable range of
human movements and activities, from dance crazes to military marches, from medieval prayer to
modern choreography.
Opportunities
A performer's "research" is usually the development of
performance skills through rehearsal, guidance and commitment.
Hamilton's eight ensembles offer a breadth of opportunity
exceptional for a college of our size. Students are encouraged to
participate in more than one ensemble, and participation earns
partial course credit. Solo performance options are also provided.
Choir. This group of about 60 singers produces a musical or
operetta each year and undertakes an annual spring concert tour.
Orchestra. The Orchestra includes more than 50 students and has recently performed the works of
Bartók, Beethoven, Copland, Mozart, Sibelius, and Stravinsky. The Orchestra frequently commissions
and premieres new works for orchestra.
Jazz Ensemble. Focusing on the big band sound, the Jazz Ensemble also provides opportunities for
improvisation. It has toured New England and performed at Carnegie Hall.
Masterworks Chorale. The Hamilton College Masterworks Chorale, numbering about 135 singers,
brings together students, faculty, staff and neighbors to sing oratorios and other large choral works.
Brass Ensemble. The Brass Ensemble provides music for various College functions and performs
concerts off campus. The campus enjoys the Brass Ensemble's "guerrilla caroling" on the last day of
classes each fall semester.
Woodwind ensembles. These ensembles encourage the study and performance of music for various
combinations of wind instruments. The repertory has included works by Mozart, Richard Strauss,
Jacques Ibert and Irving Fine.
Chamber music groups. These groups give instrumentalists the opportunity to participate in small
d
60
Hamilton College
ensembles made up of a variety of string and wind instruments and piano.
Solo performance. Vocal and instrumental soloists have a range of performing opportunities, including
departmental concerts, recitals and featured appearances with ensembles. The department offers
courses in vocal and instrumental solo performance by a faculty of private instructors. A fee is charged
for such instruction; students receiving financial aid are eligible for assistance In meeting the cost.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is a culminating experience in which senior music majors integrate and build on
their first three years of study through a one-semester, in-depth study of a topic with a faculty advisor.
The Honors Senior Project, open by invitation only, is a two-semester creative and intellectual effort
carried out under the close supervision of at least one faculty member. These honors projects may be
either performance- or research-based.
Resources
The Hans H. Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts houses the 630-seat Carol
Woodhouse Wellin Performance Hall, two large rehearsal halls, 15 practice rooms, faculty offices, and
classrooms. Facilities for music also include a well-equipped studio for electronic music; a music library
that contains more than 28,000 compact discs and other recordings; state-of-the-art listening and
video equipment.
Instruments of various kinds are available for student use without charge. The College possesses
several Steinway grand pianos, a variety of wind, brass and string instruments, a two-manual Noack
organ in the College Chapel, a Steinmeyer one-manual Positif organ, a two-manual Dowd harpsichord,
a Fudge clavichord, a kora and a Javanese gamelan.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Music are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Violinist, American Ballet Theatre
Professor of Music and Music Technology, California State University
Executive Director, New Hampshire Humanities Council
Attorney, New York State Senate
Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Independent Comedy Network
Director of the Conservatory of Music, Brooklyn College
Staff Physician, Virginia Medical Center
Director of Administration and Artistic Operations, Pittsburgh Opera
Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Lecturer in Voice, Crane School of Music
Chairman, Performing Arts Department, Portledge School
d
61
Hamilton College
Pediatric Dentist, Healthreach Dental Center for Children
Neuroscience
The goal of Hamilton's Neuroscience Program, operated jointly by the departments of Psychology and
Biology, is to present students the opportunity to explore the fascinating, rapidly changing intersection
of those disciplines — the biological basis of behavior.
Overview
What is the relationship between behavior and biology? How can that relationship best be observed
and studied? What does it reveal about ourselves, our culture, our health, even our technology? These
are the questions posed and pursued by neuroscience, the multidisciplinary study of the nervous
system.
Research is a constant in the life of a neuroscience
major, but it can come in many forms: regular
coursework, independent study, the senior project, the
Senior Fellowship Program, or collaborative summer
research with a faculty member. Such opportunities are
available only to graduate students at many other
colleges and universities.
During a typical summer, more than 70 Hamilton undergraduates collaborate with faculty members on
research projects in neuroscience and other fields. Many receive summer research grants funded by
the College, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health and alumni gifts.
Students and faculty members often co-author papers that are presented at national conferences and
published in leading scholarly journals. In recent years students have published in such journals as
Behavioral Neuroscience, Brain and Language, Perception and Psychophysics, Journal of Experimental
Zoology and Behavioral and Neural Biology.
The Senior Program
As seniors, neuroscience majors carry out a research project that culminates in a thesis and an oral
presentation. Working closely with a faculty advisor, each student uses the senior project to synthesize
and focus previous coursework. The senior project is an original work of scholarship that provides an
in-depth examination of a particular empirical or theoretical issue.
Some of the top neuroscience majors each year are selected for the Senior Fellowship Program, in
which up to seven Hamilton students undertake a major research project under the supervision of two
or more faculty members. Recent senior fellows in neuroscience have studied the neurochemistry of
octopamine, patterns of human motion, integration of sensory information by single neurons, evoked
potential correlates of cognitive processing, brain mechanisms of reward and tactile psychophysics.
Resources
Hamilton’s Science Center, which houses the neuroscience program through the departments of
d
62
Hamilton College
Psychology and Biology, includes more than 100 teaching and research laboratories and 11 high-tech
classrooms as well as state-of-the-art instrumentation. In a recent survey of college administrators,
Hamilton was one of only 11 colleges and 28 universities in the nation credited with offering exemplary
research opportunities and facilities for undergraduates.
Neuroscience students have access to lab facilities for scanning and transmission electron microscopes,
tissue culture, analytical neurochemistry, molecular biology, neuroanatomical research, intracellular
and extracellular single neuron recording, voltage and patch clamping, eye movement tracking,
evoked-potential recording and tactile psychophysics.
Many experiments are controlled by laboratory computers, which are networked with our statistics
laboratory and the rest of the campus. In addition, the psychology, biology and neuroscience
programs share a 1000-square foot vivarium that contains species ranging from insects to rats.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Neuroscience are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Associate, GE Capital
Clinical Research Coordinator, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Director of Research and Development, Biomarker Strategies
Neurology Resident, Strong Memorial Hospital
Research Coordinator, Joslin Diabetes Center
Philosophy
The goal of Hamilton's Philosophy Department is to encourage students to
trace great thinkers and timeless ideas through the ages, while at the same
time exploring current issues and the means we use to understand them in
our own lives.
Overview
Have you ever considered telling a lie in order to serve a greater good?
Debated the morality of war or evidence of God's existence? Accused a
friend of faulty logic? Have you ever wondered why seemingly sturdy
concepts like truth, nature, self, race and gender can get so slippery when
you examine them closely? You've been doing philosophy.
Forget the stereotype of the idle intellectual ruminating on great thoughts. At Hamilton, philosophy is
about engagement — integrating what you learn in the classroom with the realities of a complex,
changing world. Scholarship is a key to that process.
Some philosophy students pursue independent study with their faculty advisors. Recent independent
d
63
Hamilton College
studies have explored philosophy and film, theories of moral action and the aesthetics of nationalism.
Other students work even more closely with professors. Their collaborative projects use philosophical
theories and models to illuminate a fascinating variety of human endeavors. Hamilton students have
been awarded Emerson Grants to collaborate with faculty members during the summer on topics
ranging from forgery in the arts to Nietzsche's influence on the Harlem Renaissance.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program in philosophy has two parts: In the fall semester, majors take a Senior Seminar
that frames and completes the undergraduate study of philosophy. Here students develop their
research interests through intensive reading and discussion. They then compose a major research
paper, first submitting drafts for peer review, then completing the paper and defending it orally to a
panel of fellow students and faculty members. Some students also choose to develop a thesis proposal,
which may expand on their work or take a new direction. A student may enroll in the spring semester
Senior Thesis project only if the formal thesis proposal submitted in the fall is approved by the
department.
Resources
The Truax Lecture Series in Philosophy brings to campus nationally distinguished philosophers to
lecture and visit classes. Recently, Richard Rorty, perhaps the most important and iconoclastic
American philosopher of the era, met with senior seminar students and faculty members. His public
lecture was on "Moral Absolutism and the Torture of Terrorist Suspects." Other noted Truax visitors
have included Simon Blackburn and Ronald Dworkin.
Through the Truax Chair in Philosophy, the department brings other accomplished philosophers to
campus to teach a full course and give a series of public lectures. Truax Professors have included
Hubert Dreyfus, who taught the interdisciplinary course From gods to God and Back, and Lucius
Outlaw, who taught a course on African-American philosophy.
The Alan McCullough Jr. Distinguished Visiting Professorship also brings renowned philosophers to
campus. This year's visiting professor, David McCabe, taught courses on moral and ethical
dimensions of the political. In 2009-10, we will welcome Robert Holmes, who will teach The
Philosophy and Morality of War. Among his many credentials, Dr. Holmes is a former fellow at the
Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois and the National Humanities Institute, Yale University;
senior Fulbright lecturer at Moscow State University; and the Rajiv Gandhi Professor of Peace and
Disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.
One of the department's richest resources is the community of philosophy scholars, both students and
professors, nurtured by Hamilton. The Department of Philosophy, affectionately known as
"Philoworld," is housed in its own building at 210 College Hill Road. Intellectual life there revolves
around the department's seminar room, where students gather for courses — limited to enrollments of
12 — as well as informal study and discussion.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Philosophy are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
d
64
Hamilton College
Senior Photo Editor, Major League Baseball Advanced Media
Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University
Judge, New Jersey Superior Court
Vice President, Dun & Bradstreet
Principal Engineer, GE Healthcare
Assistant Attorney General, State of Connecticut
Director, U.S. Department of Transportation
President, Keep America Beautiful
Partner, Deloitte & Touche, LLP
History Teacher, Manlius Pebble Hill School
Senior Policy Analyst, National Education Association
Attorney, United States Court of Appeals
Physics
Overview
Beyond the dazzling concepts and mind bending equations, physics is simply a quest — an attempt to
understand how the universe works. Physicists seek out the basic rules that govern all the natural
complexity around us, from why water runs downhill to what makes stars shine. The study of physics
and the related field of engineering has produced many of our most crucial scientific, technological
and medical milestones: electricity and magnetism, the creation of metals, the existence and behavior
of particles and waves, hydraulics, aerodynamics, space exploration, nuclear science, superconductors
— the list is endless. But physics at Hamilton is not only about breakthroughs and not only for
specialists. A knowledge and appreciation of the physical world sparks the imagination and makes us
more fully human. And a fundamental grasp of physics allows us to live with confidence and insight in
a technological society.
The close student-faculty collaboration that is at the heart of Hamilton's
physics program means that every major completes at least one
substantial research project before graduation – with opportunities for
many more. Student projects often lead to papers that are presented at
professional conferences and/or published in scholarly journals. Recent
student-faculty collaborations have been published in Physical Review,
New Journal of Physics and Classical and Quantum Gravity.
Hamilton regularly offers research options in such fields as theoretical
quantum gravity, general relativity, nuclear physics, laser spectroscopy, nonlinear dynamics and
astronomy. Faculty members maintain active research programs in such fields as materials science,
d
65
Hamilton College
laser spectroscopy, atomic physics, theoretical physics and computational chemical physics. In
addition, students may arrange independent study projects based on topics of interest not offered in
the regular curriculum.
The Senior Program
All senior physics students work collaboratively with faculty members on research projects as part of
the Senior Program. This intensive one-semester project combines original scientific research with
reading and understanding the scientific literature. It culminates in a senior thesis that is defended in
a series of oral presentations. The Senior Program reflects Hamilton's commitment to a strong
grounding in writing and public speaking.
RESOURCES
State-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and small classes at the Science Center mean that
graduate students at many schools. The Science Center is fully wireless and houses more than 100
teaching and research laboratories as well as offices and classrooms, student areas and a coffee shop.
Instrumentation includes a laser lab, a solar classroom, high-resolution optical spectroscopy, a 500
MHz variable-temperature multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, nuclear counting
equipment and an advanced computer lab.
Hamilton also is home to the solar-heated C.H.F. Peters Astronomical Observatory, which houses an 11
¼ " Maksutov telescope and several smaller telescopes. The observatory has been recently upgraded
and features computer control of the telescope mount and CCD readout for collecting images.
Hamilton's Quantitative Literacy Center offers tutoring in courses that include a
mathematics/quantitative component. Students may drop in to review topics as needed or to use
computers or the video library. The center also offers a review for the mathematics section of the
Graduate Record Exam and workshops to accompany specific courses. Tutors at the center are top
students who have been recommended by faculty members and trained to assist other students.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Physics are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Solar Engineer, Southern Energy Management
Computer Scientist, New York University Medical Center
Director, National Observatory of Athens
Director, Global Financial Systems, Foster Wheeler Corp.
Mettler Professor of Engineering/Applied Science, California Institute of Technology
Optical Physicist, NASA
President, Logicat, Inc.
Professor of Medicine, University of California/Los Angeles
d
66
Hamilton College
Systems Architect, NASD
Teacher, Edgemont High School
Vice President of Sales & Marketing Systems, Standard & Poor's
Psychology
Overview
Psychology is the scientific study of the human condition. If the human brain is the most complex and
fascinating organ on the planet, the human mind is even more remarkable. It makes us unique as a
species, but it also links us to the animal world. It is capable of staggering creativity, yet it behaves in
predictable ways. Students who pursue psychology at Hamilton College build a body of knowledge
about the forces and influences great and small that shape mind, brain and behavior. In addition,
through laboratory work and field studies they learn the scientific method, perhaps the most important
means we have of acquiring knowledge.
Research is a constant in the life of a psychology major, but it can come in many forms: regular
coursework, independent study, the senior project, the Senior Fellowship Program or collaborative
summer research with a faculty member. Students and faculty members often co-author papers that
are presented at national conferences and published in leading scholarly journals. Such opportunities
are available only to graduate students at many other colleges and universities.
Majors interested in applied psychology or the education of students with special needs can spend a
semester at the Boston-area New England Center for Children. Here students have the opportunity to
work with children with autism under expert supervision. The facility also offers courses in applied
behavior analysis. Majors who primary interest is in clinical psychology can choose practical or field
placements at local mental health facilities such as the Utica-Marcy Psychiatric Center.
The Senior Program
Each psychology major completes a research project that culminates in a
written thesis and an oral presentation. Working closely with a faculty advisor,
the student uses the senior project to synthesize and focus previous
coursework. Each project is an original work of scholarship that provides an
in-depth examination of a particular empirical or theoretical issue.
Resources
The Department of Psychology provides a sophisticated array of equipment for teaching and research
purposes. Facilities include computerized laboratories for cognitive psychology, statistical analysis and
animal learning studies; a studio for videotaping small-group interactions; and lab apparatus for
neuroanatomical research, intracellular and extracellular single-neuron recording, voltage and patch
clamping, eye-movement tracking, evoked-potential recording and tactile psychophysics.
d
67
Hamilton College
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in Psychology are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Director of Online Marketing, Ernst & Young LLP
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service
Pediatric HIV/AIDS Physician, National Institutes of Health
Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
School Psychologist, Cambridge Public Schools
Neuroscientist, Massachusetts General Hospital
Director, Animal Sheltering Issues, The Humane Society of the U.S.
Senior Financial Analyst, IBM Corp.
Producer, Disney and ESPN Media Networks
Behavior Analyst, The New England Center for Children
Chief Architect, Port Authority of NY & NJ
Pediatric Dentist, Salem Pediatric Dental & Orthodontic Association
Public Policy
The goal of Hamilton's Public Policy Program is to prepare students
to examine, shape and participate in civic life in all its dimensions.
Overview
While majors in Government at Hamilton focus on the process of
decision-making, public policy majors focus on the outcomes, from
massive programs such as Medicare and Social Security to the
details of social services and education policy. Public policy at Hamilton is an interdisciplinary
concentration. It draws on the tools and insights of political science, economics and philosophy to
evaluate governmental decisions and design more effective programs. This practical approach to
real-world problems makes the study of public policy a hands-on major where students can make a
real difference in the lives of people and communities.
The Hamilton Term in Washington Program offers a combination of rigorous academic study and
real-world experience in national government to the 16 juniors and seniors who participate each fall.
Students do research and attend seminars led by a resident member of Hamilton’s Government
Department while working full time in a Washington, D.C., office. In recent years, students have
worked in the White House Communications Office, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the State
Department and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
d
68
Hamilton College
The College's Program in New York City gives students an understanding of global politics, economics
and culture while living in Manhattan and studying under a Hamilton faculty member. An internship is
a key part of the program, and many students turn their internships into extended research projects.
Some are selected to present the results of their research as Hamilton's designated Levitt Fellows.
The Senior Program
Public policy majors have three options for the senior project. They may take a one-semester seminar
in the Government Department; they may research and write a thesis on a public policy topic, using
traditional sources; or they may write a "public contract" thesis, in which they evaluate a policy or
issue chosen by a state or local government in the Hamilton area. In recent years, students' public
contract projects have helped shape policy for New York State's Division of Youth, Department of
Education, Office for the Aging, Division of Management and Budget, and Department of
Transportation. More locally, students have worked with Oneida County's Department of Social
Services, Department of Mental Health and EDGE program, as well as the towns of New Hartford and
Paris and the village of Clinton's Chamber of Commerce.
Resources
Hamilton's Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center is one of the College's most active and important
resources. Students engage in the civic life of the region through the center's Community Outreach
Office, service learning projects, and numerous field trips and conferences. Students and faculty
members collaborate on community-based research directed by the Levitt Center, while the Levitt
Scholars Program sends Hamilton students to high schools to speak on a variety of civic topics. And
the center's Think Tank, a student-led discussion group, provides an informal forum for students and
faculty members to discuss current issues.
The Government Department's Linowitz Professorship in International Affairs — named for the late Sol
Linowitz, a Hamilton alumnus, presidential advisor and ambassador — brings a series of eminent
diplomats to Hamilton as visiting professors. Recent Linowitz Professors include Edward S. "Ned"
Walker Jr., former ambassador to Israel, former assistant secretary of state and a Hamilton alumnus;
Brandon H. Grove, former ambassador to Zaire and 35-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service; and
Bernard Kalb, former assistant secretary of state and a veteran diplomatic journalist for The New York
Times, CNN, NBC and CBS.
The Levitt Center Lecture Series also brings well-known civic servants and public-affairs scholars to
Hamilton each semester. Recent visitors include Alice Rivlin, founding director of the Congressional
Budget Office and former vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board; Nobel Prize recipient in economics
Joseph E. Stiglitz; Lawrence J. Korb, former assistant secretary of defense; Catholic and feminist
scholar Elizabeth Fox-Genovese; former Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt; and former
presidential advisor, author and conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Public Policy are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Director, Google
d
69
Hamilton College
Volunteer, U.S. Peace Corps
Editor in Chief, Texas Monthly
Senior Policy Analyst, Virginia Department of Transportation
Writer, Money Magazine
Director of Global Warming, Sierra Club
Chief Financial Officer, NBC Universal Cable
Director of Football Administration, Cleveland Browns
Policy Advisor, City of Seattle
Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.
President, CEO, Consumer Health Foundation
Tax Law Editor/Attorney, Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
Religious Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Religious Studies Department is to provide students with
an understanding of religion not simply as social institution or dogma, but as a
powerful facet of human experience and culture.
Overview
The program in Religious Studies emphasizes personal and social identity; text
and narrative; historical encounters among traditions; and, existential /
theological dimensions of cultures. Our courses are distributed over a large
selection of religious traditions including: Buddhist, Hindu, Chinese, Christian, Jewish, and Native
American traditions. We represent and encourage deep interdisciplinary engagement: majors learn to
employ a variety of methods and engage material shared by fields such as philosophy, anthropology,
sociology, psychology, history, literary analysis, oral cultures, art history, women’s studies, archeology,
cinema and new media studies, and other facets of material culture.
The interdisciplinary nature of religious studies creates a wide array of potential research options for
students, from archaeological field work to computer-assisted inquiries to historical study. Conducting
research with the collaboration or guidance of a faculty member is a critical part of the curriculum as
students make connections across disciplines and integrate classroom learning.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program represents a culminating intellectual experience for seniors in the religious studies
program. Its centerpiece in the senior project, in which each major plans, writes and presents a
self-directed, interdisciplinary course of study that balances critical skills and creativity. The senior
project is carried out under the close supervision of at least one faculty member.
d
70
Hamilton College
RESOURCES
The continuing presence and importance of Native American culture of the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee
peoples in the Upstate New York region surrounding Hamilton College has inspired many student
projects.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Religious Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Jewish Chaplain, Bard College
Consultant, Children's Defense Fund
Pastor, Springfield Presbyterian Church
Clinical Associate Professor of Law, Northwestern University
Vice President of Operations, Valora Technologies, Inc.
Software Chief Engineer, GE Inspection Technologies
Supervisor of Data Processing, NYS Office of Mental Health
Family Nurse Practitioner, Hudson River Community Health
Air Traffic Controller, Federal Aviation Authority
Business Development Manager, Forrester Research, Inc.
Russian Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Russian Studies Program is to encourage
students to investigate the rapidly changing political and economic
scene in Russia and evaluate what those monumental changes
mean for the rest of the world.
Overview
"A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" is how Winston
Churchill described Russia in a still-famous phrase from 1939. A half-century of Cold War between the
United States and the Soviet Union did little to soften that characterization in the West. But in recent
years, Russia has begun to reveal itself, and Hamilton's Russian studies program is dedicated to fully
unraveling the Russian mystery.
Students in Russian studies are strongly encouraged to study in Russia or one of the other republics of
the former U.S.S.R. in a one- or two-semester program. Programs are arranged on an individual basis
by the department. In recent years, Hamilton has placed students in Moscow State University, St.
Petersburg-Herzen Pedagogical Institute, Irkutsk University in Siberia, Novgorod Pedagogical Institute
and Vladivostok State University in the Far East.
d
71
Hamilton College
The Senior Program
The Senior Program at Hamilton is a culminating intellectual experience in which students draw on and
integrate the knowledge, research and language skills gained in the first three years. At the center of
the Senior Program is the senior project, which in Russian studies usually takes the form of an
extended research thesis or translation using Russian-language sources and carried out under the
close supervision of at least one faculty member.
Resources
Faculty members regularly organize study tours to Russian that include visits to such highlights as the
Kremlin, the Hermitage and the Catherine Palace. Students are encouraged to interact with the
Russian-speaking community in Central New York, home to hundreds of recent émigrés from Belarus
and the Ukraine. Also locally, frequent field trips are offered to the Holy Trinity Monastery in nearby
Jordanville, N.Y., headquarters of the international Russian Orthodox Church. On campus, the Russian
Club is one of Hamilton's most active student organizations and is famous for its annual Russian
feasts.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Russian Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Analyst, Babson Capital Management LLC
Bilingual Teacher, San Diego City Schools
Director of Marketing and Communications, World Union for Progressive Judaism
Director of Online Engineering, Oxford University Press
Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Sports Street Marketing
Sociology
The goal of Hamilton’s Sociology Department is to introduce students to
classic and contemporary theoretical approaches in sociology as they pursue
data collection and analysis methods with opportunities to apply theory to
explain empirical phenomena.
Overview
Human beings are social creatures, shaped and in some ways defined by
their interactions. Sociology is the study of that process. It explores patterns
of social life and examines the ways in which social structures and cultures
influence our personalities, families, attitudes, behavior, work, leisure — our very identities. Sociology
at Hamilton is a rigorous but creative program in which accomplished professors and engaged
students work closely together on a broad range of topics. In sociology, you can study politics,
economics, religion, sex, race, power, ethics, history, mathematics and just about anything else
involving human beings.
d
72
Hamilton College
Doing sociology means developing, evaluating and understanding research, so every course involves
hands-on research possibilities for students, carried out in small classes with the close assistance and
supervision of faculty members. Many courses involve field trips; others provide training in
computer-based research techniques. In addition, students have independent-study options in which
they can develop their own research methods.
The sociology program is designed to promote ambitious, independent scholarship. The curriculum is
not a strict hierarchy of courses, but a spectrum of opportunities in which good students are
encouraged to advance as quickly as they can. Our goal is intellectual challenge — for every student,
at every level.
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is an integrating, culminating academic experience for all sociology majors.
Drawing on the methodology, research and thinking skills that they have developed during the first
three years of study, seniors work closely with at least one faculty member to plan and complete the
senior thesis. Work on the thesis includes an oral presentation in a public forum, where the audience
includes visiting faculty members from other colleges and universities as well as faculty and students
from the Hamilton program.
Resources
Each year the Sociology Department hosts several visiting speakers who are widely noted for their
scholarship and insight. Recent speakers have included G. William Domhoff, author of Who Rules
America: Power, Politics, and Social Change; Diane Vaughan, who studies the behavior of
organizations; Randall Collins, whose wide scholarly interests include the sociology of conflict as well
as economics and philosophy; Nancy Denton, who writes and teaches about race, urban
neighborhoods and demography; and Jodi O'Brien, who explores meaning and identity in such works
as The Production of Reality and Everyday Inequalities. Hamilton students have the opportunity to talk
with these distinguished guests in a variety of settings.
In addition, the department's collaborative public opinion polls with Zogby International give students
the opportunity to work with a distinguished national polling organization on issues of wide importance
and media interest.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Sociology are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Associate Photo Editor, Martha Stewart Living/Weddings
Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Albuquerque, N.M.
Deputy Director of Development, U.S. Fund for Unicef
Director of Finance, Health Volunteers Overseas
d
73
Hamilton College
Social Worker, Jewish Child Care Association
School Psychologist, Cresskill Board of Education
Social Worker/Child & Family Therapist, Child Guidance Center of S. Connecticut
Senior Financial Analyst, Merck & Co., Inc.
Teacher/Magnet Team Specialist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School
Vice President, Media Solutions, Expedia
Theatre
The goal of Hamilton’s Theatre Department is to teach students to think and
express themselves creatively while at the same time learning discipline, time
management, and solid group-building and leadership skills.
Overview
The program in theatre is at the heart of the liberal arts experience at Hamilton.
It focuses not only on the process of creating performance art, but on the
growth of the performer as well. Students in theatre develop the tools with which to approach other
disciplines with creativity and rigor. The demands and rewards of artistic performance encourage
personal responsibility and empowerment, and they build a sense of community both within the
creative ensemble and between performer and audience. Through classes, workshops, projects and
productions, students are helped to find and develop their own identities.
At Hamilton, students of theatre and dance have diverse performance, directing, choreography and
design opportunities. Auditions for main stage theatre productions are open to all students. Each year,
faculty members and students produce two or three plays directed by faculty members, two dance
concerts choreographed by faculty members, and as many as 10 productions directed, choreographed,
designed, performed and produced by students. Students and faculty also participate in the national
American College Dance Festival.
The College and the department sponsor two visiting artists series — Classical Connections and
Contemporary Voices and Visions — that bring renowned performers to campus. In addition to seeing
the work of these guests, students participate in workshops, seminars and classes with the artists.
Recent visiting artists and master teachers have included Pilobolus, Dance Brazil, Feld Ballets/NY, the
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Anne Bogart, the Saratoga International Theatre Institute,
Fred Curchak, Meredith Monk, Bread and Puppet Theater, the Joe Goode Performance Group and
Sweet Honey in the Rock.
Student theatre majors have taught and performed at local schools and art centers as well as with
summer theatres. Students interested in arts administration gain experience in the department box
office and as house managers. Many theatre majors secure internships with summer theatres after
their junior year. Theatre and dance students also participate in many outstanding programs abroad
and have studied in such places as Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bali, Germany, London and Paris.
d
74
Hamilton College
The Senior Program
The Senior Program is the culmination of one’s Hamilton experience in a focused project, carried out
under the close supervision of a faculty member. It draws together coursework and creativity, theory
and practice. Students in theatre and dance have a variety of options in writing, performance,
directing, choreography and design as they pursue the senior project that concludes the Senior
Program. Each theatre student produces a senior project in which he or she not only directs and,
where appropriate, acts in or writes a one-act play, but produces a major scholarly paper based on this
experience.
Resources
Hamilton offers a variety of classroom and performance facilities: Wellin Hall, Minor Theater, List
Dance Studio and Beinecke Events Barn. In addition, the theatre and dance programs provide a range
of specialized staging and design equipment as well as stock and computerized lighting systems in
various production shops.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Theatre are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Owner, Zephyr Gallery
General Manager, Actors Theatre of Phoenix
Prenatal Massage Therapist, Hyde Park Therapeutic Massage
Manager, Duxbury Performing Arts Center
Producer, NBC TV
Stage Electrician/Board Operator, South Coast Repertory Theatre
Teacher/Theatre & English, NYC Board of Education
Vice President, Wakka Wakka Productions, Inc.
Women's Studies
The goal of Hamilton's Women's Studies Program is to encourage students to connect ideas,
knowledge and modes of thought across traditional academic disciplinary boundaries as they analyze
the interconnections of gender to social categories such as ability, age, class, ethnicity, nation, race
and sexual orientation.
Overview
Women's Studies at Hamilton is certainly not for women only. It is not even exclusively about women.
Instead, women's studies provides a powerful perspective on culture and history by placing women at
the center of its analysis. Who are we as individuals and as members of a society? Who shapes those
identities, and how? How do gender, power, race and class affect the interactions of women and men?
These are issues that every thoughtful person must address. Women's studies at Hamilton gives
students the tools to address them with intellectual rigor in an inclusive, supportive environment.
d
75
Hamilton College
Women's studies combines theory and practice in creative, productive ways, so research is always
central to the process of learning and applying knowledge. It may take the form of traditional
scholarship, or it may involve less conventional forms of study and participation, but women's studies
students at Hamilton are engaged students. They attend small classes and forge strong relationships
with their teachers. They collaborate with one another and with faculty members on projects. And
they use their growing command of written and spoken argument to take their place in a vibrant
intellectual community.
The interdisciplinary nature of women's studies also lends itself to creative combinations of academic
interests. Women's studies courses often lead students to re-examine and re-evaluate the theories,
assumptions and methods of traditional disciplines. Students can then create their own
interdisciplinary major by combining courses in women’s studies with courses in another discipline,
culminating in an interdisciplinary senior thesis.
One recent interdisciplinary major combined courses in women's studies, Spanish and creative writing,
then wrote a senior thesis in the form of a novella composed in Spanish and English about the lives of
Puerto Rican women. Other students choose to complete a double major by meeting the requirements
of two distinct majors. Women's studies might be paired, for example, with government or physics or
English, with students taking courses in one discipline that complement the other.
The Senior Program
Seniors in women's studies pursue a one-semester senior project that can take the form of either a
written thesis or some form of performance. Students work independently on the senior project, but
they are supervised by one or more faculty members. The senior project represents a culmination of
each student’s undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, discussion and personal
reflection into a focused statement of intellectual growth and insight.
Resources
The Elihu Root Peace Fund Visiting Professor of Women's Studies is an endowed professorship that
brings a noted teacher and scholar to campus each year to join the women’s studies program. Recent
visiting professors include Minnie Bruce Pratt, Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Gita Rajan.
The larger Hamilton community provides many resources valuable to the women's studies program.
The Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center provides students with opportunities for civic engagement
through a Community Outreach Office, service learning projects, and faculty-student collaboration in
community based research. Burke Library
provides a growing range of books, journals
and video related to women’s studies; the
library also houses Hamilton's Multimedia
Presentation Center, a state-of-the-art media
and computer facility that all students may
use to develop presentations, performances
and other projects.
d
76
Hamilton College
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Women's Studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields,
including:
Art Teacher, Renbrook School
Campaign Manager, The Advertising Council
Development Manager, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Physician, Butler Hospital
Prevention Case Manager, House of the Good Shepherd
Principal, Mare Island Elementary School
Program Officer, Ms. Foundation for Women
Teacher, World Language, New Haven Public Schools
Ranking
In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked Hamilton the 16th best national liberal arts college in the
United States. Hamilton is ranked as a "more selective" school by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching and as a "most selective" school by US News.
In April 2011, Hamilton was listed as the 2nd best college in America for writers (after Emory
University and before Johns Hopkins, MIT and NYU) by USA Today/CollegeDegree.com.
For 2010–2011, Kiplinger ranked Hamilton 9th in terms of "Best Value among Liberal Arts Colleges in
the US," which took into account academic quality, cost and financial aid measures. Hamilton is ranked
6th in a similar measure by U.S. News & World Report.
Princeton Review's 2011 "Best 373 Colleges" Guide (based on student surveys) gave Hamilton high
ratings of 97 and 97 (out of 100) for academics and selectivity, respectively. It was among the few
colleges listed that provided the "best classroom experience." The Review, along with USA Today, also
lists Hamilton as one of 2009's Top 50 Private Colleges for Best Value.
Hamilton is highlighted in two books; it appears in The Hidden Ivies: 50 Top Colleges from Amherst to
Williams That Rival the Ivy League and Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence.
In 2012, Hamilton was ranked as the 10th Best Value College in the Nation by the Princeton Review
Student Life
The current Hamilton College campus consists of the combined Hamilton and Kirkland college
campuses. It has three large wooded areas, known as the Root glen, Rogers glen, and the Kirkland
glen.
In the mid-1990s, the administration required all underclassmen to live in college housing rather than
d
77
Hamilton College
in fraternity or sorority houses. It created new social spaces for student use, improved funding for
on-campus events, and pursued several other social life changes. (Its policy resulted in the closure of
all fraternity houses and the Emerson Literary Society's house.) The new policy was controversial,
especially the administration's decision to prohibit the fraternities from using their houses. As a result,
the majority of fraternities concluded they had no choice but to sell their houses to the college, though
some fraternities refused to sell their houses until well into the next decade. As the college purchased
the houses, it has carried out extensive renovations. The college has revoked or suspended the
charters of a few fraternities for extreme behavior, because of their causing additional controversy
among the students and alumni.
Housing
Nearly all students live in college-owned dorms. The residence halls have a variety of styles, including
former fraternity houses, suites, apartment style housing, and more traditional dormitory-style
housing. Hamilton offers a cooperative living option to students, as well as substance-free and quiet
housing. All residence halls are co-ed; some have single-sex floors. In October 2010, the College
adopted a gender-neutral housing policy, wherein students of either sex may room together in rooms
designated for two or more students.
Societies
Eleven fraternities, seven sororities, and one co-ed society are active on the Hamilton College campus.
Greek organizations maintain a significant (but not overwhelming) social presence, despite being
non-residential since 1995. These fraternities include two of the "Union Triad": Delta Phi and Sigma Phi.
They consist of Alpha Delta Phi (founded at Hamilton College), Chi Psi, Delta Chi, Delta Kappa Epsilon,
Delta Phi, Delta Upsilon, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Psi Upsilon, Sigma Phi, Tau Kappa Epsilon and
Theta Delta Chi.
The sororities are Alpha Chi Lambda, Alpha Theta Chi, Gamma Xi, Kappa Delta Omega, Kappa Sigma
Alpha, Sigma Lambda Upsilon, and Phi Beta Chi.
While all of the fraternities on campus are affiliated with national organizations, only one sorority
(Omega Phi Beta) has a national affiliation. The other six sororities are unique to Hamilton. Lambda
Chi Alpha existed at Hamilton until 1958.
Generally, events sponsored by Greek-organizations occur on campus and are open to all students.
Hamilton also has a co-ed, non-Greek social society: the Emerson Literary Society.
Campus Media
WHCL-FM - During the academic year, Hamilton students, faculty, and community members produce a
variety of music, news, sports, and talk radio programs at FM frequency 88.7. The station is available
through most of the Mohawk Valley region and online at whcl.org. It is the only radio station in Clinton.
The Spectator, Hamilton College's primary news publication, is published weekly. It is distributed in the
d
78
Hamilton College
campus dining halls, mail center, and library. The Spectator covers campus, local, and national news as
well as Hamilton sports and campus life. The paper can be found online at
http://students.hamilton.edu/spectator.
The Daily Bull is a daily bulletin that caters to campus counterculture. It is noted for being printed on
yellow legal size paper, and is distributed on dining hall tables every morning.
The Wag is Hamilton's semi-annual satire magazine, published near the end of every semester. It
features written and graphical satire of campus news and life. The Wag has also produced short
feature films about the "Hamilton experience" in the past.
The Duel Observer is a weekly humor and satire publication. Founded by Tom Keane '03 and David
Schwartz '02, it has adopted the format of a parody newspaper (e.g. The Onion). The name refers to
the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton which resulted in Hamilton's death.
HamPoll is Hamilton's polling organization, which regularly surveys students and faculty on various
campus and academic issues. Recent surveys have asked about relationship dynamics, evaluations of
academic departments, recycling habits, as well as political and social affiliations.
The Continental is a student-run magazine published a few times a semester; it features fashion
advice, party photos, and articles on a variety of subjects.
Red Weather is the college literary magazine, dedicated to promoting the literary arts on campus by
printing a variety of student-authored poetry and fiction; it is published twice a year.
The Green Apple is named for one of the symbols of Kirkland College; it features short stories, poetry,
and op-eds, and is printed on green legal-sized paper.
Traditions
Class and Charter Day: On the last day of spring term classes, all
afternoon classes are canceled for a campus wide picnic and party.
Additionally, a ceremony is held during which students, faculty, and
other members of the Hamilton community are recognized for their
academic, leadership, and community-development accomplishments.
During the ceremony, chosen students are also inducted into
Hamilton's three prestigious honor societies: Doers and Thinkers (13
rising sophomores), Was Los (6 rising juniors), and Pentagon (5 rising
seniors). Class and Charter Day is also the biggest party day of the
year at Hamilton. The popular "G-Road" party which took place on
Hamilton College Classroom
this day became so infamous for underage drinking and
over-indulgence that the college chose to ban the party for Class and Charter Day '09.
Citrus Bowl: The Citrus Bowl is the first men's home hockey game of the season. Traditionally the
game was called the Orange Bowl, and upon the first Hamilton-scored goal, oranges that students had
smuggled into the rink were thrown onto the ice at the visiting goalie. This often resulted in a
delay-of-game penalty against Hamilton while the ice was cleaned. In recent years, the orange
d
79
Hamilton College
throwing has been banned by the College administration and by NESCAC officials, but the event is still
well attended. Orange T-shirts commemorating the event have been distributed in recent years.
FebFest: Rooted in the long-standing tradition of the winter carnival at Hamilton, FebFest is a relatively
recent revival. A week-long combination of performances, parties, free food, fireworks, and various
other events, FebFest intends to keep student morale high during the winter. Over the years, bands
ranging from the Steve Miller Band to Ghostface Killah have performed as a part of festivities.
May Day Music Festival: Started in 2004, May Day is an outdoor music festival sponsored by several
on-campus organizations, including the Hamilton College Independent Music Fund, WHCL, and the
Hamilton College Campus Activities Board. Past performers have included: Citizen Cope, The New
Pornographers, The Pharcyde, Dead Meadow, Tim Reynolds, Chromeo, Jennifer Gentle, Rainer Maria,
Ted Leo, The Unicorns, J-Live, Catch-22, Sleater-Kinney, Stroke 9, and Eve 6. The name refers to the
fact that the festival is staged in early May or late April.
HamTrek: Started in 2004, HamTrek is an annual sprint-triathlon consisting of a 525-yard swim, 9-mile
bike ride, and 3.1-mile run. Participants can compete individually, in unisex teams of 3, or co-ed teams
of 3. Prizes are awarded to the winners of the different competing groups. Also, many athletic coaches
now require their teams to compete. HamTrek takes place on Class and Charter Day.
Athletics
Hamilton is a NCAA Division III school and has been a member of the New England Small College
Athletic Conference since 1971. The college sports teams are known as the Hamilton Continentals.
Hamilton sponsors 28 sports, including: Baseball (M), Basketball (M&W), Crew (M&W), Cross Country
(M&W), Field Hockey (W), Football (M), Golf (M), Ice Hockey (M&W), Lacrosse (M&W), Outdoor and
Indoor Track & Field (M&W), Soccer (M&W), Softball (W), Squash (M&W), Swimming & Diving (M&W),
Tennis (M&W), Volleyball (W).
Before the 1993-94 academic year, Hamilton's sports teams could not participate in any national
postseason tournaments. The rule was changed that year, allowing Hamilton to participate in Division
III tournaments in various sports. On May 18, 2008, Hamilton won its first NCAA championship, when
its women's lacrosse team defeated Franklin & Marshall 13-6 in the finals of the NCAA tournament.
About 30% of Hamilton's student body participate in its athletic programs. In addition to varsity sports,
Hamilton sponsors several club sports and intramural activities each year. Club sports include alpine
skiing, curling, equestrianism, figure skating, men's rugby, women's rugby, tae kwon do, ultimate
frisbee, and women's golf. In 2008 the men's rugby team placed fourth in the national Division III
tournament. Hamilton has had a streaking team since 2002.
Hamilton's mascot is a Continental, a soldier in America's Continental Army of the Revolutionary War.
The college's colors are buff and blue, the colors of the Continental Army's uniforms. The college's
eponym, Alexander Hamilton, played a central role in the Continental Army as General George
Washington's Chief of Staff. At many sporting events, Hamilton is represented by the Al-Ham (an
abbreviation of Alexander Hamilton) pig. The pig, large, anthropomorphic, and dressed in a Hamilton
basketball jersey and a Continental soldier's tricorn hat, was introduced in the early 2000s in an
d
80
Hamilton College
attempt to boost school spirit and interest in Hamilton's athletics program.
Rocking Chair Classic: Since 1980, the annual football game between Hamilton and Middlebury College
has been designated the Rocking Chair Classic. The winning team keeps the Mac-Jack Rocking Chair
for the following year. The rivalry has been dominated by Middlebury, which has won the last 14
matches.
Demographics
Hamilton typically enrolls about 1812 students. Fifty percent are male, and fifty percent are female.
The middle 50% of SAT scores for students at Hamilton is 1350 to 1500. About 60% of students come
from public schools, and 40% from private schools; from 49 U.S. states and 45 countries. Of the
applicants who applied to the Class of 2014, 29% were accepted. A recent year reported that 5% of
Hamilton students were described as international, 5% as African-American, 1% as Native American,
8% as Asian/Pacific Islander, 4% Hispanic, 70% White, and 8% as unknown ethnicity.
Controversies
In 2002, then-President Eugene Tobin resigned after admitting
that he had failed to give proper attribution to quoted material
in speeches.
Hamilton College Overlooking
In 2005, efforts to bring the scholar Ward Churchill to speak on
campus were controversial, as he had aroused considerable
hostility due to his remarks following the 9/11 attacks in which
he compared the victims to Nazis. His appearance was cancelled
due to protests.
The college's decision in 2004 to hire Sue Rosenberg, a former political radical and ex-convict who had
served 16 years in Federal prison for possession of explosives and weapons, was criticized. She was
implicated, but not indicted, in the 1981 Brinks robbery during which two policemen and an armed
Brinks guard were killed.
Professor Robert Paquette complained when an independent student group brought Annie Sprinkle an
actress and former porn-star, as a speaker. Paquette later led an attempt to create the Alexander
Hamilton Center on campus, but it was unsuccessful.
College songs
Carissima
We Never Will Forget Thee
The fight song of Hamilton College, often performed by the Hamilton College Buffers, an all-male
student a cappella group. The Hamilton College Football team also sings a 'modified version of this
song upon winning a football game.
d
81
Hamilton College
Admissions
Hamilton’s Admission Committee seeks candidates with intellectual curiosity, academic promise and a
diverse range of interests and backgrounds. Each application is carefully reviewed and evaluated on
the basis of its merits and in the context of the strengths of the applicant pool. Our ultimate goal is to
admit the most able and promising mix of students who will contribute to the Hamilton community in
meaningful ways. Although the primary criteria for admission are academic achievement and
intellectual potential, Hamilton also values leadership and commitment to extracurricular and
community activities. In shaping the class, the admission staff seeks students representing diverse
geographic, economic and ethnic backgrounds whose perspectives will enrich our learning community.
Lastly, Hamilton seeks to admit students who are a good fit with the program and experience the
College offers.
Visiting Campus
You can learn a great deal about Hamilton by reading our publications, but there is no substitute for
the campus visit. We invite you to visit Hamilton to meet our outstanding students and faculty and see
our amazing facilities.
Office Hours
During the 2012-13 academic year (August 27, 2012 - May 27, 2013), our office is open Monday
through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We are also open most Saturdays in the fall and spring.
During the summer (May 24, 2013 - August 23, 2013), the Office of Admission is open Monday
through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We're also open each Saturday in July and August.
Tours and Information Sessions
2012-2013 Academic Year
(August 27, 2012 - May 24, 2013)
Tours: Monday through Friday at 11, 1, and 3
Information Sessions: Monday through Friday at 12:15 (March 12-November 30)
Summer 2013
(May 28, 2013 - August 23, 2013)
Tours: Monday through Friday at 10, 11, 1, and 3
Information Sessions: Monday through Friday at 12:15
You do not need to preregister for campus tours or Information Sessions.
Interviews
People don't join the Hamilton community for just four years; they belong for a lifetime. For many
d
82
Hamilton College
students, membership in that enduring community begins with the personal interview. Furthermore,
because the admission committee works hard to ensure "fit" with Hamilton when determining
admission decisions, personal interviews are strongly encouraged. An interview will not only provide
us with a strong sense of your personal strengths and interests that may not be obvious in an
application, it will also give you a chance to ask questions and learn more about Hamilton in a personal
setting.
Personal interviews are conducted by admission officers or Hamilton seniors who are carefully selected
and trained for this purpose. On-campus interviews are available as follows:
Weekdays: 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 1:15, 2:15, 3:15.
To schedule an interview, call the Admission Office at 800-843-2655. Because our interviews are fully
booked weeks in advance, you should try to schedule an interview well before your intended visit.
Off-Campus Interviews
If you cannot visit campus for an interview, we would be happy to arrange for an off-campus interview
with an alumni representative during the fall of your senior year.
To ensure that your off-campus interview will be assigned and completed in time to be included with
the review of your application, please keep in mind the following deadlines:
Application Plan:
Request Interview:
Early Decision Round I
September 1 – November 1
Early Decision Round II
September 1 - December 10
Regular Decision
September 1 - December 10 (*Priority Deadline)
*If an off-campus interview request is received after the December 10 priority deadline, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to accommodate the request for the off-campus interview.
Once you submit your off-campus interview request form, a confirmation will be displayed for you to
print for your records. However, due to the volume of requests received in a short amount of time, it
may take us a few weeks to arrange your interview. We appreciate your patience during this time
and assure you that we will follow up as promptly as possible.
If you have any questions about your interview or if you find that your plans have changed since you
submitted a request, please be in touch with us as soon as possible by emailing
[email protected] or calling 1-800-791-9283.
Application Process
The primary criteria for admission are academic achievement and intellectual potential, but Hamilton
also values leadership and commitment to extracurricular and community activities. In forming the
class, the admission staff seeks students representing diverse geographic, economic, and ethnic
backgrounds whose perspectives will enrich the learning community. Lastly, Hamilton seeks to admit
candidates who are a good fit with the programs and experience the College offers.
d
83
Hamilton College
Hamilton's application is the Common Application. Submission of either the Common Application or
Hamilton's required Application Supplement will initiate your application to Hamilton.
Deadline:
Early Decision I: November 15
Early Decision II: January 1
Regular Decision: January 1
International Applicants Checklist
Unique perspectives fuel the discourse that is the foundation of a liberal arts education. At Hamilton,
we value and embrace different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities and voices and welcome students
from more than 45 countries from around the world. Roughly 10% of our financial aid is devoted to
international students who comprise about 5% of our student body.
International Application Deadline: January 1

Common Application

Hamilton Supplement (or submit through the Common Application)

$60 fee with application or fee waiver (College Board guidelines)

Official High School Transcript

Counselor Evaluation Form

Teacher Evaluation Form from teacher in major academic subject

Personal Essay (Common Application Essay)

Standardized Test Scores (on official high school transcript or from testing agency)

TOEFL scores

Mid-year Grade Report (due in February or as soon as possible)

Interview (strongly recommended)
You are invited to submit materials to document your special talent(s), e.g. CDs or DVDs of solo music
performances, theatre, dance or athletic performances, or samples of creative writing or visual
artwork. Unless otherwise indicated, send directly to the Office of Admission. We will return samples if
you include stamped, self-addressed packing materials. Whether or not you send samples, you may
include a special-talent résumé listing training and experience, repertoire or roles performed, writing
or scientific research, athletic involvement and honors received.
d
84
Hamilton College
Class of 2016 (Entered Fall 2012) Profile:

470 students

49% men, 51% women

25% students of color from United States:
9% Asian-American
5% African-American
8% Hispanic/Latino
3% Multiracial

6% non-U.S. citizen

15% first-generation to College

For those (41%) who attended a school that ranked:
81% from top 10%
95% from top 20%

For those who used the SAT to fulfill our testing requirement, the middle 50% SAT range of scores:
SAT Critical Reading: 650-740
SAT Math: 650-740
SAT Writing: 650-740

Mean ACT Score: 31

Geographic representation for the Class of 2016 (Represents 47 states and 38 countries)
Mid-Atlantic: 48%
New England: 25%
Midwest: 5%
South/Southwest: 9%
West: 6%
International: 7%
Applicant Pool for Class of 2016
Application Plan
Applications
Admitted
Enrolled
Early Decision I
412
179 (43%)
174
Early Decision II
229
72 (31%)
66
Regular Decision
4466
1138 (25%)
230
Overall
5107
1389 (27%)
470
d
85
Hamilton College
Rank in Class
Applications
Admitted
Enrolled
Top 10%
1242
518 (42%)
157
Top 20%
366
60 (16%)
27
Top 30%
153
14 (9%)
10
Bottom 70%
196
3 (2%)
0
No Rank
3150
794 (25%)
276
Testing Choice
Applications
Admitted
Enrolled
Overall
5107
1389
470
SAT
2651
938
280
ACT
990
286
105
3 Tests
1466
165
85
Standardized Testing Requirements
Hamilton has been part of the SAT optional movement for undergraduate admission since 2002.
Hamilton gives applicants different ways to meet the Standardized Testing Requirements, including a
choice of SAT I, ACT and combination of three SAT IIs. For the Class of 2014, of those who had high
schools that ranked, 80% of the students were in the top ten percent of their class. Among those who
d
86
Hamilton College
submitted SAT I scores (majority), the average was 1410 for combined reading and math, and 710 for
the writing section.
Our applicants are best served by being provided with a variety of ways to meet our standardized test
requirement. They include:
The SAT Reasoning Test; OR
The American College Testing assessment test (ACT); OR
Three exams of your choice, which must include a quantitative test, a verbal or writing test, and a third
test of student's choice. The following tests satisfy Hamilton's quantitative and verbal/writing
requirements:
Acceptable Quantitative Tests: SAT Math; SAT Subject Tests in Math, Chemistry, or Physics; AP
Computer Science, Chemistry, Economics, Math, or Physics; IB final exam results for Chemistry,
Computing Studies, Economics, Math, Physics, or Physical and Chemical Systems
Acceptable Verbal/Writing Tests: SAT Critical Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Writing; AP English Language
and Composition; IB final exam results for Language (A1, A2, or B English); TOEFL or IELTS (for
International students ONLY)
Note: It is Hamilton's policy to select the testing options that will serve you best.
Contact Information:
Office of Admission
[email protected]
800-843-2655
315-859-4457 (fax)
Notable Faculty and Alumni
Notable Hamilton alumni include US Secretary of State Elihu Root (1864), US Vice President James S.
Sherman (1878), poet Ezra Pound (1905), theatre critic Alexander Woollcott (1909), jurist and
diplomat Philip Jessup (1919), psychologist B. F. Skinner (1926), Nobel Prize Winner Paul Greengard
(1948), civil rights leader Bob Moses (1956), novelist Terry Brooks (1966), playwright Richard Nelson
(1971), US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (1972), composer Jay Reise (1972), Pulitzer-Prize
winning composer Melinda Wagner (1979), novelist Peter Cameron (1982), actor Tony Goldwyn
(1982), author Garret Kramer (1984), novelist Kamila Shamsie, actor and writer for The Office Paul
Lieberstein (1989), actor Grayson McCouch (1991), and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Nat
Faxon (1997).
Notable faculty have included philosophers such as Leo Strauss; writers such as Natalie Babbitt, Alex
Haley, and poet Howard Nemerov; composers such as Jay Reise; and diplomats and politicians such as
Edward S. Walker, Jack F. Matlock, Jr., and Bernie Sanders.
d
87
Hamilton College
Student Reviews
Andrew Freshman
The Split between the dark side and light side is huge here. Except for the mix of kids in classes in
sometimes feels like there are two schools here with the more artsy dark side and more preppy light
side. Since there's no real town here to go to, everything has to happen on campus and most people
stick to their side because they like the people there and also (espescially during the frigid winters)
because they dont want to make the trek across campus.
Laurel Sophomore
I love Hamilton. The best part is the small campus. It's so nice to walk across campus and recognize
many faces. Additionally, a small campus allows professors to get to know students really well and give
them personal attention in and outside of the classroom. It is a great feeling when I professor I had
last semester came up to me a few weeks ago and commented on an article I had written for the
campus magazine. Hamilton is a lot of work, which sometimes makes it difficult to have an active
social life. On the other hand, most classes are really interesting and since the professors are really
challenging, my writing has improved a hundredfold and that is an essential skill I can take with me
after graduation.
Bks791 Junior
Hamilton is unusual in its small size and lack of course requirements, which I really like. We focus a lot
on writing here, if thats your thing, and have a fantastic new fitness center (though our sports teams
are generally less than stellar). Teachers really love what they do here, and take the time to reach out
to individuals, in small, usually discussion based classes. Hamilton is truly the epitome of a great liberal
arts education, and I've never had a professor I really didnt like, while I've had several I absolutely
adored. On the downside, Clinton, though it tries, is no serious college town. Though all of the
essentials are here, go a mile or so away from Hamilton and you are in the middle of cow pasture
nowhere. It’s pretty, if you're the outdoorsy type. Controversy on campus tends to center around a
liberal/conservative dichotomy, because there are strong elements of both here. For example, the
closing of the Alexander Hamilton center and the Ward Churchill incident a few years ago, both
partisan arguments that made national headlines. A frequent complaint is that there is nothing to do
here but drink. Greek societies aren't that dominant, except in the party scene, because they throw
the biggest all-campus parties. The only thing I think I would change is that there is not enough to do,
and that makes Hamilton students pretty into drinking. There is no where interesting to really go
off-campus, especially when it gets super cold in the winter, so booze is a pretty big factor in social life
here.
Mandy Sophomore
d
88
Hamilton College
The no core curriculum is amazing! As a freshman, I didn't have to take a biology class because I'm
horrible at is and it made my freshman year a lot more enjoyable.
Alex Junior
-Best thing about Hamilton: I have made some awesome friends, and the teachers (and ALUMNI!)
really do care about us individually, as long as we put in the effort to get to know them. -One thing I
would change: To have a bigger community atmosphere...
Aib Freshman
I love the friendliness of the community. I wish people would be proud of our mascot (The Continental
- A Soldier). I like my school's size, a little bigger would be fine, a little smaller would not. Most people
say that that's really cool. If it happens to be an alum, they are so enthusiastic, but with good reason
– it’s a great place. I spend a great deal of time in the science center (3 science classes and 2 labs),
the pool (I'm a swimmer), and my dorm. We have a streaking team and that's pretty cool.
d
89

Hamilton College

Transcription

Similar documents

Untitled - Chattanooga Times Free Press

A Hamilton College History

2015-sales-award-winners

Exhibition brochure for Ann Hamilton, tropos

Conference Schedule

Scott Hamilton ice show to celebrate life

uppercase - Hamilton Caseworks Solutions

March 11th, 2013 - Stewards of Cootes

Donut Trail Passport - Butler County Visitors Bureau

Fall Newsletter - Women`s Canadian Club of Hamilton