Arts, Sciences and Engineering

The Rochester Curriculum

Students at Rochester are encouraged to explore a variety of disciplines during their freshman year. As students progress at Rochester, they choose a major, with at least 10 semester courses, in either the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences (including mathematics and engineering). In addition, students choose a cluster of three related courses in each of the other two main divisions of the liberal arts named above. Students with a major in an accredited program in engineering or in optics only need to select one cluster.

More than 250 authorized clusters exist from which students may choose. Virtually every department and program in the College offers numerous clusters that meet the spirit of the Rochester Curriculum. Complete descriptions can be found on our clusters page. Examples from different divisions include:

• Humanities
  • Ethics and Values
  • Media, Culture and Communication
  • Sustainability and the Humanities
• Social sciences
  • Anthropology of Globalization
  • African-American Politics
  • Theoretical Economics
• Natural sciences
  • Life through Time
  • Music Cognition
  • The Nature of the Universe

Additionally, with approval, students may propose exceptions to already existing clusters.

The Rochester Curriculum is simple, flexible, and reflects the true hallmarks of University life and learning—curiosity, competence, and community.