Wesleyan University - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

One thing about Wesleyan is that everyone here likes to have a good time, but studies must come first. If you fall behind in one class, then it’s only a matter of time before the domino effect kicks in and you fall behind in two or three others. Before you know it, you’ll be placed on academic probation with little to no slack given by the administration (one more slip up, and you’re gone). Just remember to work hard while you play hard. Many of the professors here, along with being extremely skilled in their field, are genuinely nice people who won’t hesitate to kick back with their students after a strenuous week of long lectures and pop quizzes. As eccentric or seemingly aloof as Wes students may seem, the majority of the student body is as passionate about their academics as they are about their extra-curriculars. There are the occasional blow-off gen-ed requirement classes that many students show up to half the time and still get Bs. Many freshmen make the mistake in assuming that the remainder of their classes at Wesleyan will be this way. Yeah right. For the most part, classes at Wesleyan are very challenging and are not to be taken lightly.

While the workload is often tremendous (up to 150 pages of reading a night for some upper-level courses), Wesleyan allows for an unprecedented degree of academic freedom. And, because each major requires relatively few credits within the major to graduate, a large number of students double major, sometimes in truly disparate subjects, such as biology and dance, African American studies and music, math and religion, etc. The University has embraced the fact that few students are interested in just one thing, and have created interdisciplinary majors. The College of Social Science (often called CSS, or the College of Suicidal Sophomores) combines History, Government, and Economics, while the College of Letters (COL) combines History, Literature, Philosophy, and Foreign Language. As far as academics at Wesleyan go, students get out what they put in, and at a school where there’s so much freedom and opportunity available, you’d only be cheating yourself to not give 100 percent.

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Students Speak Out

WesFP says: Wesleyan University 2014 Psychology

Teachers are great! The workload... Teachers are great! The workload is as much or as little as you want it to be, depending on the classes you take. Wesleyan has one of the best film studies programs in the country and we also have two unique, interdisciplinary colleges, based on the tutorial systems at Cambridge. The College of Letters focuses on language, literature, and philosophy, and the College of Social Studies covers history, economics, and government. For a liberal arts school, we also have great science classes and lots of opportunities to get involved in research, even as a freshman. 12345 Academics: February 26, 2009 Report

WesKP says: Wesleyan University 2015 English Language and Literature

I haven't had any bad professors.... I haven't had any bad professors. All of them are exceedingly knowledgeable in their field, and also in other fields. On the whole, the faculty seems well-rounded, and it isn't hard to have conversations with professors. 12345 Academics: February 19, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

The professors range from good to... The professors range from good to amazing. I’ve had some wonderful experiences with the Russian department (none involving Smirnov Vodka, I assure you). For the most part, professors teach their classes, not too much of that ‘the TA will handle everything’ kind of stuff that you get at large state universities. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Almost every single one of my... Almost every single one of my teachers has been amazing in his or her own way. They’re extremely knowledgeable and supportive. Most of the classes I’ve taken have been stellar, and I’m lucky to be enrolled in a university that offers a lot of classes that deal with subjects that I’m passionate about. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

My teachers are just like the ones... My teachers are just like the ones in Harry Potter! In my most interesting class last semester, I learned that one should use more interesting words than, well, ‘interesting.’ 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

In 1953, Wesleyan first offered its Graduate Liberal Studies Program, the first ever liberal studies program designed specifically for adults.

Former president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, taught history and political economy at Wesleyan from 1888 to 1890.

Wesleyan’s Olin Library and the Lincoln Memorial were designed by the same architect.

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