Courses of Study

Curious about the areas of study that Dartmouth offers? Look no further. Dartmouth students don't need to declare a major until sophomore year, but the classes you take at Dartmouth will span disciplines far outside your chosen concentration. Here, Elina Pepper ’22 highlights the departments she’s taken courses in—and shares the inside scoop on her favorites. How will you explore?

Hometown: San Diego, CA Major: Biology with a minor in Spanish on the Pre-Health Track African and African American Studies Ancient History Anthropology Applied Mathematics for Biological and Social Sciences m Applied Mathematics for Physical and Engineering Sciences m Art History Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages Astronomy Biological Chemistry M

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Engineering Sciences M Biophysical Chemistry M Chemistry Classical Archaeology Classical Languages and Literatures Classical Studies Cognitive Science M Comparative Literature M Complex Systems m Computer Science Digital Arts m Earth Sciences

Economics

Education m Engineering Physics M

BIOL 11.03 Emerging Infectious Diseases: How Microbes Rule the World

To this day, this course remains my favorite class I have ever taken at Dartmouth. Co-taught by Professors Guerinot and McClung, this introductory biology class framed each new concept through the lens of an emerging infectious disease. Every class period focused on a new disease and how that disease could explain a foundational concept of biology, from learning about retroviruses and HIV to studying bacterial replication in the context of tuberculosis.

Engineering Sciences

English Environmental Earth Sciences Environmental Science m

Environmental Studies

Film and Media Studies French French Studies M Geography German Studies Global Health m Government History Human-Centered Design m International Studies m Italian Italian Studies M Jewish Studies m Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies Linguistics Markets, Management, and the Economy m Materials Science m Mathematical Biology m Mathematical Finance m Mathematical Logic m Mathematical Physics m Mathematical Data Science M Mathematics Medieval and Renaissance Studies* Middle Eastern Studies Music

Native American and

Indigenous Studies

Neuroscience Philosophy Portuguese (Lusophone Studies) Physics Psychology Public Policy m Quantitative Social Science Religion Romance Languages M Romance Studies M Russian Russian Area Studies Social Inequalities m Sociology

Spanish (Hispanic Studies)

Statistics m Studio Art Sustainability m Theater Urban Studies m Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

ECON 1 The Price System: Analysis, Problems, and Policies

Though it was difficult, I loved this course! Taught by Professor Curtis, this class explored introductory theories of supply and demand, consumer choice, and inefficiencies in the markets. Though much of economics is theoretical, Professor Curtis did an excellent job of tying back what we were learning to real-world scenarios.

m = minor only M = major only *= major modification only

ENGS 13 Virtual Medicine and Cybercare

This was one of the most revolutionary and informative classes that I have taken at Dartmouth. Co-taught by Professors Rosen and Hoyt, this course focused on telehealth, new technologies for patient care, and the applications of virtual reality and artificial intelligence in the healthcare field. Each class period hosted a guest speaker who shared their experience with one of these topics; we frequently had startup CEOs, government disaster response liaisons, and physicians visit our classroom. My final project centered around how cybercare and technology can help solve the worldwide physician shortage crisis.

ENVS 18 / NAS 018 Indigenous Environmental Studies

Cross-listed with the Native American and Indigenous Studies department, this course explores environmental issues facing Indigenous communities across the United States. Professor Reo was incredibly engaging and invited really interesting guest speakers throughout the term. One of our projects involved writing a policy letter to a government official on behalf of the Yurok tribe in regards to marijuana cultivation on sacred land.

SPAN 80.20 The “Spanish Craze”: Hispanic Culture in the United States

Professor del Pino became one of my favorite professors at Dartmouth after this class. “The Spanish Craze” was a period in which Hispanic art, food, music, and culture permeated all aspects of American life. People in the United States were “crazed” for Spanish culture, even amidst political and social tensions. Professor del Pino did an excellent job of engaging the small class in discussion about how this craze has shaped the relationship between Spain and the United States to this day. Fun fact: the author of the textbook we read for this course visited one of our classes!

Activist

Pictured: In Pine Park, the oldest conservation area in Hanover

Mind

JESSICA CHIRIBOGA ’24

HOMETOWN: GLENDORA, CA MAJORS: GOVERNMENT AND HISTORY MODIFIED WITH LATIN AMERICAN, LATINO AND CARIBBEAN STUDIES

Whether chasing sunrises atop Gile Tower with her Sigma Delta sisters, joining in on a lively debate with the Dartmouth Political Union, or running to her “Transnational Utopias: Latin American Anarchisms” class, Jessica Chiriboga ’24 takes a hands-on approach to exploring the world—an approach that she argues is the “ethos of Dartmouth College.”

An advocate for inclusive communities on campus, Jess serves as the president of Within, a group dedicated to LGBTQ+ activism on and off campus. “My vision coming to Dartmouth,” she says, “was to be part of something bigger and better, to reimagine what queer spaces can look like on campus, and really contribute in a positive way.” Jess plans events and discussions for Within that center around inclusivity, often with the help of the Dartmouth Gay and Lesbian Alumni Association (DGALA). Her community-building work expands on a previous partnership that she established with GLSEN, a national K-12 organization that aims to eliminate the harassment and bullying of LGBTQ+ students in school.

Jess also works tirelessly to support the mental health resources needed for the community to flourish. As a senator for North Park House, one of six residential housing communities on campus, Jess serves as the mental health chair for the Student Assembly. She advocates for students’ needs while attending meetings with administrators and Counseling Center staff members.“As someone who has been very passionate about mental health advocacy for several years now, it feels good to be working for change for our classmates and for our campus at large,” she says.

When she isn’t cultivating a community, Jess plans for her future legal career. Last summer, she interned as a First-Year Fellow with the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center, which matches firstyears with a public policy internship in Washington, D.C. Jess was partnered with a nonpartisan nonprofit that works to advocate for the separation of church and state. “My internship opened my eyes to the power that nonprofits have in our political process,” she says. “I learned that constitutional law is my bread and butter. I’d love to be a federal judge or a justice someday."

Jess ultimately lives according to a simple but powerful philosophy: “I really don’t want to live a life that I end up regretting,” she says. “There are so many spontaneous, cool, fulfilling, and heartwarming experiences that I’ve had at Dartmouth that fit so well with the version of myself that I always imagined myself to be and the version that I am continuing to grow into.” —Selin Hos ’25