
An Education Unique As You
A New College education is all about you鈥攜our vision, your passions, your originality. As you work with your faculty adviser on your individual contract each semester, you鈥檒l outline your academic and personal goals for the upcoming term. Along with traditional courses, you鈥檒l explore new subjects through labs, tutorials and Independent Study Projects (ISPs). Every New College journey culminates in a senior capstone project or thesis, which serves as your grand finale 鈥 your project, your way 鈥 from a research paper or film to an art exhibit.
Areas of Concentration
Choose one of our 50 areas of concentration (majors) or design a multi-disciplinary or special area of concentration. Explore your interests and discover new ones as you choose from hundreds of courses, tutorials, labs, and seminars. With an average faculty-to-student ratio of 6:1, you鈥檒l never take a class in a lecture hall with hundreds of students.
Academic Contracts
You鈥檒l work with your faculty adviser to build an academic 鈥渃ontract鈥 each semester instead of a one-size-fits-all traditional degree program, planning your courses and goals.
Narrative Evaluations
Your professors will give you in-depth evaluations on your coursework that tell your story, highlight your success, and show your promise.
Independent Study Period
In January, you鈥檒l explore a topic you鈥檙e passionate about through an ISP (whether that is a lab experiment, internship, study abroad experience or other creative endeavor). Recent ISPs include:
- Fighting red tide (and looking towards a fungal solution)
- Developing a robotic prosthetic hand
- Using big data to solve economic and social problems
Senior Capstone Project
We call it a senior capstone project or thesis, but it鈥檚 really the culmination of your journey here at New College鈥攚hether it takes the form of a scientific research paper or a theatrical performance. With coaching from your faculty adviser, you鈥檒l be ready to defend your work during the baccalaureate exam before you graduate. Sound like grad school? That’s because it is so impressive.
Recent examples include:
- Sarasota Bay: A Newly Defined Nursery Area for Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) on the Gulf Coast of Florida
- Footprints in the Atmosphere: A Quantitative Analysis of Community Carbon Emissions to Ignite Collective Climate Action
- Cultural Gentrification: Hip-Hop & Racial Epistemologies in the United States
Learn More

Explore Academics & Majors
Learn about our 50+ Areas of Concentration (what we call majors), the academic and career support services to help you thrive, and more about academics at New College.