December 15, 2017

What we do to prepare students

Department & Programs Find your Passion or Make Your Own

Cur Non Majors mean finding what you are passionate about and then making it happen. We transcend traditional academic boundaries with an interdisciplinary curriculum. We offer 51 areas of study across four academic divisions.

See the full listing of academic offerings.

SELF-DESIGNED MAJORS

Love peanut butter and duck sauce? Then put them together! Our students design majors that link their diverse and distinct passions. Here are some smart and tasty concoctions.

Arabic Studies
Archaelogy
Behavioral economics
Child Development And Social Inequality
Classical Civilization
Cognitive Science
Community Development
Consumers in the Marketplace
Cultures of Global Economy
Global Health Issues
Linguistic Studies
Nanoscience
Self in Society

CAMPUS LIFE & COMMONS

Cur Non Campus Life starts during orientation when you are placed into one of five Commons, each named after one of the ships on which the Marquis sailed to and from America. This approach to campus life forms what we call a Connected Community. It is designed to help you form lasting connections across curricular, co-curricular, experiential, and residential experiences. Each Commons is comprised of a residence hall and serves as the foundation for your first-year community. You become family. As such, you gather for special events and speakers, compete in first-year intramural sports, host socials, and form unique identities within the Lafayette Community. Each Commons has a cohort of upper-level peer leaders to help you navigate the first-year experience including Orientation Leaders, Resident Advisers, and ‘PARDners.’

CUR NON CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

You love French? Or play squash? We have a club for you. Fancy yourself a cosmonaut? Want Greek Life or comedy club? We’ve got you covered. Gamer? Singer? Dancer? We hope you see that you can find what you love right here. With over 24 arts, communication, and performance groups; 43 cultural, social, and service organizations; and 26 community engagement programs, you will find your groove. Whether you are tried and true, loyal to what you’ve always loved, or eager to discover new passions, we do all we can to connect students to others who share an interest. So carry on, debate club, Spanish speakers, and lovers of table tennis. Carry on!
93+ GROUPS, CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PROGRAMS TO JOIN. Learn more.

Lafayette students follow their own trajectories, just like our namesake. Your journey awaits if you have the same Cur Non spirit. Meet Jack Shaw ’17.

His journey at Lafayette took him from Derby, U.K., to the Moab Desert. From the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to the Smithsonian Institute. From Lafayette College to Yale.

As the son of a truck driver and school aide, his future seemed destined for a large university in England…until he met an admissions officer from Lafayette. He joined the 183rd class and used a summer research project to design his major in philosophy, politics, and economics. Shaw completed a finance internship in New York City, but a trip to the NYSE changed his course. He realized he lacked the competitive edge that would have him put his personal gain above the relationship with his co-workers.

Jack Shaw An introductory course in geology got him hooked on the subject, so he declared it as a second major.

Soon he completed a summer research project in paleogeography on the latitudinal range of Arctic palm trees. Shaw had a second internship at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and a research opportunity at a Yale summer program. He was honored to earn the Dyson Geology Award for academic achievement and character.

Now Shaw is a Ph.D. candidate at Yale in its geology program. Ironically enough, he is studying evolution.