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Harvey Mudd College has a reputation of producing the most educated and well-rounded scientists, engineers and mathematicians all embodying the spirit of leadership. This college belongs to the Claremont University Consortium alongside Pomona College, Claremont McKenna and other schools in the Claremont area. Students of HMC can choose from various majors offered, among which natural sciences and applied sciences are the most popular. Many students go for the strong science program, including courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics and physics.
Students may opt for the independent study program, take up an off-campus major and sign up for joint programs in biology and chemistry, computer science and mathematics, as well as mathematical biology. Harvey Mudd College is a selective school and accepts only the students with high potential for innovation and leadership.
The emphasis is on undergraduate research, as it always has been since the school’s founding. As a result of the intensive undergraduate training, most students move on to pursue graduate courses in technology, engineering and the natural sciences.
School History
Harvey Mudd College was chartered in 1955 and opened for enrolment 1957 prompted by the participation of the USA in the space race. The school greatly contributed to the expansion and development of a technical education curriculum in the country. The college got its early reputation for academic excellence by attracting the brightest students and turning them into trained scientific and technical personnel. A strong emphasis is also placed in the social sciences and humanities.
In 1963, Harvey Mudd College was a pioneer of the Clinic Program, a nationally renowned training scheme that allows government and non-profit agencies to sponsor research works for teams of students, allowing these students to solve complex problems of real companies.
The school’s namesake was Harvey Seeley Mudd, a mining engineer who graduated from Stanford and Columbia universities. He served as a director of the Southern Pacific Company, the Hospital of The Good Samaritan, the Texas Gulf Sulphur Company, the Founders Fire and Marine Insurance Company and the RAND Corporation. He was also a trustee of the California Institute of Technology, as well as the Southwest Museum. He had a specific love for The Claremont Colleges and took over the chairmanship of the Board of Fellows of Claremont Graduate University for 25 years. Before he died, he was instrumental in the planning of a new undergraduate college that focuses on the sciences and engineering, which was established and named in his honor.
Campus Life
Most of the students in Harvey Mudd College aspire to become scientists, spacecraft personnel and engineers, and many of them graduate with enough knowledge and potential to make their dreams come true. Almost all of the enrolled students live on campus, which is made up of nine academic buildings and eight dormitories. The common dining area is located at the center of the cluster.
Students adhere to a common Honor Code, that has been created and enforced by the students themselves. The Honor Code mandates that all students should uphold his or her integrity as well as the integrity of the school. Because of the general adherence to this code, students are entrusted with access to school facilities such as libraries and laboratories twenty-four hours a day. The college also allows take-home exams, which can either be open-book or closed-book types. Some of the take home examinations are under a time limit, which the students implement.
Financial Aid
Assistance is given according to the demonstrated financial need of the student, which involves submission of tax and other financial documents upon application. Over eighty percent of the student body in Harvey Mudd College receives financial aid. Financial aid can come in various forms, including grants, scholarships, student loans and work opportunities.
