Founded in 1963, Pitzer College is a coeducational liberal arts and sciences college offering a Bachelor of Arts degree. Social and behavioral science, the arts, humanities, natural sciences and interdisciplinary studies are very strong at the College.
Pitzer offers a curriculum that embraces the best of both tradition and innovation. The Pitzer education is a rigorous course of study, firmly grounded in the traditions of learning and intellectual debate found at the great colleges and universities of the world. At the same time, we offer our students the opportunity to design, with the assistance of concerned faculty advisers, academic programs that are truly creative and support and enhance individual interests and aspirations. This combination educates for our increasingly complex, global environment — for a world that requires an increasingly diverse range of skills, languages and perspectives.
As a liberal arts college with a strong curriculum in the social and behavioral sciences, Pitzer presents a unique opportunity for self-exploration and for exploration of the world. The College expects students to take an active part in planning their course of study, bring a spirit of inquiry and adventure to planning that course of study and to work hard to meet the intellectual goals of a Pitzer education.
Courses and Major Requirements in Each Field
Courses are numbered according to the level of preparation expected of the student. Courses numbered 1 to 199 are undergraduate courses. Generally speaking, those numbered below 100 are introductory courses designed for first years and sophomores or students with little or no preparation in the field. Certain field groups may choose to differentiate further their offerings by designating certain series as general education courses for students who are not necessarily majoring in the field. Courses numbered 100 or above are more advanced courses, generally designed for juniors and seniors or for those with sufficient preparation in the field.
Please note that some field groups may make no distinction among courses by level of preparation necessary and, thus, may designate courses by a simple consecutive numbering system. Students should consult the introductions which precede each field group’s course offerings.
A semester course, or one semester of a year sequence, is credited as a full course unless it is designated as a half-course. A semester course is indicated by a single number. Two-semester courses may be indicated either by consecutive hyphenated numbers (for example, 37-38) when credit for the course is granted only upon completion of both semesters or by the letters “a, b” when credit for the course is granted for either semester. Pitzer College does not give academic credit or accept transfer credit for courses in physical education or in military science.
The letter “G” after a course number indicates an undergraduate course that is taught by a member of Claremont Graduate University faculty and is open to all students in The Claremont Colleges. Students should check the course listings each semester for additional “G” courses. Students should also consult the relevant field group to determine the level of preparation necessary for any individual course.
The letters “AA” after a course number indicate an intercollegiate course taught by the Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies; “CH” indicates a course taught by the Intercollegiate Department of Chicano Studies; or “AF” by the Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies. These courses are open to all students of The Claremont Colleges. Any restrictions on enrollment other than the level of preparation required are stated in the course description.
Some courses may be designated parenthetically with an additional course number, for example, “(formerly 22).” This refers to a former course numbering system and is provided for informational purposes only.
Pitzer students may register in courses offered in the other Claremont Colleges with the approval of their advisers and subject to intercollegiate regulations.
