Academic Program: Program of Liberal Studies
Academic Program
A Clark education is unique in that it provides a high-quality liberal arts education
with personal attention and advanced study opportunities. Most students
begin their Clark career with a first-year intensive, designed to help them develop
the skills and habits of mind they will need to succeed at Clark. Clark has developed
a unique program of liberal studies that fosters critical thinking skills and broadens
perspectives. Because they can choose among many different courses, students can
take courses that interest them and, at the same time, satisfy their broad liberal
arts requirements.
By the spring of sophomore year, students declare a major in which they develop
depth and expertise. The University offers 31 majors, 30 minors and nine interdisciplinary
concentrations, which can be combined to match individual interests and academic
goals. Once students choose a major, their academic department becomes their intellectual
"home," where they are able to work closely with faculty on research and other creative
projects. As students acquire increasing depth and sophistication in a field of
their choosing, they are able to take advantage of Clark's wide array of courses
to construct an individualized program of study suited to their interests and career
goals. In many fields, students have the opportunity to enter an honors program
or accelerate to an advanced degree.
First-Year Intensives
First-year intensives allow students to explore, in depth, various issues and subjects.
First-year intensives focus on helping students develop core academic skills that
will enhance success in later Clark courses: reading, writing, speaking, thinking,
and debating, all at the college level of intellectual sophistication. Intensives are stimulating, and challenging, and are limited to no more than 16
students each. The professor who teaches each first-year intensive also serves as
academic advisor to the students in the seminar until they declare a major. Thus,
students who enroll in first-year intensives start their Clark careers by developing
a close relationship with both a professor and a small group of students who share
at least one intellectual interest. All first-year intensives fill a Program of Liberal
Studies (PLS) requirement.
First-year intensives change from year to year.
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The Academic Program
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Additional Resources
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