Reed College

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Mission Statement

Reed's Educational Mission The curriculum at Reed is highly structured and extremely rigorous. The four basic elements-the required humanities sequence, the breadth of study requirement, junior qualifying examinations, and the senior thesis-mix a strong component of interdisciplinary work with study of traditional majors. First- and second-year students at Reed College develop a strong background in humanistic and scientific study. The junior and senior years provide opportunity for intensive examination of the subject matter and techniques of a more narrowly defined academic discipline, culminating in the senior research project and thesis. At Reed we believe the balance of a general and more specialized education is best achieved where students and faculty members work closely together in an atmosphere of shared intellectual and scholarly concern, and where individual interests andchemi student disciplines are pursued not in isolation, but with a sense of the larger intellectual life of which they are a part. Education of this kind, animated by critical inquiry, is in a real sense its own reward, but it also contributes substantially to such objectives as social responsibility and professional success. The effectiveness of such an educational experience as a foundation for widely varying careers is indicated by the outstanding records of Reed graduates in scholarly pursuits, business and industry, the professions, public service, teaching, and fine arts.