Students decide upon a major by the end of the second year of study. This allows time in the first two years to attend a variety of classes, to discuss areas of interest with faculty members and majors, to rediscover a forgotten interest, or to explore a new field. Individual majors are available to students who develop interests not encompassed by a single department. In order to earn an Arts and Sciences degree, major, minor, or concentration, a student must be enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. General Education Intellectual depth and breadth characterize liberal education.
Depth is realized through intensive training in a major.
Breadth results from the assimilation of the content, approach, and insights of several different disciplines. Oberlin's general education requirements encourage students to seek breadth in their education, while the major requirements help them to achieve depth. Although new fields have emerged and the boundaries between disciplines are becoming less distinct as knowledge expands, the traditional divisions retain sufficient coherence to provide the basis for Oberlin's general education requirements. The descriptions of departments and programs that follow allow students and faculty advisors to make informed judgments about majors and individual courses. To meet Oberlin's general education requirements students are required to complete at least nine credit hours of college-level work in each division.