Grinnell holds firmly to its commitment to the traditional values of a liberal arts education. The liberal approach to education gives Grinnell students the foundation they need to be not only well educated, but to be active participants in the world community.
As a liberal arts college, Grinnell encourages students to take courses from across the academic curriculum, not just within one subject or area of study. At Grinnell, you'll get the chance to expand your interests in an environment that encourages broad, interdisciplinary learning. Your academic adviser (a faculty member) will help you choose courses from a variety of topics and areas to develop a well-rounded curriculum, while still being able to pursue an area of interest in-depth. Students usually choose a major or concentrated area of study during their second year at Grinnell. This diversity of study - the cornerstone of a liberal arts education - will help you unlock unknown interests, talents, and passions within yourself, and it prepares you for the lifelong pursuit of learning.
Grinnell College believes that the liberally educated person is one who appreciates the value of having studied the subject matter of a variety of academic disciplines, and who has a sense of both the unity and the diversity of human knowledge. The liberal education guards the student against the narrowness of outlook that arises from concentrating exclusively on one subject. Students master ways of thinking previously unexplored or avoided, and build lasting intellectual self-confidence.
