Liberal Arts Education

The Hampden-Sydney community has a proud history of producing well-rounded students who have a broad education and a wide breadth of knowledge. The College is committed to the belief that a liberal arts education provides the best foundation not only for a professional career, but for the great intellectual and moral challenges of life. The goal of a liberal arts education is to create a well-rounded person who can think critically and communicate effectively. While students have ample opportunity for specialized study, the college years offer an exposure to a broad-based education that

• includes core courses in the humanities, foreign language, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences,
• nurtures the development of a literate, articulate, and critical mind,
• introduces students to general principles and areas of knowledge which develop men capable of making enlightened choices, and
  
• creates a well-rounded person who can think critically and communicate effectively.

For a more in-depth look at liberal arts philosophy:

• Liberal Arts and the Human Soul
  Dr. James A. Arieti, Thompson Professor of Classics
  In this article, Dr. Arieti discusses the "ways [H-SC's] core requirements aim at the goods of the soul...What sets Hampden-Sydney apart today is its courageous embrace of the liberal arts...The spiritual gold of Hampden-Sydney's curriculum has a much greater value still."
• Dr. Bruce Leslie Discusses the Liberal Arts Education
  John B. D. Potter '11
  "As Dr. Leslie put it, because of their excellence and prestige, liberal arts schools are a 'hidden gem.'  It is no wonder that Hampden-Sydney is sometimes called 'the best kept secret in the country.' ... liberal arts education in America blossomed when colleges came to be viewed as associations that build character in atmospheres of sound learning.  The Hampden-Sydney Honor Code and Code of Conduct are modern-day descendants of this philosophy."
• But what can you do with a liberal arts degree?