Programs of Study

While the Weekend College has incorporated a number of features designed to meet the capabilities and needs of adult learners, the program should not be viewed as distinct from Hiram College itself. Founded in 1850, Hiram College has long been known for excellence in education, and the Weekend College program maintains these same high standards. Every Hiram student, upon completion of graduation requirements, will have an education in the depth, breadth, and interrelatedness of knowledge that is the liberal arts tradition.

The curriculum of the Weekend College offers courses that help develop specialized skills to improve job capabilities; at the same time it provides the opportunity for personal and cultural enrichment. Since education must entail depth in a special field of study, students are encouraged to focus their studies in particular disciplines. Independent study and advanced seminars facilitate such learning. Students have an important role in developing their own programs of study. A faculty advisor is assigned for each student to help plan a course of study, consider educational objectives, and generally provide advice and counseling. Adults who have taken college courses years ago or who have never attended college often feel uncomfortable about the prospect of returning to school. A close working relationship with one's faculty advisor alleviates the confusion and impersonal characteristic of other programs.

The general graduation requirements constitute the general education component of a student's liberal arts education at Hiram. Students will improve their writing and analytical skills and will learn interdisciplinary studies which focus on contemporary and timeless questions of intellectual relevance to mankind.

In addition to completing the general graduation requirements, students will choose a major area of study (see available majors on the right). Students should explore the majors available in the Weekend College and discuss their possibilities with their faculty advisor and Jane Preston Rose, Dean of the Weekend College.