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Founded in 1963, Pitzer College is a top-ranked liberal art and sciences college. The College emphasizes environmental and interdisciplinary studies, the arts, humanities, social, behavioral, and natural sciences. With approximately 1,000 students, Pitzer College is part of The Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. Contiguous campuses share numerous programs and facilities. At Pitzer, students have access to a major university's resources while enjoying all the benefits of a liberal arts college experience and its personalized approach to education. Pitzer students shape their own college experience. Focused educational objectives guide undergraduates as they plan their academic careers. Students can work with faculty advisers to create their particular majors. They are encouraged to collaborate with community members on local projects and critically examine the effects of social and environmental policies. Students actively participate in college governance by serving on committees or becoming voting members of the College Council, the College's decision-making body. Pitzer College celebrates cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. Students from different socioeconomic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds come to Pitzer from across the globe. In addition to learning from one another, students are encouraged to participate in one of the 46 international exchanges available through Pitzer's study abroad programs, helping them learn a foreign language and deepening their appreciation of global diversity. Pitzer is located in Claremont, a Southern California college town known for its eclectic restaurants and shops, close-knit community and network of trails and parks. Situated at the San Gabriel Mountains base, Claremont is an hour's drive to downtown Los Angeles, the Pacific coast, the desert highlands, and some of Southern California's tallest mountain peaks. Pitzer College produces engaged, socially responsible citizens of the world through an academically rigorous, interdisciplinary liberal arts education emphasizing social justice, intercultural understanding, and environmental sensitivity. The meaningful participation of students, faculty, and staff in college governance and academic program design is a Pitzer core value. Our community thrives within the mutually supportive framework of The Claremont Colleges, which provides an unsurpassed breadth of academic, athletic, and social opportunities. Pitzer College welcomes international students from over 25 countries due to its commitment to the educational objective of intercultural understanding. The diversity of culture and perspective they bring add a global dimension to the vibrant campus community. Pitzer College is committed to the goals of international education and welcomes applications from international students. International students may participate in the International Scholars Program, which develops the sophisticated English level needed to engage in the challenging liberal arts education Pitzer offers actively. International Scholars are admitted as regular, full-time students with the requirement of completing advanced English courses as part of their undergraduate studies. The College acknowledges the vast diversity of student interests, abilities, needs, and styles. Together with a faculty adviser, we expect that each student will create a coherent program of study by the College's Educational Objectives. Academic advising is considered an integral function of the teaching role of faculty members. Each student entering Pitzer College is assigned a faculty adviser. Students are encouraged to consult frequently with their advisers concerning the formulation and development of their academic programs. Beyond officially designated academic advisers, students are encouraged to consult with other faculty members as well. The faculty represents a wide range of expertise, and faculty members will be glad to talk with students about their fields of interest. In conjunction with the Center for Career and Community Services, one faculty member of each field group is designated as the graduate school adviser. Before midterm of the second semester of the sophomore year, students will choose a principal adviser and begin discussions regarding the major. Students must complete a Major/Educational Objectives form and submit it to the Registrar Office no later than midterm of the first semester of the junior year. The primary mission of Pitzer College's Academic Support Services (PASS) is to assist students in achieving academic success. PASS is committed to collaborating with Pitzer's diverse community to ensure that all aspects of campus life- learning, working, and living are accessible to all students. PASS provides resources, training, programming, collaboration, and direct services to facilitate academic success, create inclusive environments, and achieve access and equity. Knowledgeable advisers at Pitzer College assist candidates through the selection and application process for scholarships, grants, and fellowships. Students are encouraged to investigate options early in their academic careers and learn a foreign language, live abroad, and complete an independent study project for credit as an undergraduate. Candidates select from a range of national and international undergraduate and graduate opportunities. Pitzer's eight direct-run programs in seven countries integrate classroom instruction with in-country experiences that encourage students to think in ways that cross over disciplines, cultures, and social boundaries. Pitzer's study abroad program is a critical factor behind the record-breaking number of prestigious postgraduate fellowships and scholarships our students receive every year to pursue academic inquiry both in the U.S. and overseas after graduation. View full university