Requirements for Graduation
Hamilton’s open curriculum has no “distribution requirements” but we do require a few courses that focus on developing specific skills. You are expected to complete those requirements (WI, QSR and PE, listed below) by the end of your sophomore year. Our core graduation requirements that you must fulfill are:
- 32 Hamilton units
- Writing-intensive (WI) requirement
- Quantitative and symbolic reasoning (QSR) requirement
- Physical education (PE) requirement
- Concentration
Hamilton Units
- Almost all academic courses are 1 unit
- The standard student course load is therefore four courses per semester (x eight semesters = 32 units)
- Students must take at least three courses per semester and can take 5 if they wish, though that is an “overload” and relatively rare
- We also have some partial credit courses (0.25 or 0.50 units), such as orchestra, choir, and music lessons
Writing-Intensive (WI) Requirement
- Each student must complete three writing-intensive (WI) courses taken in three separate semesters.
- At least one course must be outside the student's area of concentration.
- One must be taken during the first year of study and a second completed by the end of the second year.
- The requirement should be completed by the end of the junior year.
- For a more detailed description of the WI program, see: standards for written work in the catalogue
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR) Requirement
- Each student must complete one quantitative and symbolic reasoning (QSR) course. As you will see in the link to the course list, this is NOT a math requirement (though math courses certainly are included)
- For a more detailed description of the QSR requirement, see: standards for quantitative work in the catalogue
Physical Education (PE) Requirement
Every student must participate in the program of instruction offered by the Physical Education
Department. The physical education requirement is satisfied upon the completion of three of the
following in any combination: lifetime activity classes, wellness seminars, intercollegiate athletics
participation for a minimum of one semester. All students complete a fitness assessment, and
are provided constructive feedback on areas of achievement and/or areas in need of
improvement, including suggestions of lifetime leisure and physical activity. It is expected that
the requirement will be completed in the first three semesters of a student’s residency.
Concentration
- Each student must complete a concentration (also known as a “major”)
- All concentrations include a Senior Project, and a Social, Structural, and Institutional Hierarchies (SSIH) requirement.
- Students declare their concentration in the spring of their sophomore year, at which time they must be enrolled in at least their second course in the concentration
- There is no need to take more than one course in a possible concentration each semester of your first year
- Many Hamilton students do not start with a clear idea of which concentration they want, and many others change their proposed concentration over their first two years
- Guide to getting started in a concentration
