This online publication presents the academic regulations, programs of study and course offerings of Princeton University. Information about other important areas is available from various offices of the University, included in publications distributed to students, or found on the Princeton University website.Princeton University is a private, coeducational university located in Princeton, New Jersey, midway between New York City and Philadelphia. The 500-acre central campus is residential, and all buildings are within easy walking distance of one another. Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton now has an undergraduate population of approximately 5,200 students working toward the bachelor of arts (A.B.) or bachelor of science in engineering (B.S.E.) degree. The University's outstanding financial aid program provides grants rather than loans — which do not have to be repaid — and ensures that a Princeton education is affordable to qualified students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. A single faculty of approximately 1,500 teaches both graduate and undergraduate students.Nearly all undergraduates are in residence on the campus, and housing is guaranteed for all four years. The residential colleges provide a vast array of educational and social activities. In housing and dining arrangements, extracurricular activities, and daily social life, undergraduates make up a single student body regardless of degree candidacy or program of study. With many lectures, classes and laboratories in common, undergraduates enjoy a shared academic experience, no matter what their principal field of study. The A.B. DegreePrograms of study in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences lead to the degree of bachelor of arts. Students select a major from the following academic departments:African American StudiesAnthropologyArchitectureArt and ArchaeologyAstrophysical SciencesChemistryClassicsComparative LiteratureComputer ScienceEast Asian StudiesEcology and Evolutionary BiologyEconomicsEnglishFrench and ItalianGeosciencesGermanHistoryMathematicsMolecular BiologyMusicNear Eastern StudiesNeurosciencePhilosophyPhysicsPoliticsPrinceton School of Public and International AffairsPsychologyReligionSlavic Languages and LiteraturesSociologySpanish and Portuguese The B.S.E. DegreePrograms of study in the School of Engineering and Applied Science lead to the degree of bachelor of science in engineering. Students select a major from the following academic departments:Chemical and Biological EngineeringCivil and Environmental EngineeringComputer ScienceElectrical and Computer EngineeringMechanical and Aerospace EngineeringOperations Research and Financial Engineering MinorsUndergraduates may supplement their major field of study with any of the following minor programs:African American StudiesAfrican StudiesApplied and Computational MathematicsArabic LanguageArchaeologyAsian American StudiesBioengineeringChinese LanguageClassicsClimate ScienceCognitive ScienceComputer ScienceCreative WritingDanceEast Asian StudiesEngineering PhysicsEnglishEnvironmental StudiesEuropean StudiesFinanceFrench and ItalianGender and Sexuality StudiesGlobal Health and Health PolicyHebrew LanguageHellenic StudiesHistoryHistory of ArtHistory of Science, Technology, and MedicineHumanistic StudiesJapanese LanguageJournalismJudaic StudiesKorean LanguageLatin American StudiesLatino StudiesLinguisticsMaterials Science and EngineeringMathematicsMedieval StudiesMusicMusic PerformanceNear Eastern StudiesNeurosciencePersian LanguagePhilosophyQuantitative EconomicsReligionRobotics Russian, East European and Eurasian StudiesSlavic Languages and CulturesSouth Asian StudiesSpanish and PortugueseStatistics and Machine LearningSustainable EnergyTheater and Music TheaterTranslation and Intercultural CommunicationsTurkish LanguageValues and Public LifeVisual ArtsCertificate ProgramsStudents may earn a certificate by completing the requirements in one or more of the following programs:American StudiesArchitecture and EngineeringEntrepreneurshipGerman Language and CultureHistory and the Practice of DiplomacyOptimization and Quantitative Decision SciencePlanets and LifeQuantitative and Computational BiologyTeacher PreparationTechnology and SocietyUrban StudiesWhile methods of instruction vary widely, all areas of the academic program emphasize individual responsibility and the free interchange of ideas. This emphasis is demonstrated most notably in the wide use of preceptorials and seminars, in the provision of independent study for all upper-class students and qualified under-class students, and in the availability of a series of special programs to meet a range of individual interests. The undergraduate college encourages the student to be an independent seeker of information and to assume responsibility for gaining both knowledge and judgment that will strengthen later contributions to society.Undergraduate regulations, academic and social, are relatively few. They represent the expectation of appropriate behavior on the part of all students and require a reasonable standard of performance in scholarly achievement.
