Explore Areas of Study at Rochester

EXPLORE AREAS OF STUDY AT ROCHESTER

WELCOME t this point in your high school career, a lot is happening, and your interests are subject to change. They may even be all over the map. And that can be a great thing! This is merely a glimpse into the opportunities you have to define and embrace your Rochester experience.

From day one, you create and explore your own curriculum without spending a moment in classes you didn’t choose or spending money on credits you’re not interested in.

You’ll create clusters of courses outside your major (which you don’t have to finalize until the end of your sophomore year), conduct collaborative research projects, and maybe even study abroad—all within four years.

By the time you start applying to schools, you might have discovered new areas of learning and experiences. If so, let us know what you want to accomplish here. Advisors are excited to help you explore your selfdirected education.

I'm a mechanical engineering major and an electrical and computer engineering minor from Beirut, Lebanon. As part of the Class of 2021, I'm part of Meliora Launchpad, a student entrepreneurship group on campus, and the Student Association for Development. The answer to why I chose Rochester could be an entire book if I really set my mind to it. I researched over a thousand universities back in high school, and Rochester was the only place that had everything I could ever want in one spot: engineering, music, entrepreneurship, business, research, diversity, freedom... Rochester is the ideal place for me to grow, form my own schedule, and experiment however I want to."

–MARC HADDAD

AREAS OF STUDY*

FLEXIBLE CURRICULUM People do their best when doing what they love. At Rochester, you build your own curriculum with your unique strengths and interests. There are no required subjects.

You study only what you’re passionate about, choosing a major in one of the three divisions of learning and taking three-course clusters in other areas. Most Rochester students find they have room to double and even triple major.

A cluster is a set of related courses that fall within one of the three divisions of learning: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Each cluster contains at least 12 credits of coursework. Rochester students created many of these clusters. They’re just one more way you can customize your college education.

Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, I am a member of the Class of 2020. I am currently majoring in computer science, anthropology, and film and media studies. I'm involved in Women in Computing, the Minority Student Advisory Board, and Project Reach tutoring. My hobbies include eating lots of sugar and making funny-but-not-really-funny videos."

–SARMISHTHA (RUKI) PRATHIVADHI-BHAYANKARAM

RESEARCH AND RESOURCES Is there a problem you want to solve, a question you want answered? As one of the nation’s top-tier research universities, Rochester is an ideal place for undergraduate research. In fact, many students start research their first year. You can start an

INTERNSHIPS Rochester students secure internships with local and national companies, corporations, and non-profit organizations. The benefits are limitless—professional networking, college credits, advancing technical skills, and in some instances, they’re paid opportunities.

Rochester even has a career center to help you focus your goals and find an internship that can help you get there.

independent project with a faculty mentor or collaborate with faculty and peers. Pursue any field and any combination of interests and take advantage of our various labs, libraries, and classrooms. Research can take many forms.

I just graduated in 2019 with degrees in economics and political science. I also studied Chinese and international relations. As an international student from Barcelona, Spain, I was part of student government and the International Students' Affairs Committee. Additionally, I was a research assistant to Professor Goemans, who really was my inspiration to continue doing research and carry out my honors thesis for the political science department."

–BEATRIZ GIL

STUDY ABROAD No matter what area of study you pursue (yes, even engineering!), you have the opportunity to discover non-US languages, arts, religions, literatures, and cultures, study another country’s historical, political, and economic systems and societal and gender norms, or explore international perspectives on topics like alternative energy, optics, and sound design. Whether you are interested in studying abroad as part of your academic program or simply because you really want to explore a specific corner of the world, Rochester offers study abroad programs in countries all over the world.

I graduated with the Class of 2019 and studied nursing, public health, and interdisciplinary dance studies. I am originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey. Currently I am a student in the Dual Degree in Nursing program studying at the medical center. At Rochester, I was the president of the College Diabetes Network and a research assistant at the School of Nursing. In my sophomore year, I studied public health abroad at the University of Oxford."

–CHARLOTTE PILLOW

AFTER ROCHESTER

Join a residential research institution and take advantage of the perks for a lifetime. Rochester will prepare you for success beyond what is statistically predicted for students at other colleges.

Our graduates go on to be leaders and forward thinkers in their fields, setting an example for their peers as creative problem solvers who make the world better.

I am a member of the Class of 2020 from Washington, DC, majoring in political science. I am the Students’ Association vice president. Student government is a place where I can connect with other students on campus and administration to create proactive change on behalf of the student population.

My dream job is to be mayor of DC, with an end goal of one day being the President of the United States."

–JAMAL HOLTZ