Columbia College is the main undergraduate college at Columbia University. Most students graduate within four years with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Founded in 1754 as King's College by Royal Charter of King George II of England, it is the flagship college of the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York and the fifth oldest in the United States. Columbia College is known for its rigorous Core Curriculum — students are required to take a full year of Masterpieces of Western Literature (Literature Humanities ); a full year of Contemporary Civilization (the great books that have framed Western thought and philosophy); a semester of Music Humanities ; a semester of Art Humanities ; three semesters of science including Frontiers of Science ; four semesters of a foreign language; two semesters of courses concerning non-western major cultures; and two semesters of physical education. Students are also required to pass a swimming test before receiving their diploma. Most of the college's facilities are located on Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus. Columbia College is the third most selective undegraduate school at a major research university in the United States.
Undergraduate disciplines
The College has a large array of majors and concentrations from which Columbians may choose:
- Language Resource Center
- Latino Studies Program
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Medieval and Renaissance Stuides Program
- Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures
- Music
- Women's and Gender Studies
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Interdepartmental Majors