In this interdisciplinary concentration, you study Chinese and Japanese language and East Asian literature, history, music, philosophy, political science, and religion. You take classes in other disciplines, do an interdisciplinary research project during your senior year, and participate, if you wish, in off-campus study in China, Japan, or Taiwan.
As an American studies concentrator, you take a holistic, interdisciplinary look at American culture, examining race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, and political culture in a historical, intellectual, and social context. In addition to required courses and a mentored advanced project, you can choose from an extensive course list in the humanities and social studies.
In Grinnell’s interdisciplinary GWSS curriculum, you examine women, men, gender, and sexuality; study various cultures and historical periods; use diverse research methods; and understand how scholars apply feminist, queer, and intersectional theories.
Studying psychology, you learn how to read texts closely, design and conduct laboratory research and use related technology, and analyze and interpret statistics. In courses you investigate the natural science and principles of behavior and learn how to ethically apply them to alleviate suffering. You can also participate in the Journal Club, independent study, and internships. Majors can go on to graduate studies or careers in teaching, scientific research, clinical work, medicine, law, and more.
Physics at Grinnell combines a rigorous curriculum with a supportive community of faculty and students. You apply your intellectual curiosity to classical and modern theory — and get extensive laboratory experience in technically advanced facilities and via faculty-student research, off-campus research, seminars, and internships. Physics also supports a 3-2 program in engineering and offers exceptional opportunities and
Studying the mathematical sciences develops your skills in logical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and data analysis — skills germane to many disciplines. Our students frequently participate in national competitions, student seminars, summer research, and internships. Our faculty members have strong research careers and actively engage students in their research.
General science is an interdisciplinary major that gives you a grand tour of the sciences.
Computer science study at Grinnell is innovative — you experience varied pedagogical and problem-solving approaches. It’s comprehensive, involving several programming languages and a balance of theory and application. It’s thorough — guided by national curricular guidelines and taught in extensive new facilities.
As a chemistry student, you’ll enjoy small classes (including introductory chemistry), significant original research experiences in our modern laboratories, wide ranging student-faculty collaboration, varying teaching methods that serve diverse learning styles, and opportunities to teach others through our mentor program.
Biological Chemistry is an interdisciplinary combination of biology and chemistry. Core courses of the major emphasize the interrelationships of topics, are inquiry driven, and ponder the structure, function, and regulation of biomolecules that mediate chemical processes in the cell.