Non satis scire. To know is not enough.
This is the motto for Hampshire College. Situated in the Pioneer Valley, it is part of the five college consortium, cooperation between University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. As a Hampshire student you can take courses at any of the schools while also benefiting from the hands-on environment that Hampshire promotes. But, to truly understand what studying at Hampshire is like, you need to understand how the grading system works.
Your four years at Hampshire are split into three different phases called Divisions. Division I requires students to take at least one course in four of the five schools of thought, three elective courses and fulfill the Community Engaged Learning requirement. Division II occurs during your sophomore and junior years. During this time you are start to explore your concentration (chosen area of study) through individually selected courses, independent work, internships or field studies. You also work closely with a faculty committee whose purpose is to help you successfully study your concentration. Now, Division III is a time where all the work done in your Division I and Division II come together. How exactly you decide to do your Div III is up to you. There are people who spend the whole year writing plays, conducting research, publishing articles, writing books, making art to present in the gallery. Division III is a time for you to make your three years of work come to life.
It’s important to understand that Hampshire’s divisional system truly works with Hampshire’s policy to give their students evaluations instead of grades. Hampshire isn’t the kind of college where you go in to major in one general area. Hampshire is a college where a passion for learning is an absolute requirement. Yes, it is possible to graduate from Hampshire by taking your courses and finishing your experience with the equivalent of a senior thesis. But this completely degrades the opportunities Hampshire is giving you. To put it simply, Hampshire College is for those who are hungry to learn.
