The Department of History exemplifies Dickinson in the way it covers the world beyond our shores; students may study the regional histories of Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, or they may explore the diversity of American history. Further, our courses explore a wide variety of approaches that include the history of gender, empires, the environment, medicine, migration, religion, and diplomacy and war in national, comparative, and global contexts.

Dickinson offers one of the only archaeology majors in the country. The fundamentals of archaeological practice are learned through introductory courses in archaeology and world prehistory, biological anthropology and earth sciences. We offer specialized courses in methods, theory and advanced topics in which students gain first-hand experience conducting research and interpretation.

The study of film and visual media is a central aspect of our idea of liberal arts as a “useful education.” The six-course film & media studies minor brings together critical analysis and creation of media and is distinguished by its flexibility and diversity. As an interdisciplinary program, we offer students a wide range of courses from numerous disciplines.

Human health has biological, interpersonal and societal dimensions. It’s no surprise then that Dickinson students take health-related courses and perform health research in a variety of disciplines. The health studies program assists students in identifying opportunities to pursue and expand their health interests and obtain hands-on experience both in the laboratory and in the community.

As a mathematics major at Dickinson, you will join a vibrant and supportive community of learners, teachers and scholars. Our department offers pure and applied courses taught by dynamic and award-winning faculty who employ a variety of pedagogical techniques. In addition to being passionate teachers, the mathematics faculty at Dickinson are successful researchers with diverse scholarly interests, giving majors access to expertise relevant to their individual goals.

The creative writing minor emphasizes small workshop classes in fiction and poetry, offered at three levels and culminating in a creative project in the senior year. Courses are also taught in memoir, screenwriting and creative nonfiction. Limited to 15 participants, these workshops focus on finding and developing the strengths of each student’s writing while providing instruction in technique. Peer critique and readings in contemporary literature—often involving visits to campus by accomplished writers of our time—are at the heart of the program.

Classical studies combines the examination of the ideas and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome with the application insights from classical texts to our own time. Dickinson’s rigorous language curriculum focuses on mastery of core vocabulary in Latin and Ancient Greek, the development of sight-reading skills and close reading and literary interpretation. Courses taught entirely in English deal with mythology, the ancient world in film, ancient history, archaeology, classical philosophy and public speaking. A capstone seminar involves an original research project and reflection on how ideas and values in classical texts can be relevant today.

American studies is an innovative field of study that looks at the American past and present through an interdisciplinary lens. Students in the major draw upon concepts and methods developed in history, literature, sociology, philosophy, political science, anthropology, art history and music in their analyses of various American social, cultural and political phenomena.

Dickinson’s international business & management major is distinctive and useful. Most liberal arts colleges don't offer a business major. Dickinson does. Through our renowned faculty, you will explore the key functional areas of business as well as newly emerging trends, issues and strategic challenges confronting business organizations. To further enrich the student experience, our faculty work with faculty and staff responsible for other majors, off-campus internships, study abroad programs and sustainability and community engagement initiatives.

Data analytics will be a critical tool in shaping the future, and those with the right skills and perspective will be ready to help tackle important issues, including climate change, the future of work, globalization, healthcare, artificial intelligence and critical aspects of privacy and security. Data analytics at Dickinson was designed to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, integrating computational acumen with opportunities in the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, languages and humanities.

Students in Dickinson's Department of English study a range of English-language texts, including novels, poems, plays, graphic narratives, films, television and other work. Our curriculum is flexible and focused, allowing majors to follow their own interests through diverse course offerings that address core questions (of author and audience; culture, nation and identity; form, medium and materiality; and history, period and influence).

Dickinson's environmental studies & environmental science department is one of the oldest and best established in the country. Our faculty are well-known in their fields and provide rigorous, hands-on coursework in environmental policy, aquatic ecology, agroecology, forest ecology, environmental health, food studies, sustainable communities, international environmental politics, environmental philosophy, ethics and literature, wildlife conservation, natural resource management and environmental justice.

The German department at Dickinson distinguishes itself through its high level of contact with current German society and faculty interests in a large spectrum of topics and periods. We crafted our curriculum to expose students to the diversity of the German-speaking world while also supporting students’ acquisition of the German language. Our curriculum is based on the principle that students come to German-speaking cultures with a variety of academic interests and goals. Our students demand an education that supports their language skills, and we task ourselves to do so within the mission of the liberal arts.

At Dickinson, we encourage our students to seek connections. We emphasize this ability to draw together diverse information and insights and make sense of complexity—to connect the dots and read between the lines. This focus is embodied academically most clearly in our commitment to interdisciplinarity. While traditional disciplines also draw insights from many fields, interdisciplinary programs focus on this skill most intensely.

The law & policy major investigates the laws and policies governing our collective lives, both within the United States and in a broader global context. This interdisciplinary major draws from the fields of economics, sociology, political science, religion, philosophy, environmental studies and others as students develop an understanding of how institutions operate in the application of the law.