Exploring Undergraduate Majors at Princeton University

I'm trying to get a better understanding of what undergraduate majors are offered at Princeton University. Can anyone share their experience or insight about the variety of programs available and what the most popular or unique majors might be?

Princeton University offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors or, as they call them, "concentrations." You should know that Princeton places a strong emphasis on the liberal arts, providing students with a broad education that hones their analytical and communication skills.

There are currently 37 concentrations available at Princeton that span the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering disciplines. Also, if you have a specific academic interest that doesn't fit neatly into an existing concentration, Princeton offers the ability to create an independent concentration—an individualized, unique field of study—approved by a faculty advisory committee and the Dean of the College.

That said, Princeton is uniquely known for its programs in areas such as Politics, Economics, Public Policy, and Computer Science. The “Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs" is particularly renowned and is only one of a few undergraduate schools in the U.S. where students can concentrate on public policy.

Other popular concentrations include Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, History, and English. Keep in mind though, that "popular" does not directly translate to "best," and each student should find the program that best suits their interests and career goals.

In addition to the rigorous academic experience, there's a strong emphasis on independent work at Princeton. All students, regardless of their concentration, are required to complete a senior thesis, which is a year-long independent work. Juniors in some departments, like chemistry, physics, mathematics, and psychology, to name a few, might also be required to do independent work.

Remember, a big part of college is exploring different academic interests, so don’t feel pressured to have your major decided before setting foot on campus. The first and second years give ample room to explore various classes before you need to declare your official concentration in the second semester of your sophomore year.