Though the structure of distribution requirements has evolved, the requirement that each student should be acquainted with the main fields of human interest has remained a constant. These skills are essential whatever the student chooses to do with her life. Within this traditional liberal arts framework, the Wellesley curriculum is dynamic and responsive to social change and new fields of study. The dramatic expansion of information of the last decades has led to an increasingly interdisciplinary course of study. Single majors in traditional disciplines have been joined by double majors and specially designed interdisciplinary and interdepartmental majors.
Some departments also offer minors.
One of the first liberal arts colleges to establish a separate Computer Science Department and Computer Science major, Wellesley remains at the forefront of technological development. Students and faculty in all disciplines use the College's academic computing facilities in their courses and research. The well-known Wellesley Centers for Women, composed of the Center for Research on Women and the Stone Center for Developmental Services and Studies, produce work of national importance about issues facing women in contemporary society. Wellesley students enroll in a variety of MIT courses including architectural design, financial accounting, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and the sciences. Wellesley students construct individual majors in such subjects as urban planning, engineering, and linguistics, which draw on the resources of departments at both MIT and Wellesley.