What Major is Dartmouth Known For? 5 Programs to Consider

As an Ivy League school, it’s unsurprising that Dartmouth College has an academic reputation of combining rigorous liberal-arts education and extensive research opportunities. The college is particularly noted for small class sizes, close student–faculty collaboration, and its strong undergraduate focus. But what major is Dartmouth known for?

In the article below, we’ll list five programs and explain what makes them so notable. We’ll also give a quick discussion on choosing a major at Dartmouth.

• Economics at Dartmouth
• Psychology at Dartmouth
• Earth Sciences at Dartmouth
• Biology at Dartmouth
• Engineering Sciences at Dartmouth
• Choosing a Major at Dartmouth
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Economics at Dartmouth

Dartmouth’s economics major is known for its analytical rigor and breadth, ranking 15th in the country. The department offers courses in many areas, including:

• Competition and strategy
• Development economics
• Finance
• Health economics
• International economics
• Labor economics
• Macroeconomics
• Public economics

These subjects are all taught with an emphasis on real-world applications. Instructors will teach you how to use economic frameworks and data to analyze pressing social and policy issues.

Research-heavy program

Dartmouth’s economics major is known for being a research-heavy field, so undergrads are encouraged to pursue research early. Fortunately, Dartmouth offers many opportunities for you to get involved in research.

The most prominent would be the Dartmouth Economic Research Scholars (DERS) program, which is a highly selective program designed for students with strong potential in economics research.

If you’re accepted as a DERS participant, you’ll get to engage in out-of-class enrichment activities like dinner discussions, workshops, and peer exchanges. You’ll also experience paid assistantships on faculty research projects, usually through the College’s Presidential Scholars program.

In the future, that assistantship can evolve into research collaborations with faculty and independent student projects, including senior theses.

But even if you’re not accepted as a participant, there are still other ways to get involved in research—such as working as a research assistant for a faculty member, doing the senior honors thesis, and enrolling in upper-level economics courses.

Psychology at Dartmouth

Dartmouth’s Psychology major, housed within the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS), is known for its strong emphasis on scientific inquiry, cutting-edge research, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the mind and behavior. The program ranks 30th in the country.

As a psychology undergrad, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The curriculum covers topics such as:

• Cognition
• Learning
• Perception
• Neuroscience
• Social behavior

These topics make sure you don’t just learn about isolated psychological phenomena. Instead, through an integrative approach, you’ll understand how the biological, psychological, and social aspects of human behavior interact with one another.

Research specializations

The psychology major is also known at Dartmouth for having strong research specializations, especially in areas that blend psychology with neuroscience—hence the department’s name. Some important areas include:

• Brain and Behavior (Behavioral Neuroscience). Studying the neural mechanisms underlying behavior, usually involving animal models and various physiological measures.
• Perception and Cognition (Cognitive Neuroscience). Exploring how the brain creates cognitive functions like memory, attention, language, and decision-making, often utilizing neuroimaging techniques.
• Social Psychology (Social and Affective Neuroscience). Looking at how social factors influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and the neural underpinnings of social processes like empathy, morality, and group dynamics.
• Developmental Psychology. Studying cognitive and emotional development across the lifespan, including typical and atypical neurodevelopment.

These areas are further supported by interdisciplinary connections through the Neuroscience Center, Cognitive Science Program, and Psychiatry Department.

Earth Sciences at Dartmouth

Another major that Dartmouth is known for is Earth Sciences, which ranks 42nd in the country. The program offers a broad yet deep understanding of the Earth’s processes, materials, history, and its interactions with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The scope includes:

• Geology
• Geophysics
• Geochemistry
• Environmental Sciences
• Climate and Cryospheric Sciences
• Earth and Planetary History

The Earth’s systems are complex and will need insights from various scientific disciplines, which is why the department encourages an interdisciplinary approach. That means you’ll also be exposed to concepts from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and even computer science to handle the more complicated geological and environmental challenges from multiple angles.

Experiential learning

Dartmouth’s Earth Sciences major is also known because of its commitment to hands-on, experiential learning through extensive fieldwork. After all, direct observation and data collection in natural environments are important to Earth scientists.

The faculty members are also highly active researchers, so you’ll find plenty of chances to be involved with fieldwork. Some major research themes you might expect to work with include Earth surface and environmental processes, climate and cryospheric science, and Earth and planetary history.

Aside from fieldwork, Dartmouth’s Earth Sciences major is also known for providing experiential learning through involvement in the department’s modern laboratories and facilities that support advanced research and teaching. Some examples include:

• Evans Map Room. This extensive collection of geologic maps and cartographic resources is found in the Berry Library.
• Ice Core Lab. This lab is specifically designed for processing, sampling, and analyzing ice cores, which are important for paleoclimate research.
• Sample Preparation and Characterization Labs. These labs have rock-cutting and polishing equipment, petrographic microscopes, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

Biology at Dartmouth

Dartmouth’s Biology major is known for giving a comprehensive and modern understanding of life, from molecular processes to ecosystems, by providing a highly interdisciplinary environment. The program ranks 37th in the country.

The curriculum that gives you a good foundation in molecular and cellular biology, organismal and developmental biology, and ecology and evolution. From there, you can tailor your studies through various electives and research opportunities to focus on areas like:

• Genetics and Genomics
• Neurobiology
• Plant Biology
• Microbiology
• Ecosystems Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Computational Biology

Research is a big part of Dartmouth’s biology, and there are many opportunities for you to be involved. For one, you can look at the research done by different faculty members and contact them if you share the same interests, asking if you can volunteer at their lab.

You can also do an independent study or take the senior Honors thesis. Programs like the Women in Science Project (WISP) and Presidential Scholars also actively support and fund undergraduate research.

Research facilities

Dartmouth’s biology major is also known for its commitment to biological research, which is also reflected in its modern and well-equipped facilities, one of the most notable ones being the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center (LSC). Some of its features are:

• Modern Open Lab Spaces. Designed to encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary interactions among research groups.
• Life Sciences Light Microscopy Facility. A cutting-edge facility with multiple laser scanning confocal microscopes, spinning disk confocal microscopes, TIRF systems, multi-photon microscopes, and wide-field fluorescence microscopes, enabling high-resolution imaging of biological samples.
• Greenhouse. A 6,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse provides space for plant research and serves as a living botanical museum.
• Specialized Core Facilities. Including Drosophila media kitchens, apparatus shops, and 3-D printing shops.
• Shared Equipment. Access to numerous pieces of shared equipment such as autoclaves, super-speed centrifuges, ultra-centrifuges, fluorescence plate readers, and spectrophotometers.

Engineering Sciences at Dartmouth

Dartmouth’s Engineering major is known for their human-centered, interdisciplinary, and hands-on approach to engineering education and research. The Thayer School of Engineering, ranked 59th in the country, was founded in 1867 and is one of the first engineering schools in the US.

As an undergrad at Thayer, you’ll be taught to design solutions that genuinely meet human needs and improve the human condition, anticipating both intended and unintended consequences. Rather than specializing narrowly early on, Thayer also emphasizes a systems-based approach.

That means you’ll learn to view problems as interconnected systems, helping you understand the broader implications of your designs and to adapt quickly to new challenges that don’t fit neatly into traditional engineering disciplines.

Unique engineering majors

Dartmouth’s Engineering major is known also for its interesting setup where all undergraduates first earn an AB in Engineering Sciences. This degree requires a strong foundation in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science, and core engineering courses, while fulfilling the same liberal arts distribution requirements as other Dartmouth students.

Then, if you want a professional, ABET-accredited engineering degree, Dartmouth offers a fifth-year Bachelor of Engineering (BE) program.

Thayer actively avoids strict departmental divisions (like separate departments for civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering found at other universities). Instead, faculty expertise and curriculum are organized around Program Areas like Biomedical, Energy, Electrical & Computer, Materials Science, letting you customize your path and draw from multiple disciplines without artificial barriers.

Dartmouth Engineering major is known for its strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship as well. For example, the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship provides resources, mentorship, and funding to students and faculty interested in launching startups.

Dartmouth also offers the PhD Innovation Program (PhD-I), which is the country’s first doctoral-level program designed to equip PhD students with the skills and support to translate their research into commercial ventures.

Choosing a Major at Dartmouth

Dartmouth has what’s called the “D-Plan,” a unique academic calendar system, operating on a quarter system rather than the more common semester system.

Instead of two long semesters, Dartmouth divides the academic year into four 10-week terms: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. For each term, you can enroll in classes (typically three) or use it as a “leave term.” If you use it as a leave term, you can:

• Participate in internships
• Do research
• Travel
• Work
• Take a break

You can declare your major as late as the end of your fifth term of residence (typically sophomore winter or spring).

The D-Plan gives you all that time to take courses across various departments, feeding your curiosity and fulfilling distribution requirements in subjects like humanities, social sciences, sciences, and arts. This broad exposure may reveal unexpected passions and strengths.

For instance, you might arrive thinking you’ll major in English but discover a love for Earth Sciences after an engaging introductory course.

Most first-year students start with a mix of introductory classes, which usually includes one or two possible major fields and one or two completely new areas. All first-year students are required to be on campus taking classes for the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms. Students are generally required to be in residence during the summer term immediately following their sophomore year.

Customizing your D-Plan

Once you hit junior year, you can create your own “D-Plan,” deciding which of the remaining terms you will spend on campus, abroad, or on a leave term.

It’s important to get some academic advising at any point, but most especially before you declare your major. You get assigned a faculty advisor during your first year, usually one aligned with your general interests. As you progress, you can start consulting with major-specific advisors and department faculty.

On top of that, the Undergraduate Dean’s Office and Academic Skills Center also offer resources for planning course loads and exploring programs. Peer advisors and upperclassmen mentors, such as those in the FYSEP (First-Year Student Enrichment Program), also provide practical guidance.

Remember that Dartmouth also supports interdisciplinary study through modified majors, double majors, and minors if you think you can’t stick to just one program.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Dartmouth a good school?

Yes, Dartmouth is a good school, ranking 15th among national universities. The school is known for its rigorous academics, unique D-Plan calendar, and small class sizes, among other factors.

2. What is Dartmouth known for academically?

Dartmouth is known for its rigorous liberal-arts curriculum combined with strong STEM and social science programs. Some of the majors that Dartmouth is known for include economics, psychology, Earth sciences, biology, and engineering.

3. What is the hardest major at Dartmouth?

“Hard” is subjective, but Engineering Sciences and Chemistry may be considered as some of the hardest majors because of rigorous coursework, lab hours, and fast pace within the D-Plan.

Takeaways

• Dartmouth College has strong academics, but some of the majors the school is particularly known for are economics, psychology, Earth sciences, biology, and engineering.
• Dartmouth’s D-Plan gives you until the end of your sophomore year at the latest to declare your major, giving you the freedom to take classes you’re interested in.
• Want to experience Dartmouth’s academics? Talk to a private admissions consultant to help strengthen your college application for better chances of admission.