The Hiram Plan consists of 12 weeks of traditional coursework, a one-week break, followed by a three-week intensive study in a single class. According to alumni and students alike, this structure is a near perfect one for fostering student learning and engagement.
During the first twelve weeks of the semester, most students enroll in three four-credit classes. At the conclusion of that semester, students get a weeklong break to recharge and refresh. Following the break, students immerse in a single class that usually meets four times a week for the next three weeks. Many 3-Week courses take the shape of a research project, a service-learning experience, an internship or a study-away opportunity. The 3-Week is also a good time to focus on a unique topic of interest or a subject you struggle with.
Can you think of a better way to organize your classes, keep you motivated, and allow you to recoup in-between? We can’t.
Over the course of four years, you’ll complete eight 3-Week sessions, so the possibilities are endless. Here are a few ways you may spend your 3-Week:
1. Study in another country.
Hiram College study abroad trips are unlike most college programs in that our own faculty lead them. Our faculty will be leading 3-Week trips to more than 10 destinations over the next two years, exploring topics such as:
- Biology and English on the Galapagos Islands
- Music and art in Ireland
- Management in Chile
- Psychology and economics in Australia
- Language and philosophy in France
2. Study in another state.
You don’t need to leave the country to get away during the 3-Week. There are many opportunities to supplement one or two weeks of classroom instruction with a weeklong (or more) trip to another state:
- Photography in the historic cities of Gettysburg, Pa.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Washington, D.C.
- Environmental literacy and education at our Northwoods Field Station in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
- The history of jazz and culture in New Orleans
- Marine ecology in Florida
3. Gain experience in the field.
What better way to spend three weeks of intensive study than by learning hands-on? Many 3-Week courses combine classroom instruction with in-the-field work. It’s the perfect way to get a taste of what your first job may entail or to try out a field in which you may be interested.
- Entrepreneurship students team up with real world start-up companies at Cleveland’s Shaker Launch House Incubator.
- Education students study the changing culture and landscape in American classrooms by visiting diverse schools.
- Lab courses in the sciences involve one-on-one research with faculty. Students often become co-authors on published scholarly papers.
4. Explore a unique classroom topic.
We’re known for our unique 3-Week course topics – topics on which you might spend an hour studying in a normal course, but on which you have the opportunity to immerse yourself during our 3-Week. You won’t find these course titles at other colleges:
- The Science of Sleep
- Money and the Mind
- Politics of Sex
- Insects and Society
- Dialectology
- Campaigns and Elections
- The Art of Puppetry
