A liberal-arts education develops an individual’s potential for understanding possibilities, perceiving consequences, creating novel connections and making life-altering choices. It fosters innovative and critical thinking as well as strong writing and speaking skills. We prepare students for many possible careers, meaningful lives and service to society.
Percentage of Amherst alumni who report that they have attended graduate or professional school
Percentage of Amherst courses that have fewer than 30 students
A short story by Philip White ’26 has won the Hist Medal in Composition from the College Historical Society at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
History professor Jen Manion was elected to the Society of American Historians in recognition of “the narrative power and scholarly distinction of her historical work.”
Sowing the Sacred: Mexican Pentecostal Farmworkers in California by Lloyd Barba, assistant professor of religion, received the Pneuma Book Award.
Our open curriculum lets you choose among interesting classes taught by exceptional faculty.
Through discussion, lectures, readings, and visual analysis, examine the art, lives and times of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, two of Mexico’s most famous artists.
Survey the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present, from Buddhist art and its ritual context to contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey.
Consider human relationships with plants from a global-historical perspective, comparing trends in various regions and time periods, and focusing on the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution, seed-saving practices, medicinal plants, religious rites, food traditions, biopiracy, agribusiness, and biofuels.
Delve deep into the recent boom in true crime documentary films, series, and podcasts to understand what drives the audience appetite for crime stories, and what narratives are missing. How does media shape what we believe to be true?
Explore how neurobiological systems and behavioral processes influence eating and body weight, including metabolism, neural mechanisms of hunger and satiety, metabolic disorders, dieting, pica, starvation, taste preference and aversion, obesity, anxiety and depression, and all eating disorders.
Explore the history and philosophy of Black resistance to domination and oppression in the new world, beginning with the Haitian Revolution and proceeding to the grand and petty revolts of the nineteenth century.
Amherst College does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs and activities on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any other characteristic or class protected under applicable federal, state or local law. Amherst College complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Inquiries should be addressed to the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000.