PrincetonUniversity
A Princeton Profile, 2004-05

The Undergraduate College

Program of Study

Princeton offers two bachelor's degrees: a bachelor of arts (A.B.) and a bachelor of science in engineering (B.S.E.). Within these degree programs, students can choose from among 69 departments and interdepartmental programs. In lieu of existing programs, students may apply for independent concentration.

Undergraduates in the A.B. program must successfully complete general education requirements that include two courses each in literature and the arts, science and technology (with laboratory), and social analysis; and one course each in epistemology and cognition, ethical thought and moral values, historical analysis, and quantitative reasoning.

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

French and Italian

Geosciences

German

History

Mathematics

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Molecular Biology

Music

Near Eastern Studies

Operations Research and Financial Engineering

Philosophy

Physics

Politics

Psychology

Religion

Slavic Languages and Literatures

Sociology

Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Cultures

Woodrow Wilson School of 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

Contemporary European Politics and Society

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

Judaic Studies

Language and Culture

Latin American Studies

Linguistics

Materials Science and Engineering

Medieval Studies

Musical Performance

Near Eastern Studies

Neuroscience

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 15 areas of concentration that were most popular in academic year 2003-04:

Awards and Scholarships

Princeton students do very well in the national scholarship and fellowship competitions. During the past 10 years, 19 Princeton undergraduates have been Rhodes Scholars.

The table below lists seven of the award programs open to graduates and shows the number of Princetonians who have won these scholarships over the past five years.

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