Open Curriculum

At Smith, we don’t have a core set of classes every entering student must take. With our open curriculum, you’re free to explore new horizons and expand your interests. Apart from one writing intensive course and the fulfillment of a major, you can take classes in any discipline you choose—allowing you to chart your future based on what inspires you most.

Explore the Catalog

We know you’re curious, inquisitive, and eager. We know you have big ideas and solutions. We invite you to explore our courses and discover what excites you. Take a look through our current offerings and sign up for what intrigues you (prerequisites permitting, of course!). You have the chance to personally curate your college experience—focus on what inspires you.

Discover Academic Programs

“Through our open curriculum, professors bring a dynamic passion for celebrating the growth (and all that comes with it) of young people. Inspiring inquisitiveness and creativity in the vision and execution of academic life at Smith motivates us day in and day out.”

Jennifer Joyce, Dean of the First Year Class

Only One Required Course

At Smith, we believe that thinking and writing are inextricably linked—they work together to fuel students’ intellectual growth. This is why we only have one required course: a writing intensive (WI) course, to be taken during your first year at Smith.

Students can expect their WI courses to help them:

articulate a thesis or central argument, or to create a description or report, with an orderly sequence of ideas, effective transitions, and a purpose that is clear to the intended audience;
support an argument or enrich an explanation with evidence;
compose paragraphs that are focused and coherent;
develop an awareness of library-supported research tools, and an ability to search for and evaluate relevant primary and secondary sources for scholarly work;
incorporate the work of others (by quotation, summary or paraphrase) concisely, productively, and with attention to the models of citation of the various disciplines and with respect for academic integrity;
and edit work until it forcefully and persuasively communicates its meanings.

First-Year Seminars

Most students complete their writing intensive requirement by enrolling in a first-year seminar. Designed to introduce students to college-level learning by immersing them in a range of inventive topics—from “Rebellious Women” to religious diversity in the U.S.—first-year seminars are deliberately small classes, with each hosting between 16 and 20 students.

You can find a current list of fall first year seminars in the course catalog. A small number of seminars may be offered during the spring semester.

Interested in achieving Latin honors? While core courses aren’t required, you’ll need to take one class in seven different fields of knowledge to be eligible.

Advising, Tailored to You

An open curriculum doesn’t mean your academic life at Smith is unstructured or unsupported. From day one, you’ll have an academic adviser to guide you through to graduation. Explore the two primary types of advising at Smith.

Liberal Arts Advising
Students are assigned a liberal arts adviser (LAA) before they arrive on campus, based on their initial academic interests. This person will help them with choosing and registering for classes until they declare a major.

Major Advising
When a student declares their major, they also choose a major adviser—a faculty member in their chosen department. This person will guide them through course selection, internship and job advice, and more.

About Liberal Arts Advising About Major Advising

Opening Doors

The open curriculum gives students the power to chart their own course every day. Learn about the impact it’s made on a few Smithies.

Juliana Makonise ’25

Quantitative Economics major; Government minor; Global Finance concentrator

“Any class combination is possible here! Taking a Swahili language class, alongside an economics, podcasting, government, or entrepreneurship course is not peculiar at all.”

Lyn Flores ’24

Anthropology major

“Smith thrives in interdisciplinary fields. All my education draws on multiple aspects of both the science and the arts and enhances who I am as a student and person.”

Margaret Parks ’24

Engineering major; Art & Technology minor; Collaborative Innovation concentrator

“As an engineering major at a liberal arts college, I have received a unique opportunity to explore this field through many different realms with range in and outside of the department.”