Why Hampshire?
To Know is Not Enough.
Hampshire College was founded in 1965 to radically reimagine liberal arts education. Today, we’re more unconventional than ever, and we’re organized in a way that’s different from any other college in the world.
Your college experience here will be unlike anywhere else — and unlike anyone else’s.
Student-Designed Curriculum
You choose the faculty advisors you’ll work with to create your own curriculum to address the big questions, challenges, or issues that interests you most. At Hampshire, your education focuses on:
- personalized, independent work,
- no majors or departments,
- close collaboration with faculty,
- hands-on experience through study abroad, short-term field studies, internships, volunteer work, advanced independent projects, and much more.
Authentic Assessment
We don’t think grades are an accurate or effective measurement. Instead, your performance is assessed with constructive, written feedback from faculty members, and based on reviews of your projects, your engagement in classes and community, your writings, your art, and more.
A Unique Divisional Structure
At Hampshire, you advance through a Divisional structure rather than the traditional school years of freshman, sophomore, etc.
To move on to the next Division, students must create and pass portfolio reviews. Portfolios are made up of narrativeevaluations,final papers and projects, community-engaged learning, a retrospective, and other meaningful work. Your time at Hampshire is capped off by a self-designed yearlong Div III project thatencapsulates everything you have learned in the other Divisions.
The Power of the Five College Consortium
Beyond Hampshire's own substantial academic offerings, students can also take courses and draw on the resources of Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which together with Hampshire form the Five College Consortium.
There is no other undergraduate college that approaches learning this way.
We were made for change. What were you made for?
Hampshire College was founded in 1965 to create a completely new model of higher education. Today, we’re more unconventional than ever, and we’re organized in a way that’s different than any other college in the world.