Mission Statement
Pitzer College produces engaged socially responsible citizens of the world through an academically rigorous, interdisciplinary liberal arts education emphasizing social justice, intercultural understanding and environmental sensitivity. The meaningful participation of students, faculty and staff in college governance and academic program design is a Pitzer core value. Our community thrives within the mutually supportive framework of The Claremont Colleges, which provide an unsurpassed breadth of academic, athletic and social opportunities.
Pitzer Core Values
- Academic Excellence
- Social Responsibility
- Diverse Community
- Intercultural Understanding
Pitzer College History
The College, named for founder Russell K. Pitzer (1878-1978), began with a curricular emphasis in the social and behavioral sciences. It was the first independent women’s college created since Bennington College in 1932. From its first entering class in 1964, Pitzer offered an alternative liberal arts education focused on a deeper understanding of humankind within a structure that allowed every voice to be heard equally and fully.
By 1968, the College had 550 students and had matured into a respected residential college for women. Pitzer became a co-educational college in 1970 with an initial enrollment of 80 men and 618 women. The College first received accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1965.
Today, Pitzer College has approximately 1,000 students and is a fully coeducational liberal arts college with a strong commitment to the values of a residential educational community. It offers majors in all key fields of the liberal arts. Its particular strengths lie in the encouragement of independent interdisciplinary work and the development of a critical approach to the traditional disciplines. The College expects students to take an active part in planning their course of study, bring a spirit of inquiry and adventure to planning that course of study, and to work hard to meet the intellectual goals of a Pitzer education. To guide students and their advisers, the College has six educational objectives: Breadth of Knowledge; Understanding in Depth; Critical Thinking, Formal Analysis and Effective Expression; Interdisciplinary Perspective; Intercultural Understanding; and Concern with Social Responsibility and the Ethical Implications of Knowledge and Action.
Seven educational institutions now constitute The Claremont Colleges: Pomona College, founded in 1887; Claremont Graduate University, 1925; Scripps College, 1926: Claremont McKenna College, 1946; Harvey Mudd College, 1955; Pitzer College, 1963; and the Keck Graduate Institute for Applied Life Sciences, 1997. Our community thrives within the mutually supportive framework of the Claremont Colleges which provide students with an unsurpassed breadth of academic, athletic and social opportunities.
Within The Claremont Colleges, Pitzer's educational philosophy is singular. In keeping with its 1960s heritage, Pitzer strives to enhance individual growth while building community. Students can create their own academic programs in close collaboration with faculty advisers. There are no lists of requirements to be checked off; rather, students are guided by a unique set of educational objectives. One of these encourages students to become involved in some kind of community service-learning activity.
Pitzer College celebrates cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. Students of ethnically diverse backgrounds come from all parts of the United States, as well as from nearly 20 other countries. In addition to learning from one another, students are encouraged to participate in one of Pitzer's External Studies programs. Finally, Pitzer challenges students to develop a set of courses that will examine some issue from the perspective of at least two cultures and two disciplines. Intercultural and interdisciplinary learning are highly valued at Pitzer. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these programs as well as many other Claremont resources that enrich and strengthen their appreciation of global diversity.
Pitzer College currently enrolls approximately 1,000 students in more than 40 fields of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Some of the more popular concentrations include psychology, sociology, political studies, media studies, environmental studies and art.