Wesleyan University is a dynamic liberal arts university in Middletown, CT founded in 1831. It calls 316-acres home on a historic New England campus that is the absolute epitome of a small college experience. Wesleyan is home to 3,000 undergraduate students and a small undergraduate population from over 60 countries.
While Wesleyan looks super traditional, the education is anything but. They require students to explore new ideas, push past boundaries, and Wesleyan graduates are known for taking on positions of leadership in policy, nonprofits, academia, and the arts. They offer nearly 50 majors and more than 1,000 courses, and an open curriculum that encourages students to explore and adventure academically. On campus students benefit from 31 themed program house, and off campus more than 300 students study abroad annually.
The university puts a big emphasis on internships and experiences in the field. They particularly work with students to access internships with Wesleyan alumni, parents, and employers who have a particular interest in supporting Wesleyan students in kickstarting their careers. And there are study abroad programs in Italy, Spain, and France, plus more than 150 approved international programs around the world.
Wesleyan hasn’t released Class of 2028 numbers yet, but for the Class of 2027 Wesleyan received 14,500 applications. They accepted 2,479 students for a 17.1% acceptance rate. In this post, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the university, though, by sharing our five top majors at Wesleyan that we highly recommend you explore further.
If you’re looking for a small liberal arts experience at a top university, email us.
What do we mean by best major?
First off, let’s define what we mean by ‘best major’. Wesleyan offers 47 majors, 32 minors, and 2 certificates. That gives a lot to pick from, but also a lot to sort through. When we’re assessing majors, we look for programs with both depth and focus. The program should have a clear focus, but also room for students to explore and discover. Next, we look for a range in the faculty. Ideally, the faculty within a department or major should offer diversity of age, expertise, and background. For Wesleyan, we’re especially interested in majors with impressive research and internship offerings. With such exceptional study abroad, internship, and academic resources, we are drawn to majors that truly take advantage of them.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the best majors at Wesleyan!
Art History
Studying art history at Wesleyan is like being surrounded by the best and the brightest eye in examining, identifying, and interpreting old, and not so old, stuff. Students in the program learn in a way that is intensely practical while also deeply intellectual. Courses span styles, methods, and perspectives, and students are required to complete courses in four of the five geographic areas offered: The Americas, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, and Africa, and in three of four historical periods: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern. Classes that fulfill these requirements include things like “Unsettling American Art, 1600-1900” and “The Body in Medieval Art.” You can also major in both art history and art studio, pursuing practice alongside history. Something we really love about this major, though, is how well it meshes with international experiences. Juniors are even eligible to apply for the John T. Paoletti Travel Research Fellowship, which supports students in art history financially in conducting research and associated travel, along with a slew of other internship and fellowship opportunities.
Medieval Studies
The Medieval Studies program at Wesleyan is focused, and it is deep. There is so much room to explore, but to help you narrow it down Wesleyan encourages students to concentrate in one of three fields: art history and archaeology, history, or language and literature. The major is inherently interdisciplinary, and students create connections between subjects and arenas, but the most exciting part (we think) are the ways in which students get to engage with medieval history and materials firsthand. Students are able to work with rare manuscripts in the Special Collections library at Wesleyan and can even participate on an archaeological dig. Visiting speakers bring their expertise to campus, while trips to places like the Cloisters Museum in New York City offer students in the major an immersive educational experience. Study abroad is highly encouraged for a minimum of one semester, and all majors are expected “to have reading knowledge…of at least one modern European foreign language.” Unsurprisingly, they also recommend Latin.
Psychology
The psychology major at Wesleyan is idea for students either know they want to go into the field as a practicing psychologist, or who are at least interested in the idea of potentially doing so. The program is practical, and the 18 faculty are true area experts in the six subareas of study: cognitive, cultural, developmental, social, psychopathology, and neuroscience. All students study statistics and research methods, which aids them in turning the major into a career, and they also take part in a cultural immersion experience. As a major, you have the opportunity to work in research laboratories, and to conduct original research of your own. This makes the major stand out from many psychology majors at comparable liberal arts schools where nearly all the learning is done in a traditional classroom. If your especially intrigued by the research opportunities, the Feldman Family Fund offers the opportunity to conduct original research with financial support.
Sociology
Sociology is the study as “life as it is lived.” Students in the major take courses in fields like critical media studies, globalization, philanthropy, political sociology, and more. Through these avenues, students gain an understanding of social relationships on a daily and a historical scale. A degree in sociology isn’t as obviously applied as, say, a major in mechanical engineering, but we love how Wesleyan students in the major go on to impressive careers in the humanities and ‘human’ fields that are informed by their sociology expertise and experiences. The courses are also fascinating, ranging from “Bored in the House: Work, Leisure, and the Domestic Mundane” to “The Sociology of Reality TV: Race, Colorism, and Xenophobia.”
The University Major
This major has a very confusing and not-at-all descriptive title, but The University major at Wesleyan is fascinating. In their sophomore year, students who declare the major create a program of study uniquely tuned to their personal frequency. There are some limitations or, rather, guidelines. The major must involve “theories and methods of two or more academic disciplines,” and faculty guidance helps to keep you on track. But beyond that, there are very few limitations. Declaring the major does require creativity, and acceptance to it isn’t a given. If what you want to do is too close to majors or programs already on offer from Wesleyan, they won’t accept your plan and will direct you to either change it to be more unique or declare a more normal major. If you do get through the approval hurdle, you’ll be encouraged to complete a capstone project that creates a tangible ‘takeaway’ through a paper, report, research, or other form that serves as a bow in your cap signifying your excellence.
Film Studies
The Wesleyan film studies major is regularly ranked as one of the best film programs in the United States. One of the reasons why the major is so well respected is that it balances theory and practice, and “no other liberal arts film program features such a broad and deep background in analysis and history.” This is paired with an acute sensitivity to the power of film and the way it can influence audiences. We love the major, though, because people who go through the Wesleyan program actually go on to work in film. This isn’t a major without job prospects. From Wesleyan, you can build a career in film, especially with the support of the Center for Film Studies. Joss Whedon, creator, producer, and director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer graduated from Wesleyan, as did the directors of some of the highest-grossing films of all time — Michael Bay ’86, Jon Turteltaub ’85, and Paul Weitz ’88. Follow in their footsteps through courses like “Visual Storytelling: The History and Art of Hollywood’s Master Storytellers” and “Scripting Series for the Small Screen.”
Music
Wesleyan is creative. The school is immersed in the arts from fine art to film, and are highly respected for the Music Department. Students from around the world travel to study at Wesleyan, exploring theory, performance, and composition. From there, they go on to launch careers across genres. Both members of pop duo MGMT graduated from Wesleyan in 2005 with a major in music. You don’t need to start a band, though. Music majors also go on to become producers, journalists, scholars, and composers. The courses on offer reflect this range, with offerings that cover everything from Indonesian music and theater to “Biopolitics, Blackness and Spirit Baptism: The Birth of American Pentecostalism.” If you want to take “Music in Outer Space,” we feel the same.
At Wesleyan, they want to be encouraging students to say “yes, and…” not “or…” They want to smash together bold ideas and areas of interest, resulting in discovery and innovation. Our favorite majors at Wesleyan do just this. All in the humanities, they take full advantage of the diversity of thought and depth of expertise available to students in a conversation-based classroom setting. If this sounds exciting to you, Wesleyan may be your perfect fit.
If you are interested in Wesleyan, we can help. Send us an email.