Login Register

Amherst College
- Academics

RT
Currently attending or alumni?
Review this school!
Are you interested
in this school?
Yes, let this school know
Maybe, bookmark for later
No, get better matches
Saving your decision
Yes
Maybe
No

We will attempt to notify this
school of your interest.

This school has been saved to your schools list.

This school has been removed from your recommended schools list.

For your next recommendation, check out .

Jump to a section:

Grade
Quick Stats
Student Author Overview
Student Reviews
Student Polls
Facts
Take A SurveyWrite A ReviewUpload A PhotoLink Up A VideoWrite The Guide
Amherst College - Academics - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Academics

A
Where does this grade come from?View all Academics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Academics Grades:

Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 8:1
Full-Time Student Population 1,750
Part-Time Student Population 0
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 189
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 18
Total FT Faculty 203
Faculty with Terminal Degree 93%
Average Faculty Salary $102,936
Full-Time Retention Rate 96%
Transfer-Out Rate 3%
Graduation Rate 95%
Programs/Majors Offered 34
Average Course Load 4 courses
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? No
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 students: 70%
  • 20 to 49 students: 27%
  • 50 or more students: 3%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Amherst is a small school that allows for complete freedom of course selection. The academic atmosphere is much different from that of other schools because Amherst students have not been forced to take classes by a distribution requirement. Plus, there are no graduate students here to vie for the professors’ attention. The College actively seeks student involvement in its educational policies. When a teaching position opens up, the relevant department will ask majoring students to review candidates and give feedback to the selection committees; the same is true when a professor approaches tenure decision time.

The complete open curriculum, however, requires that students have a certain level of self-discipline because there is really no pressure to excel. You get out as much as you put into your Amherst experience. This can be said of many other institutions of higher learning, but it is especially applicable at Amherst College. The environment lends itself to diligent, high-achieving students, as well as the more lackadaisical students. If a student is passionate about a class and does all the work for it, he or she will assuredly enjoy a rewarding learning experience and perhaps even find a friend in the professor. On the other hand, students often get bored with a class they thought looked interesting in the course book. These cases are the bane of the teaching philosophy that Amherst supports, which, plainly put, is: “We’ll give you a world of opportunities, all you have to do is take your pick.” In short, if you genuinely want to learn and are willing to make an honest effort to do so, Amherst offers almost limitless opportunities for you. If, however, what you care about is going to a well-known school as a step toward a successful career of your choice, you’ll also find what you need at Amherst—but you will then miss out on the most exhilarating and rewarding parts of being a student here.

See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

Amherst Student ReviewsWhat's This?

Sort by:

Loading...

Academics at Amherst College

ilanamventura

Political Science and Government '12

4.2
A-

Intellectual and Challenging Atmosphere

Though the political science department at Amherst College lacks diversity in subject matter, mostly due to the small size of the college and therefore the small size of the department, the professors we do have are all incredible intellectual minds. Classes are small and there is a ton of student- professor interaction. The professors are also incredibly approachable and are there to help academically, in advising or just to chat with as a mentor and friend.

Nov 20, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Academics at Amherst College

kelek10

Psychology Studies '10

4.2
A-

Professor Willing to Reach Out

The major advantage of Amherst College is that the population is so small; this leaves more than enough resources for students to get extra help from professors and other tutoring services. I found that my professors were always excited to engage in conversation outside of the classroom setting, and it really enriched my college experience.

Aug 05, 2010

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Academics at Amherst College

AmhLZ

'12

The professors at Amherst are...

The professors at Amherst are terrific overall—they are very knowledgeable in their respective fields and always available during office hours outside of class. The workload is fairly rigorous, as expected, but it is manageable if you are willing to put in the work. Academically, I would say that almost all of the departments here are very strong, and Amherst definitely lives up to its reputation.

Feb 16, 2009

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate
Page 1 of 6
User rating for Amherst College - Academics is 4.6 out of 5 based on 18 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: No
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: No
Dual Credit: No
Life Experience Credits: No
AP Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 4 or 5
IB Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 6 or 7
Degrees Awarded Bachelor's degree
Most Popular Majors
  • Economics and Econometrics: 5%
  • English Language Studies: 5%
  • Political Science and Government, General: 5%
  • Psychology: 5%
Special Study Options
  • Study abroad
  • Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
Best Places to Study
  • Music Library
  • Q Center
Did You Know?
  • Amherst College sponsors an open curriculum, which literally means that there are absolutely no distribution requirements, and that students can take however many classes they want in any department. The only class that Amherst requires all students to take is the first-year seminar, which is a one-semester course taken in the first semester of freshman year. These classes are small, from 10 to 20 students, and they study a wide array of topics. They are aimed at giving students proper coaching in college-level writing and discussion. Before the school year starts, all freshmen choose what seminars they would like to attend, and the College does its best to satisfy everyone's wishes.
  • In cooperation with four nearby schools, Amherst has made it possible for students to take classes at each of these institutions at no extra cost. Amherst College neighbors four other schools: Smith, Holyoke, Hampshire, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass), and together they formed the Five College Consortium. Some fields of study the other four schools offer are lacking or are found only on a small scale at Amherst. Thanks to this system, students can utilize the overall educational resources of the entire area. Some examples of areas in which students tend to find interest at other schools: exotic foreign languages or jazz and big band music courses at UMass, ecology at Holyoke, and English and political science at Smith.
  • You cannot minor in any subject at Amherst College.
  • Students have to take from eight to ten courses in a single department in order to major in it. An exception to this is the neuroscience program, which has 16 required courses for the major. Students usually declare their major by the end of sophomore year. Many students choose to double major, and a few even triple major. Students can make their major at Amherst. With faculty approval, they may build their own program of study, taking only classes that fit this program and not being constricted by departmental requirements.
  • Many students choose to culminate their studies at Amherst with a thesis, written during senior year. After a student has submitted the thesis, he or she must defend it in front of faculty who have similar research interests as the student. If the student has done so successfully, he or she will receive Latin honors upon graduation. Many students say that writing their thesis was their most rewarding experience at Amherst.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Lem Atanga McCormick
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Major
Pre-Med (Biology and French)

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

Buy the eBook "Amherst College 2012: Off The Record"
AmazonGoogleSmashwords
Download a FREE Printable Summary (PDF)

Find a college

Find a major

Scholarships

Reviews

Search College Prowler

Company

How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.