Harvey Mudd College

According to its mission statement, “Harvey Mudd College seeks to educate engineers, scientists, and mathematicians, well versed in all of these areas and in the humanities and the social sciences so that they may assume leadership in their fields with a clear understanding of the impact of their work on society.” The founders of Harvey Mudd College thus envisioned a distinctive educational experience for its students combining unusual breadth in their technical education with a firm academic grounding in the humanities and social sciences. The required curriculum has four components: the Common Core, which provides the foundation for advanced study; the program in Humanities and Social Sciences, which emphasizes the liberal arts nature of a Harvey Mudd College education; the Major, which builds depth and technical competence; and the Integrative Experience, which explicitly addresses how society interfaces with science and technology. Unifying all of these is an emphasis on strong oral and written communications, the development of computational skills, and direct experience with a research or design project. For example, Harvey Mudd College’s signature Clinic Program provides students with an opportunity to work as part of a team on real projects that entrepreneurs, companies, or national laboratories sponsor. The academic programs are demanding, but the College fosters cooperation rather than competition under a successful student-led Honor Code. Almost every student lives on campus, where the atmosphere is characterized not only by trust, freedom, and responsibility, but also by a sense of humor, fun, and creativity. Students at Harvey Mudd College enjoy the kind of personal attention, small classes, and close working relationships with faculty mentors associated with the finest liberal arts colleges. But they also enjoy many of the advantages of a larger institution because of the unique Claremont University Consortium, whose member colleges are located across the street from one another and make available classes, dining halls, libraries, parties, sports teams, and other resources far beyond those any one such school could provide. Under the leadership of its new president, Maria Klawe, Harvey Mudd College has developed a vision for its future around six themes: (1) Innovation, Leadership, and Impact, Especially in Engineering, Science and Mathematics; (2) Focus on Experiential and Interdisciplinary Learning; (3) Unsurpassed Excellence and Diversity at All Levels; (4) Nurturing and Developing the Whole Person; (5) Global Engagement and Informed Contributions to Society; and (6) Improvement of Infrastructure and Resources to Support HMC’s Commitment to Excellence and Building Community. The College is on its way to realizing its vision. \r\n\r\n

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