Amherst Voices

“ I hope to work with underserved communities and increase awareness of the uneven access to care, and give back by helping others who have struggled like me. ”

Rana Barghout
Medical student Rana Barghout ’20, received her short white coat during Weill Cornell Medicine’s annual White Coat Ceremony.

Amherst Voices

“ As you are coming together here as students, you are actually engaging in preparation to advance a democratic society. ”

President Michael Elliott
President Michael A. Elliott ’92 addressing new students gathered in Johnson Chapel for Opening Convocation.
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Amherst College

COVID-19 INFORMATION

Learn about the College’s response to COVID-19, campus guidelines, and more:

Facts & Photos

A liberal-arts education develops an individual’s potential for understanding possibilities, perceiving consequences, creating novel connections and making life-altering choices. It fosters innovative and critical thinking as well as strong writing and speaking skills. We prepare students for many possible careers, meaningful lives and service to society.

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Amherst Facts

80%

Percentage of Amherst alumni who report that they have attended graduate or professional school

84%

Percentage of Amherst courses that have fewer than 30 students

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Amherst Photos

Faculty Spotlight

Jeeyon Jeong

Jeeyon Jeong

BIOLOGY

Jeeyon Jeong, associate professor of biology, won a National Science Foundation CAREER award, the organization’s most prestigious award for young faculty members, in March.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Elizabeth Herbin-Triant

Elizabeth Herbin-Triant

BLACK STUDIES and HISTORY

Elizabeth Herbin-Triant, associate professor of Black studies and history, won a Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship for 2022–23 to support a book she is writing about abolition. 

RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FELLOW

Jeffers Englehardt

Jeffers Englehardt

MUSIC

Jeffers Englehardt, professor of music, published an article co-authored with Kate Bancroft ’23, Alex Rule ’23 and Charlotte Wang ’24 in Resonance: The Journal of Sound and Culture. 

READ THE ARTICLE

Latest Videos

The Restoration of the Emily Dickinson Museum

Stored in the loft above the garage at the Emily Dickinson Museum was the original, 9-foot tall front door of the Homestead, over four dozen original staircase balusters, and much more. The museum has now reopened after its most significant restoration project to date. — Video by Marcus DeMaio and Patrick Fecher

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Celebrating President Carolyn "Biddy" Martin

Last September, President Biddy Martin, who has served as the 19th president of Amherst College since 2011, announced that she would conclude her tenure at the end of July. In this video, students, faculty, staff and alumni reflect on Biddy's lasting impact. THANK YOU, BIDDY!!

Slideshow

Press Release announcing retirement

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Architecture: Making Time Visible

What do the buildings at Amherst College tell us about the values and visions of their creators? Follow Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Blair Kamin ’79 as he takes us on a historical and philosophical tour of campus. —Video by Marcus DeMaio

Learn more

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A Window Into the Science Center

Take a tour of our Science Center, which opened in the fall of 2018 and provides state-of-the-art facilities and flexible spaces to support the sciences at Amherst. —Video by Marcus DeMaio.

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Aerial view of the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts (new page)
President Martin listens as a student discusses his SURF research in the Science Center. (new page)
A overhead view of Amherst College campus taken from a drone (new page)
Sun setting behind the Science Center at Amherst College (new page)
Aerial view of the Amherst College campus (new page)

Distinctive Courses

Our open curriculum lets you choose among interesting classes taught by exceptional faculty.

  • Arts
  • Humanities
  • Science & Math
  • Social Sciences
Our Majors
History; Latinx and Latin American Studies; Art & the History of Art

Frida and Diego

Description

Through discussion, lectures, readings, and visual analysis, examine the art, lives and times of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, two of Mexico’s most famous artists.

Art and the History of Art

Arts of Japan

Description

Survey the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present, from Buddhist art and its ritual context to contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey.

Environmental Studies; History

The Wild and the Cultivated

Description

Consider human relationships with plants from a global-historical perspective, comparing trends in various regions and time periods, and focusing on the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution, seed-saving practices, medicinal plants, religious rites, food traditions, biopiracy, agribusiness, and biofuels.

English; Film & Media Studies

True Crime: Unlearning Media

Description

Delve deep into the recent boom in true crime documentary films, series, and podcasts to understand what drives the audience appetite for crime stories, and what narratives are missing. How does media shape what we believe to be true?

Neuroscience

Neurobiology of Appetite

Description

Explore how neurobiological systems and behavioral processes influence eating and body weight, including metabolism, neural mechanisms of hunger and satiety, metabolic disorders, dieting, pica, starvation, taste preference and aversion, obesity, anxiety and depression, and all eating disorders.

Black Studies

The Black Radical Tradition

Description

Explore the history and philosophy of Black resistance to domination and oppression in the new world, beginning with the Haitian Revolution and proceeding to the grand and petty revolts of the nineteenth century.

Amherst News & Events

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Nondiscrimination Statement

Amherst College does not discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs and activities on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any other characteristic or class protected under applicable federal, state or local law. Amherst College complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Inquiries should be addressed to the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000.