Harvey Mudd College

What is the history of Harvey Mudd College?

Harvey Mudd College is a private undergraduate college founded in 1955 in Claremont, California. It opened to students in 1957 as a member of The Claremont Colleges, with a purpose that was unusual for its time: combining intensive education in science and engineering with substantial study of the humanities, social sciences, and arts.

The college is named for Harvey Seeley Mudd, a mining engineer and businessman. Its later academic development included the Clinic Program, established in the 1960s, in which student teams work on projects posed by outside organizations. That combination of a common technical foundation, liberal-arts coursework, and applied projects remains central to the undergraduate experience.

What are the faculties and departments at Harvey Mudd College?

Harvey Mudd organizes its academics around departments rather than a collection of separate undergraduate schools. Students can major in fields including biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics, as well as selected interdisciplinary combinations such as mathematical and computational biology.

All students complete a substantial common core across the sciences, mathematics, and engineering, alongside humanities, social sciences, and arts requirements. The structure gives students breadth but leaves less room for unrelated electives than some undergraduate programs. The college awards bachelor's degrees; applicants seeking a broad selection of graduate or professional degrees should distinguish Harvey Mudd from the other institutions in The Claremont Colleges. Its Clinic Program also gives many students the opportunity to tackle a team-based project for an external sponsor.

What is the location of Harvey Mudd College?

Harvey Mudd College is in Claremont, California, an inland Los Angeles County city east of downtown Los Angeles. Its campus sits beside the other Claremont Colleges, making neighboring classes, facilities, and events more accessible than they would be at separate campuses across a city.

Claremont has a walkable downtown near the colleges, while trips farther across Southern California may require a car or regional transit. Ontario International Airport is the closest major airport. The residential character of Harvey Mudd means that a prospective commuter should evaluate transportation and scheduling differently from an applicant expecting to live on campus.

What is the mission and vision of Harvey Mudd College?

Harvey Mudd states that its purpose is to educate engineers, scientists, and mathematicians who also understand the humanities, social sciences, and arts - and the effects of their work on society. This is an institutional aim, not a claim that every graduate achieves a particular outcome.

The mission is visible in the required common core and humanities, social sciences, and arts coursework, rather than being confined to an optional minor. For a prospective student, the important question is whether studying technical subjects alongside writing, social inquiry, and ethical questions sounds appealing. Harvey Mudd is not a religiously affiliated college.