The Undergraduate College
Program of Study
Princeton offers two bachelor's degrees: the bachelor of
arts
(A.B.) and the bachelor of science in engineering (B.S.E.).
Within these degree programs, students can choose from among
66 departments and interdepartmental programs. They may also
apply for an independent concentration outside existing
programs.
Undergraduates in the A.B. program must successfully
complete one course each in epistemology and cognition,
ethical thought and moral values, historical analysis, and
quantitative reasoning; and two courses each in literature
and the arts, science and technology (with laboratory), and
social analysis. All A.B. candidates also meet a one-term
writing requirement and must demonstrate proficiency in a
foreign language.
Departmental requirements combine upper-level courses
with independent work in both the junior and senior years. A
senior thesis is required of all A.B. candidates.
Engineering students take at least seven courses in the
humanities and social sciences in addition to satisfying the
writing requirement and meeting the requirements in
mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer programming as
specified by the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
B.S.E. students are required to take one course in four of
the following six areas: epistemology and cognition, ethical
thought and moral values, foreign language, historical
analysis, literature and the arts, and social analysis.
All engineering departments offer upperclass students
opportunities to pursue independent work in lieu of formal
course work. In some departments, independent work or a
senior thesis is required for completion of the B.S.E.
degree.
Departments and Programs
Academic Departments
Undergraduates may concentrate their studies in the
following fields:
Anthropology
Architecture
Art and Archaeology
Astrophysical Sciences
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Classics
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
East Asian Studies
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Economics
Electrical Engineering
English
Geosciences
Germanic Languages and Literatures
History
Mathematics
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Molecular Biology
Music
Near Eastern Studies
Operations Research and Financial Engineering
Philosophy
Physics
Politics
Psychology
Religion
Romance Languages and Literatures
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Sociology
Woodrow Wilson School (Public and International Affairs)
Interdepartmental Programs
Undergraduates may supplement their concentration by
participating in any of the following programs, most of
which grant certificates of proficiency:
African-American Studies
African Studies
American Studies
Applications of Computing
Applied and Computational Mathematics
Architecture and Engineering
Biophysics
Creative Writing
East Asian Studies
Engineering Biology
Engineering and Management Systems
Engineering Physics
Environmental Studies
European Cultural Studies
Finance
Geological Engineering
Hellenic Studies
Humanistic Studies
Jewish Studies
Language and Culture
Latin American Studies
Linguistics
Materials Science and Engineering
Medieval Studies
Musical Performance
Near Eastern Studies
Robotics and
Intelligent Systems
Russian Studies
Teacher Preparation
Theater and Dance
Visual Arts
Study of Women and Gender
Woodrow Wilson School
Areas of Concentration
Undergraduate concentration patterns have remained fairly
constant over the years. Here, in descending order, are the
12 areas of concentration that were the most popular in the
academic year 1999-2000:
Department Number of Concentrators
Economics ... 253
History ... 252
Politics ... 226
English ... 182
Woodrow Wilson School ... 145
Molecular Biology ... 127
Psychology ... 118
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology ... 96
Computer Science ... 85
Electrical Engineering ... 73
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering ... 68
Chemistry ... 58
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