The College Catalogue

Bowdoin is an independent, nonsectarian, coeducational, residential, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine, a town of approximately 22,000 situated close to the Maine coast, 25 miles from Portland and about 120 miles from Boston.

Terms and Vacations: The College holds two sessions each year. The dates of the semesters and the vacation periods are indicated in the College Calendar.

Accreditation: Bowdoin College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Enrollment: The student body numbers about 1,775 students (51 percent male, 49 percent female; last two classes 49/51 percent); about 250 students study away one or both semesters annually; 91 percent complete the degree within five years.

Faculty: Student/faculty ratio 9:1; the equivalent of 195 full-time faculty in residence, 99 percent with Ph.D. or equivalent; 23 head athletic coaches.

Geographic Distribution of Students: New England, 41.3 percent; Middle Atlantic states, 22.1 percent; Midwest, 8.6 percent; West, 11.5 percent; Southwest, 3.0 percent; South, 7.8 percent; international, 5.8 percent. Forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and thirty-five countries are represented. Minority and international enrollment is 34 percent.

Statistics: As of June 2012, 37,421 students have matriculated at Bowdoin College, and 29,254 degrees in academic programs have been awarded. In addition, earned master’s degrees have been awarded to 274 postgraduate students. Living alumni/ae include 18,927 graduates, 2,216 nongraduates, 130 honorary degree holders (40 alumni/ae, 90 non-alumni/ae), 26 recipients of the Certificate of Honor, and 231 graduates in the specific postgraduate program.

Offices and Office Hours: The Admissions Office is located in Burton-Little House. Offices of the President and Dean for Academic Affairs are located in Hawthorne-Longfellow Hall, the west end of Hawthorne-Longfellow Library. The Treasurer’s Office is located in Ham House on Bath Road. Business offices and the Human Resources Office are in the McLellan Building at 85 Union Street. The Development and Alumni Relations offices are located at 83 and 85 Federal Street and in Copeland House. The offices of the Registrar, the Dean of Student Affairs, and Bowdoin Career Planning are in the Moulton Union. The Counseling Service is at 32 College Street. The Department of Facilities Management and the Office of Safety and Security are in Rhodes Hall.

In general, the administrative offices of the College are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Telephone Switchboard: Bowdoin College uses an automated call processing system on its main number, 207-725-3000. A live operator can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by pressing “0.” Further information about telephone numbers can be found at bowdoin.edu/directory/.

Bowdoin College Website: bowdoin.edu. The online Bowdoin College Catalogue can be found at bowdoin.edu/catalogue/.

Additional Information

Bowdoin College complies with applicable provisions of federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, admission, or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, marital status, place of birth, veteran status, or against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability.

The information in this Catalogue was accurate at the time of publication. However, Bowdoin College reserves the right to make changes at any time without prior notice to any of the information, including but not limited to course offerings, degree requirements, regulations, policies, procedures, and charges. The College provides the information herein solely for the convenience of the reader, and to the extent permissible by law, expressly disclaims any liability that may otherwise be incurred.

In compliance with the Campus Security Act of 1990, Bowdoin College maintains and provides information about campus safety policies and procedures and crime statistics. A copy of the report is available upon request.

Bowdoin College and the other members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference take strong stands against abusive drinking and its negative side effects. The vast majority of students at these colleges who choose to drink alcohol do so responsibly. Those who abuse alcohol receive a combination of discipline and education. Additionally, all of the member schools expressly prohibit hazing.