Swarthmore, 2년제 전문대학인가요

Swarthmore, 2년제 전문대학인가요

 

US News & World Report의 Liberal Arts College 랭킹 3위에 위치하고 있는 Swarthmore College에 재학하고 있는 K군은 졸업 후 한국의 대기업에 취직하기를 희망하고 있다. 그런데 작년 여름 서울의 대기업에 인턴을 지망했을 때 대기업의 인사 담당자로부터 황당한 질문을 받았다.

 

“Swarthmore College를 다니고 계시네요. 2년제 전문대학인가요?”

                

 <출처: 세쿼이아 그룹>

 

 

아마도 인사담당자는 University는 4년제, College는 2년제라고 생각했던 모양이다. 더구나 Swarthmore College라는 이름은 듣도 보도 못했기 때문에 그저 그런 전문대라고 오해했던 모양이다. Swarthmore College는 Williams College, Amherst College에 뒤를 잇는 학교로, 미국의 Liberal Arts College Ranking 3위이고 합격률은 15.1% 밖에 안되어 합격하기가 하늘에 별 따기 만큼 어려운 학교이다. K군은 대기업의 인사담당자도 Swarthmore에 대하여 아는 바가 없는데 취직할 때 학교의 지명도 때문에 꽤 어려움을 갖게구나 하여 미리부터 걱정이 되었다.

 

인지도가 떨어지지만 우수한 Liberal Arts Colleges

간혹 우리나라에서 Liberal Arts College를 인문대학으로 번역을 하는 경우도 있는데, 이는 엄격하게 따지면 잘못된 표현이다. Liberal Arts College는 인문학만을 가르치는 것이 아니라 Humanities로 소위 문사철, 문학, 사학, 철학을 가르치고, 이외에 사회과학, 자연과학, 공학도 심도 있게 가르친다. Liberal Arts College는 교양과목만 가르치는 대학은 더더욱 아니다.

 <출처: 세쿼이아 그룹>

 

 

 

20세기 전에는 Humanities를 가르치는 곳이 대학이었는데 이런 전통을 간직하고 있는 것이 지금의 Liberal Arts College이다. 20세기 후 특히 미국에서는 현실성이 있는 전문 과목을 가르치게 되어 지금의 University, 종합연구대학이 증가하게 되었다.

 

Liberal Arts College에서는 Humanities뿐 아니라 자연, 사회과학, 공학도 가르쳐

Liberal Arts College는 East Coast에 많이 위치하지만 California 주에도 무려 6개의 Liberal Arts College가 있다. 이 중 5개 대학은 Claremont College라는 대학 연합체를 구성하여 수준 높은 교육을 제공하고 있고, 나머지 하나는 오바마 대통령이 Columbia에 편입하기 전 다녔다는  LA 인근 Eaglerock 지역에 위치한 Occidental College이다. Claremont College 연합체에는 Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Scripps College, Pitzer College 등으로 구성되어 있다. 이들 Claremont Colleges들은 대학연합체를 구성하여 수업을 공유하고 도서관을 함께 사용하면서 하나의 종합대학과 같이 운영되는데 하나 하나 대학들은 각기 독특한 프로그램을 운영하기도 한다.

 

 <출처: 세쿼이아 그룹>

 

 

 

캘리포니아에도 6 곳의 Liberal Arts College 있어

Liberal Arts College의 장점을 들자면 학부 중심 교육이 이루어지므로 종합대학에서 유명 스타 교수와는 접촉 없이 TA에 의한 수업이 진행 되지만 Liberal Arts College에서는 철저하게 교수에게 직접 지도를 받으며 인간적인 관계를 맺어가며 공부할 수 있다. 소수 정예로 낙오자를 만들지 않는다는 것이 그들의 교육 목표이다. 대부분 역사가 오래되어 펀드가 풍부한 덕분에 재정지원이 폭넓게 시행되어 좋은 시설과 좋은 프로그램으로 알차게 공부할 수 있다. 종합대학에 비해서 기초 학문에 치중하기 때문에 대학원 진학에 매우 유리한 조건이 된다. 특히 Medical School이나 law School을 진학하는 학생에게는 꽤 유리한 체계를 갖춘 대학이라 할 수 있다. 따라서 Professional School에 진학률은 대규모로 운영되는 National University를 크게 압도한다.

 

<출처: 세쿼이아 그룹>

 

다음은 US News & World Report에서 발표한 2013 National Liberal Arts College 랭킹이다.

 

^#1 Overall Score: Overall Score: 100 out of 100.

•  Williams College

Williamstown, MA

Williams College, a private institution in Williamstown, Mass., has three undergraduate academic branches: humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Classes at Williams are small and use an Oxford-style teaching method that relies heavily on student participation.

 

•  Amherst College

Amherst, MA

Amherst College, a private school in Amherst, Mass., is known for its rigorous academic climate. Because Amherst is a member of the Five Colleges consortium, students can also take courses at Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts--Amherst.

 

•  Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

About 10 miles outside of Philadelphia, Penn. is Swarthmore College, a private liberal arts institution that also offers a unique engineering degree program. Because Swarthmore is part of the Tri-College Consortium, students can also take courses at nearby Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College.

 

•  Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT

Among the academic focuses at Middlebury College are programs in environmental studies, international studies, the sciences, and literature. The private institution is located in Middlebury, Vt. in a valley between the Green Mountains and the Adirondack Mountains.

 

•  Pomona College

Claremont, CA

Pomona College is located in Claremont, Calif., about 35 miles away from downtown Los Angeles. Students can take advantage of this private institution's unique location during the annual Ski Beach Day, a morning of skiing at a local resort before an afternoon on a beach in Orange County.

 

•  Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

Submitting SAT and ACT scores is optional for admission to Bowdoin College, a private institution located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. The college is home to many organizations including the Peucinian Society, one of the oldest literary and intellectual societies in the country.

6 Overall Score: Overall Score: 93 out of 100.

•  Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

Wellesley is a private liberal arts college for women about 10 miles from Boston in Wellesley, Mass. Students at Wellesley have more than 1,000 courses and more than 50 majors to choose from and can also cross-register for classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

•  Carleton College

Northfield, MN

Carleton College is a private school in the historic river town of Northfield, Minn. Carls, as its students are known, have about 35 majors to choose from and more than 170 organizations to check out.

^#9 Overall Score: Overall Score: 91 out of 100.

•  Haverford College

Haverford, PA

About 10 miles outside Philadelphia is Haverford College, a private liberal arts school in Haverford, Pa. Students have more than 150 organizations and sports teams to get involved in, including the only varsity cricket team in the country.

^#10 Overall Score: Overall Score: 90 out of 100.

•  Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. is a member of The Claremont Colleges, which include Scripps College, Pomona College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College. Claremont McKenna students can take classes, play sports, and attend social functions at the other member schools.

10 Overall Score: Overall Score: 90 out of 100.

•  Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Vassar College is a private liberal arts institution in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Though Vassar was a women’s college until 1969, males now make up more than 40 percent of the student body.

^#12 Overall Score: Overall Score: 89 out of 100.

•  Davidson College

Davidson, NC

Davidson College, a private institution about 20 miles from Charlotte, N.C., has a need-blind admissions policy. Through the Davidson Trust, the school aims to graduate students without debt by meeting all demonstrated need with a combination of grants and work-study programs rather than loans.

^#12 Overall Score: Overall Score: 89 out of 100.

•  Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA

Harvey Mudd College is a private liberal arts school known for its strong programs in math, science, and engineering. Harvey Mudd is located in Claremont, Calif., about 35 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

 

•  United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD

The United States Naval Academy is a public school located in the waterfront town of Annapolis, Md. Students, known as midshipmen, are officers in training, and tuition is fully funded by the U.S. Navy in return for active-duty service after graduation.

 

•  Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA

Washington and Lee University is a private institution named for George Washington, who gave a generous endowment to the school, and Robert E. Lee, a former president of the college. The school is located in historic Lexington, Va., where about 80 percent of the student body is involved in Greek life.

 

•  Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

Hamilton College is a private institution located in Clinton, N.Y. The school stresses effective writing skills, and students must pass at least three writing-intensive courses before graduation.

^#17 Overall Score: Overall Score: 86 out of 100.

•  Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT

Wesleyan University is located in Middletown, Conn., overlooking the Connecticut River. The private institution’s sports teams compete in the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference, as well as in the unofficial Little Three athletic conference with Amherst College and Williams College.

 

•  Colby College

Waterville, ME

Colby College’s campus in Waterville, Maine is a State Wildlife Management Area and is home to a wildlife refuge. The private school operates on a 4-1-4 academic calendar, which includes a four-week January term for internships, study abroad trips, and research projects.

 

•  Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

Colgate University is a private institution located in Hamilton, N.Y., a small town with a population about equal to the size of the student body. Students can explore the surrounding region and beyond through the Colgate’s unique Outdoor Education Program, which includes winter camping, kayaking, and skiing trips.

 

•  Smith College

Northampton, MA

Smith College, a private school in Northampton, Mass., is one of the largest liberal arts schools for women in the country. Students live in group houses, not dormitories, at Smith.

 

 

 <출처: 세쿼이아 그룹>

 

 

Liberal Arts College에 관한 정보나 각 대학에 관한 구체적인 정보는 ㈜ 세쿼이아 그룹에 문의할 수 있다.

 

㈜ 세쿼이아 그룹

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