Colleges w/o traditional requirements?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I may sound harebrained, but there's method to my madness. Are there any colleges out there without a core curriculum, general education requirements, distribution requirements, or major requirements? I am by no means looking for a college with absolutely no requirements to obtain a degree. A certain credit hour requirement for graduation and having to complete research or some form of a substantial project to graduate are fine with me.</p>

<p>I've been looking at non traditional (student directed) colleges, but even they at the least have distribution requirements. The only colleges I've found that even come close to what I'm looking for are Marlboro and Bennington. Marlboro has distribution requirements for their BS, but not their BA.</p>

<p>If I'm understanding correctly Marlboro and Bennington don't have a core curriculum, gen. ed, distribution or major requirements. What they do have are a minimum credit hour requirement, a "plan" (different for either college) requirement plus Marlboro has a writing program requirement. Are there any other colleges similar to these colleges in that they don't have the traditional education requirements i.e. core curriculum, gen. ed., distribution, and major requirements?</p>

2

<p>I don’t think that Smith has a core curriculum… not completely sure on that, though.</p>

3

<p>Brown and Hamilton have no distribution requirements. You can also (like at many schools) design your own major.</p>

4

<p>University of Rochester has a different plan…</p>

5

<p>What about Hampshire College (MA)?
I don’t even think they call it Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior Year.</p>

6

<p>I actually had that same criteria. Brown, Hampshire, Vassar are all ones I looked at.</p>

7

<p>Bard has a distribution requirement, but it’s really flexible.</p>

8

<p>Are you tied to the Northeast? If not, have you considered New College in Sarasota, Florida? As the Arctic cold grips the nation, Florida sounds lovely to me!!!</p>

9

<p>Grinnell has no distribution requirements. The only required course is that you sign up for one of the 20+ writing intensive freshman seminars in the fall semester of your freshman year. The topics range from those that are science/tech intensive to those that are purely topical to straight humanities. The class is small, and taught by the professor who then becomes your advisor until you declare a major.</p>