Harvey Mudd College: A Guide to Majors and Academic Life

Harvey Mudd College, a distinguished liberal arts college focused on science and engineering and located in Claremont, California, offers a distinctive educational experience emphasizing a broad, interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving. As part of the Claremont Colleges, Harvey Mudd shares adjoining campus grounds and resources, enriching the academic and social environment for its students. This article provides an overview of the majors offered at Harvey Mudd College and the unique aspects of its academic programs.

The Harvey Mudd Educational Philosophy

The founders of Harvey Mudd College envisioned a unique educational experience for its students. The curriculum is structured around four key components:

The Common Core: This provides a solid foundation in major STEM areas, coupled with academic writing and critical inquiry. It is a set of coordinated courses from every department: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, math, physics, and humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSA): This component completes the liberal arts nature of a Harvey Mudd College education by providing humanistic and social scientific perspectives.
The Major: This builds depth and technical competence in a chosen field. Majors at Harvey Mudd emphasize a broad-based, interdisciplinary approach to equip students with problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to any challenge.

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Physical Education: This requirement helps students develop skills for lifelong physical fitness.

Unifying all of these is an emphasis on strong oral and written communication, the development of computational skills, and direct experience with a research or design project.

Academic Advising and Support

Incoming first-year students are assigned a first-year advisor to guide them through their initial college experience. In the Spring semester of their first year, students are assigned an HSA advisor from the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts. When a student declares a major, an advisor from the major department is assigned to the student, replacing the first-year advisor. Advisors must approve students’ schedules each semester before pre-registration, but it is the student’s responsibility to make certain all degree requirements are satisfied. The Office of Career Services (OCS) is known for finding internship opportunities for students, with dedicated advisors and professors offering assistance.

Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSA)

The program in Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts is one of the distinctive and defining aspects of Harvey Mudd College. In addition to the Common Core course (HSA 010 HM), students must complete 10 full semester courses (or their equivalent) in a coherent program planned with the approval of their Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts advisor. To foster the growth of an intellectual community, students must take at least four courses (beyond HSA 010 HM) from departmental faculty members. Students may select their remaining courses from a large number available at Harvey Mudd College and the other Claremont Colleges. In addition to HSA 010 HM, students must complete at least one HSA course that involves significant writing. The HSA requirement encourages students to pursue their interests in philosophy, psychology, political science, sociology, literature, music, photography, media studies, and many other fields.

Declaring a Major

A student must complete the requirements for one of the departmental majors, one of the interdisciplinary majors, an approved individual program of studies (IPS), or an off-campus major (OCM) and technical minor with approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Every student should seek guidance from faculty advisors in order to plan their curriculum and discuss potential majors. Students must declare a major or file an IPS plan by the end of their fourth semester. First-year students may not declare a major in their first two semesters of enrollment at the College. The earliest they may do so is after the end of their second semester of enrollment. Transfer students admitted with sophomore standing or higher may declare a major upon their matriculation at HMC. In the junior and senior years, students typically take two or three courses each semester in their major and related fields. Some of these are requirements while others are electives. For students who wish to double-major, the majors’ department chairs must approve the double counting of courses across their programs.

Departmental Majors

Harvey Mudd College offers a range of departmental majors, each designed to provide students with a deep understanding of their chosen field and the skills necessary for success in their future careers. The departmental majors are:

Biology

The biology program prepares graduates for further study and employment in biology and related fields. The Harvey Mudd biology major, in conjunction with the common technical Core, provides the topical breadth that is the foundation of modern biology and the intellectual depth that enables students to understand how discoveries in the life sciences are made and communicated. A set of required biology courses provides a broad foundation in biology. Building on this foundation, each student, in consultation with a biology faculty advisor, selects a group of advanced biology and related technical courses that introduce a life sciences sub-discipline in depth.

Chemistry

The curriculum of the chemistry program, approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS), provides both a broad background in the five traditional sub-disciplines of chemistry (analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic and physical) and an in-depth study of chemistry that builds upon these foundational areas. Because chemistry is an experimental science, substantial laboratory work and research experiences are part of the curriculum.

Computer Science

The computer science major starts with a set of foundational courses, which provides a broad exposure to many areas of computer science and further develops fundamental competence in programming, logic, algorithm analysis and computer structure. MATH055 HM is taken to develop skills in discrete mathematics that are needed for advanced computer science areas. CSCI070 HM improves the students’ depth of programming competence and exposes computer science students to a diverse array of data structures and analysis techniques. The kernel courses build on the foundation. CSCI105 HM develops a deep understanding of computer structure and its relationship to correct and efficient program implementation. CSCI123 HM focuses on the technical, organizational, and communication skills needed to support longer-term computing projects with a team. CSCI131 HM investigates the concepts underlying a wide variety of modern programming languages. Topics such as concurrent and parallel computing, software testing, programming style, maintainability, software tools, etc. are horizontally integrated across the CS curriculum.

Engineering

The philosophy of the engineering program at Harvey Mudd College is based on the recognition that there is a professional component that is best addressed through practice gained by working on real problems. The engineering program is a general engineering degree, which enables graduates to communicate across disciplines through the use and understanding of mathematics and systems-based analysis, and design effective and innovative solutions to discipline-specific problems. The goal is to graduate students capable of solving real problems that span multiple engineering disciplines. This goal is realized through three main curricular areas of focus (design, systems, and engineering science), as well as through the emphasis on professional practice. The program teaches a rigorous theoretical and broad background in these three areas of focus.

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Mathematics

A mathematics degree from Harvey Mudd College will prepare students for a variety of careers in business, industry, or academics. Mathematical methods are increasingly employed in fields as diverse as finance, biomedical research, management science, the computer industry, and most technical and scientific disciplines. To support the academic and professional goals of the majors, the college offers a wide selection of courses in both theoretical and applied mathematics. Students will have opportunities to do mathematical research with faculty through independent study, a summer research experience, or their senior capstone experience.

Physics

The physics program at Harvey Mudd College provides depth and breadth in both classical and modern physics through lecture-discussion courses, laboratories, and joint student-faculty research. A set of core courses is required of all physics majors; in addition, a variety of elective courses enable students to select a program to suit their interests and their educational and employment objectives. Laboratory courses in both introductory and advanced physics include experience with electronics, classical and modern optics, solid-state physics, and atomic and nuclear physics. Each student is encouraged to do individual experimental or theoretical research in an area of her or his special interest, in conjunction with a faculty member. Current student-faculty research areas include observational astronomy, astrophysics, atomic physics, biophysics, computational physics, field theory, general relativity and cosmology, geophysics, laser and high-energy-density physics, magnetism, particle physics, quantum optics, quantum theory, soft-matter physics, and solid-state physics.

Interdisciplinary Majors

In addition to departmental majors, Harvey Mudd College offers several interdisciplinary majors that combine multiple fields of study. These majors are designed for students who want to explore the connections between different disciplines and develop a more holistic understanding of complex problems. There are currently seven interdisciplinary majors:

Joint Chemistry and Biology

Important opportunities are emerging at the interface of chemistry and biology. The chemistry and biology joint major comprises several areas of study, including biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical biology, bioorganic chemistry, as well as other specialized areas at this interface.

Joint Chemistry and Climate

Climate change is one of the grand challenges of our time and the field of chemistry has enormous potential to shape our collective future. Chemistry is central to many critical aspects of climate science and climate solutions, including innovations in clean energy technology, green materials, and improved representations of atmospheric and ocean systems in climate models across all scales. Students pursuing the joint major in chemistry and climate will complete foundational coursework in chemistry, including laboratories, and will select chemistry electives that support their intended career path. Students will choose from a menu of climate courses that fulfill requirements across several dimensions of climate change.

Joint Computer Science and Climate

Climate change is one of the grand challenges of our time and the field of computer science has enormous potential to shape our collective future. Computer science innovation expands the possibilities for many climate-relevant areas including climate justice, clean energy system infrastructure, earth system data retrieval, and climate prediction. Given the prevalence of large, complex datasets in climate science, computational thinking supports the development of climate literacy, while complementary coursework in climate science, impacts, interventions, and contexts adds breadth and perspective for students who wish to become knowledgeable in this highly interdisciplinary space. Students pursuing the joint major in computer science and climate will complete foundational coursework in the principles of computer science, data structures, discrete mathematics, and professional computing practices as well as either computer systems or algorithms, and will select computer science electives that support their intended career path. Students will also choose from a menu of climate courses that fulfill requirements across several dimensions of climate change. Foundational coursework in thermodynamics, along with a choice of additional STEM breadth will ensure students are prepared for advanced study in climate or related programs.

Joint Computer Science and Mathematics

The joint major in computer science and mathematics is cooperatively administered by the computer science and mathematics departments, and students will have faculty advisors from both departments. The purpose of the joint major is to provide a program of study tailored to students who are interested in the interdisciplinary connections between computer science and mathematics. The joint computer science and mathematics degree program has various components: the kernel courses in computer science and mathematics; more advanced courses in computer science and in mathematics; Clinic; and electives.

Joint Computer Science and Physics

The computer science and physics departments cooperatively administer the joint major in computer science and physics, and students will have faculty advisors from both departments. The joint CS-physics major will serve students whose interests lie at the intersection of physics and computer science.

Joint Mathematics and Physics

The fields of physics and mathematics have been closely intertwined, with significant influences on each other, for hundreds of years. Numerous courses and research programs at Harvey Mudd draw heavily on both disciplines. The joint major in mathematics and physics highlights the intersections between physics and mathematics while preparing a student with solid foundations in both fields. The major is cooperatively administered by the mathematics and physics departments, and students have faculty advisors in both departments. Students complete courses from the mathematics and physics major sequences, as well as a required course in computational techniques relevant to the field.

Mathematical and Computational Biology

Mathematical and computational methods are vital to many areas of contemporary biological research, such as genomics, molecular modeling, structural biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, neurobiology and systems biology. Students who choose this major become immersed in the scientific and intellectual cultures of biology, computer science, and mathematics, and the major is sufficiently flexible to allow students to concentrate in a particular area of interest. Students in this major have one advisor from the biology department and one advisor from either the mathematics or computer science departments.

Physical Education Requirement

The Harvey Mudd College physical education (PE) requirement helps students develop skills for lifelong physical fitness. The requirement can be satisfied with either three physical fitness activity courses, two season-long registered participations in approved team sports, or two physical fitness courses in combination with one season of an approved team sport. One unit of credit is awarded for each PE course and 1.5 units are awarded for each season-long participation in a team sport, up to a maximum of 3.5 credits. Athletes from Harvey Mudd compete alongside athletes from Claremont McKenna College and Scripps College as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags and Athenas (CMS). The teams participate in NCAA Division III in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).

A Community of Passionate Learners

At Harvey Mudd, everyone is passionate about something, "whether it's their schoolwork, extracurriculars that vary from sports to music to LARP, or parties and pranks." The combination of engineering and humanities emphasized in the curriculum attracts a curious and engaged student body. The school attracts "a healthy blend of personalities:" students who are "interested in intense and difficult STEM classes, …but who also care more about their impact on the world and having a strong humanities/liberal arts background." Shared interests make it easy to make friends on campus.

Experiential Learning and Research Opportunities

Coursework comes alive with project-based experiential learning and graduate-level research opportunities. Every student completes a yearlong senior project in either original research or the Clinic Program, depending on the major. Clinic engages juniors and seniors in solving real-world, technical problems for companies and organizations. Students work alongside faculty as colleagues, investigating open-ended questions, presenting findings at national conferences, and co-publishing papers.

Campus Life and Location

Harvey Mudd College is located at 301 Platt Blvd., Claremont, CA. The campus is easily accessible, with Ontario International Airport just 5 miles away. As a part of the Claremont Consortium, students get "resources typical of a larger institution: solid party culture, athletics, [and] opportunities for research" and they find it "really refreshing to talk to people from other campuses."

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