Hampshire College students qualify for the Bachelor of Arts degree by completing a full-time program composed of three tiers or “divisions” of study, with the aim of increasing students’ agency and the ability to tackle complex problems through increasing degrees of independence coupled with the ability to organize, collaborate, and engage with their peers and the greater community. The Divisional System challenges students to take charge of their own intellectual development and to integrate an active, critical, reflective perspective into their lives.
In Division I, students learn and practice academic, interpersonal, and collaborative skills to engage in meaningful work with others, including campus-engaged and project-based learning in supported contexts. Each student is mentored by an advisor and through our advising networks of students, staff, and faculty.
In Division II, students explore their chosen field(s) of study, “the concentration,” through an individually designed program of courses, independent work, special projects, such as internships or community-based work, and in some cases field study. In addition to these requirements, students in Division II must include a community-engaged learning component as a part of their Hampshire education and demonstrate an understanding or an engagement with race and power in relation to their course of study.
In Division III—advanced studies—students complete a major independent project centered on a specific topic, question, or idea, as well as two advanced educational activities. In the advanced activities, students broaden the scope of their intellectual endeavor by engaging in advanced courses, special projects, or teaching assistant positions.
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