Academic Overview
The academic program at Salem College has its foundation and purpose in the traditional liberal arts and sciences. Salem believes that every student should have a substantive engagement with liberal learning to ensure that she has a reasonable command of the intellectual skills and cultural resources she needs to be a productive woman in a changing and increasingly complex world. Beyond that, the College expects each student to demonstrate competence in a major area of interest, as well as breadth of knowledge in subject matter central to the arts and sciences, sufficient to enable her to prepare for graduate or professional school, a career, or other opportunities requiring a liberal education.

To meet these objectives, the curriculum at Salem requires that every student (1) complete the appropriate level of work in writing; (2) meet specified distribution requirements in humanities, arts, mathematics, social sciences, and natural sciences, and (3) complete at least one academic major from among those available at the College. In addition, traditional-age students must participate in the four-year Salem Signature program and complete four January Term courses.

Because the College places a premium on meeting the special interests and needs of each student, the curriculum also offers various minors and programs, as well as extensive opportunities for independent study, off-campus study, study abroad, and internships.

Women and men age 23 and up participate in degree programs through the Office of Continuing Studies.

For more information about the majors and special programs listed below, view the current Academic Catalog.