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academic program
BUSINESS Liberal education at Hampden-Sydney establishes a strong and broad educational foundation appropriate to later work in business. Whatever a student’s major department may be, he learns the skills essential to working in any business and develops an understanding of his society and the people with whom he deals. Hampden-Sydney graduates have entered the fields of business from every major program of the College. Many prepare for business careers by electing a major such as Economics and Business. Some continue their education in Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) graduate programs. Students interested in careers in business or study in an M.B.A. program should contact Professor Dempster of the Department of Economics and Business. THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY Hampden-Sydney provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to become Christian ministers. Theological seminaries do not specify particular courses as prerequisites for admission, but instead urge those who contemplate entering the Christian ministry to take a broadly based selection of courses in the humanities and in the social and natural sciences. While not requiring Hebrew and Greek for admission, seminaries recommend that a prospective minister acquire in his undergraduate training a working knowledge of those languages. ENGINEERING Hampden-Sydney’s programs in the natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science offer exceptional preparation for careers in engineering. The College fosters a successful dual-degree program with the University of Virginia and a second dual-degree program in Physics and Engineering with Old Dominion University. The College offers a solid core of subjects that provide a foundation for many engineering specialties. Hampden-Sydney’s small classes and opportunities for close student-faculty contact strengthen that foundation. Students interested in a career in engineering should see the Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy early in their freshman year.
GOVERNMENT The academic program of the College is ideal for preparing students for public service. Students from all majors have entered careers in government or other public arenas. One path to such a career is the Leadership in the Public Interest Certificate Program, a part of the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest, which combines courses in ethics, economics and business, and government and foreign affairs, as well as an internship, in preparing students for significant roles in government. LAW Students planning a career in law are encouraged to follow a broad, liberal course of study. In fact, the Association of American Law Schools recommends liberal education because “many of the goals of legal education are also the goals of liberal education.” A program of study in which students develop the habits of thoroughness, intellectual curiosity, logical thinking, analysis of social institutions, and clarity of expression is strongly recommended. Those skills are employed throughout the liberal-arts curriculum in the study of ethics, history, rhetoric, literature, politics, mathematics, the sciences, and languages. At Hampden-Sydney, the Pre-Law Society guides and assists students in preparing for law school and the legal profession. The Society disseminates information about admission to law schools and about preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT); it also brings to the College guest speakers to discuss legal issues, sponsors visiting lecturers, and arranges trips to visit courts in session. Students interested in a law career should contact Professor Carroll of the Department of Government and Foreign Affairs. MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY A liberal education such as that offered by HampdenSydney is excellent preparation for those students who wish to pursue medical training and careers in the medical professions. According to recent editions of Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR), published by the Association of American Medical Colleges, all medical schools “recognize the importance of a broad education-a strong foundation in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics), highly developed communication skills, and a solid background in the social sciences and humanities.” A majority of medical and dental applicants major in science, though the choice of major in itself has no influence on chances for acceptance by a medical school. Again according to MSAR, “The