<p>Hey all, I’m trying to find out more about Bowdoin’s academics. I know that it’s reputed for its sciences, but what other departments are strong? Specifically, how is/is there an international studies program?/is there much of an international focus at Bowdoin? How’s the English department, and how are the foreign language departments? Are they among the most popular ones?/Do they have wide course offerings?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Novelist and short story talent Richard Ford is currently teaching for a couple years at Bowdoin which is really amazing. His wife is teaching as well but she is an urban planner..in fact she was once in that office in New Orleans.<br>
The Chem dept is great.
The Poli Sci dept is highly rated.<br>
Can't answer re the Int'l Studies angle. My S was very impressed with Bowdoin on a visit last year. Wonderful student body...strong but refreshing people and we liked the whole community. Maybe current students will respond but the website has a lot of info and they do answer emails!</p>
<p>The Government/Econ Departments are very strong here, though I don't know so much about an international focus. The head of the Gov Department teaches IR, but the rest of the more celebrated professors are more America-centered.</p>
<p>How strong is Biology and Anthropology?</p>
<p>Richard Ford left Bowdoin before the fall semester. I belive his wife is now out too. Ford has been replaced by author Margot Livesey.</p>
<p>The gov department officially rates highly, but has been somewhat in disarray over the past few years. See this article:
<a href="http://orient.bowdoin.edu/orient/article.php?date=2005-09-30§ion=1&id=4%5B/url%5D">http://orient.bowdoin.edu/orient/article.php?date=2005-09-30§ion=1&id=4</a></p>
<p>My impression is that the international relations concentration in the gov major is quite strong (I might suggest stronger than American...)</p>
<p>You can check out the language course offerings at the Student Records site.</p>
<p>escape: I recently had an introductory-level anthro class with a professor who was overflowing with knowledge and some great stories... he appeared to be at the top of his field (but was humble about it.)</p>
<p>I think disarray is a poor adjective. The Gov Department simply has more interested students than teaching professors since (assumedly) its high profile tends to attract government oriented students to the college.</p>
<p>bowdoin's biology department is very poor. go for chemistry it is much much better.</p>
<p>biology at bowdoin really is poor? I've heard otherwise...</p>
<p>if you are really serious about becoming a biology major don't go to bowdoin. there are so many better lac biology departments. look around and you will find them and you will also see that bowdoin is not among them. chemistry is the way to go if you are going to bowdoin.</p>
<p>Biology at Bowdoin poor? I think not. I will be majoring in it next year, and I know for a fact it is a great department. Normally there are about 20-30 bio majors from any given class, so you get a lot of great individualized attention. Additionally, their placement to med schools from this program is at 95%.</p>
<p>Yeah, Hooray doesn't really know what they're talking about, Biology is one of Bowdoin's largest majors.</p>
<p>big isn't always better........i'm just saying look around at other lacs biology departments and you'll see.</p>
<p>There is enough bashing around here. Are you a Bowdoin Student? Do you know any Bowdoin students?</p>
<p>Allow me to lead you on a journey of dizzying logic and dazzling insight.</p>
<p>First let me make an assumption. The kids who go to Bowdoin are smart.</p>
<p>ok</p>
<p>let's look at our facts.</p>
<p>Smart Kids.
Big Biology Department.</p>
<p>I propose that the biology department is large, because the students are taking the courses. Agree?</p>
<p>I propose the students are taking courses because they like them. Agree?</p>
<p>I propose that since the students are smart, they make the major large because it is a strong program. Agree?</p>
<p>Bigger isn't always better. But at a college like Bowdoin, the size of a major might do much to indicate that the college indeed has strength in that department.</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on Bowdoin's English and Computer Science Department. When I visited I noticed that the Comp Sci department is real small, like 13 majors and 4 professors. And I never got to see the English department, I am really curious about thier creative writing program. Can anyone comment?</p>
<p>I'm a CS major!</p>
<p>We have a small department (right now 3 professors) but it's very strong. We're also engaged in a faculty search for another professor, so it will be back up to 4 very soon. We've got a pretty well equipped robot lab, which helps us field a robocup team. The great thing about the small number of students is that you get a lot of undergraduate research opportunities, and you also really know the professors.</p>
<p>'Nuff said! See you next year!</p>
<p>Mo</p>
<p>Go U Bears!</p>