Bates College

Academics

Courses/General Education Requirements

The school is committed to helping students claim their education, and therefore, students have a lot of academic freedom. There are twenty-nine programs and departments from which to choose a major, with the option of designing their own interdisciplinary major with the help of an academic adviser.

However, the school does require that students design a curriculum that incorporates sciences, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and the arts. In order to fulfill these requirements, students enroll in two General Education Concentrations (GECs) from outside their major. GECs are four linked courses that allow a student to focus on one topic or area of inquiry. Courses may come from different disciplines, or they may focus on a topic in a single department, program, or major. The goal of the GECs and the entire Bates course curriculum is to teach students about the connections between disciplines, reinforce strong writing skills, and provide students with college-level instruction in the sciences and quantitative analysis.

Faculty

There are few, if any, barriers here. Students talk and learn from one another, and this spirit of shared learning and open dialog is one that also extends to the relationship between students and faculty. Faculty members do not lecture at an untouchable distance. Classrooms are intimate and a faculty member, never a teaching assistant, always leads classes. Most professors emphasize classroom participation. Students learn by talking their ideas out so students tend to evolve into confident public speakers.

Bates faculty members genuinely care about the well-being of the student body and that manifests itself in and out of the classroom. To bridge the gap between research and teaching, professors invite students to assist in their research. Research assistant opportunities are typically uncommon at the undergraduate level, but here, faculty members use them as opportunities to better prepare students for graduate studies.

Short Term

The 4-4-1 academic calendar allows students to step outside of their scholastic routine during the spring and to focus on just one class for five weeks. While some classes do meet in the classroom, many are experiential and allow the student to physically connect with what they are researching. Students learn about geology in Maine by hiking and kayaking. Students learn about anthropology and Jamaica by spending five weeks researching on the island. Students learn about theater in Europe by flying overseas. Known as “short term,” this abbreviated semester is wildly popular because it allows students to thaw after a long winter. The reduction in course load decreases stress and makes even the most challenging class manageable. Two short terms are required, but most students participate in at least three.

Thesis

Thesis is the culmination of four years of academic growth and development. Almost every student, regardless of major, completes a senior thesis here. Students work closely with one faculty member for either one semester or one academic year. Professors work hard to push your writing and develop your skills as a researcher and scholar. The caliber of writing usually allows students to use the writing as material for their application to graduate school and in some cases, students publish segments of their thesis in scholarly journals.