The academic program of Hendrix College comprises diverse elements in a coherent whole, combining design with flexibility. The general education requirements at the College consist of three components – The Collegiate Center, Learning Domains, and Capacities. The Collegiate Center assures students the opportunity to engage in thought about cultures and contemporary issues. The Learning Domains afford multiple options for acquiring a basic understanding of the content, disciplinary styles, and modes of inquiries of the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences in ways that may cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. The Capacities requirement recognizes that all students must exhibit basic proficiencies in fundamental skills used across multiple disciplines.
Majors are offered in almost thirty disciplinary fields and include opportunities for interdisciplinary studies. Minors in more than thirty areas complement the majors and allow students opportunities to pursue additional academic interests. The College’s curricular structures are intended to guide students in a coherent process of learning while encouraging all students to exercise responsibility in constructing individual programs of study.
Starting with the 2005-2006 academic year, new students will participate in a distinctive program entitled Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning. This program expands and formalizes currently available options for undergraduate research, study abroad, artistic development, internships, service experiences, and other hands-on activities. Through the Hendrix Odyssey every Hendrix student will develop a personalized program of at least three active learning experiences from the following categories:
- Artistic Creativity
- Global Awareness
- Professional and Leadership Development
- Service to the World
- Undergraduate Research
- Special Projects
The provisions on the following pages apply to all candidates for the baccalaureate degree at Hendrix. Specific course descriptions are listed under the appropriate department and program headings in a later section of the Catalog. The requirements for the baccalaureate degree are stated below.
These requirements include the general education program (I, II, III, and IV below); collegiate requirements regarding the number, selection, and level of performance in courses counted toward the degree (V and VI); the requirements regarding majors, double majors, and minors (VII); the senior capstone experience requirements (VIII); and the requirements for Your Hendrix Odyssey (IX).
Hendrix also offers a program leading to a Master of Arts in Accounting as described both below and in the departmental entry for Economics and Business.
Most graduate and professional schools discourage heavy undergraduate specialization and emphasize the values of a broadly based liberal education as a preparation for advanced study. Graduate study can lead to careers in scholarship, research, or the professions. In planning undergraduate preparation for graduate study students should confer with the members of the department in their fields. The Guide to Academic Planning contains information about pre-professional programs at Hendrix.