Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The Aspirational Goals of the Curriculum

(Applies to students who began before fall 2026.)

Along with our integrated goals of critical thinking and communication, the aspirational goals of the curriculum expose students to modes of critical, analytic, and creative thinking and communications found across fields of study; these goals thus underscore the imperative of a liberal arts education to provide a breadth of knowledge and the means to express that knowledge effectively. The courses that satisfy each of these six aspirational goals can be found here.

The ability to reason quantitatively
The ability to reason quantitatively is necessary for using and interpreting quantitative data or mathematical arguments in decision making. Quantitative reasoning fosters numerical literacy and is best developed by working with numerical evidence to evaluate trends, patterns, and claims, or by using mathematical concepts to create or assess complex arguments.

An experiential understanding of scientific inquiry
An experiential understanding of scientific inquiry provides the intellectual foundation for evaluating scientific claims about the natural world. Scientific inquiry involves posing and answering questions by testing hypotheses through observational studies, experimental testing, or modeling. Understanding the processes by which knowledge is gained in the natural sciences is best developed through the direct experience of the investigative inquiry that characterizes scientific practice, grounded in laboratory, field, or classroom experiences.

A critical and experiential understanding of artistic process
A critical and experiential understanding of artistic process emerges from engagements with art that are both expressive and reflective. The understanding of artistic expression may be cultivated through studies that are entirely performance-centered, studio-based, or workshop-based, as well as through studies that integrate performance or creative activity with topics related to the art form.

A critical understanding of social inequalities
A critical understanding of social inequalities will draw on evidence to analyze how wealth, power, and privilege are distributed unequally in human societies based on factors including, though not limited to gender, race, class, religion, sexuality, age, disability, indigeneity, nationality, ethnicity, or language. This understanding can be fostered by examining the historical background, social conditions, and intersections of different forms of inequality; by acquiring a deeper understanding of the lives of individuals and groups who experience inequality; by scrutinizing ideologies and social constructions for justifying inequality; or by critically assessing past and present collective strategies for reducing social inequality.

A critical understanding of cultural difference
A critical understanding of cultural difference is necessary for thoughtful, cooperative, and productive communication in a global community. Global citizenship requires the ability to understand how and why human thought, expression, and action are constituted by differences of historical background, social context, cultural heritage, and linguistic tradition. This understanding can be cultivated through the critical study of a cultural heritage that is substantively different from one's own, or through the study of cross-cultural interaction and cultural change.

An intellectual foundation for ethical judgment as a basis for socially responsible action
An intellectual foundation for ethical judgment as a basis for socially responsible action requires the ability to think and argue rigorously about questions of how things should be. This foundation ideally incorporates a historically informed examination of one's values and an understanding of the role of particular circumstances in the context of ethical judgment and action. These skills can be developed by studying professional ethics, public service, social justice, human rights, environmental responsibility, and/or other topics that raise questions of how to engage in responsible action.

Addressing the Six Aspirational Goals

Students must work with a faculty advisor to design a program of study that both meets their interests and addresses the six aspirational goals and objectives – this is a graduation requirement. The six aspirational goals are addressed only through formal course work. Courses that address goals are categorized as either partially or substantially addressing a goal, depending on the content of each course. To "complete" a goal for graduation, students must successfully complete either one course that substantially addresses an aspirational goal, or two courses that partially address an aspirational goal. Many courses at HWS address more than one aspirational goal. To complete the graduation requirements related to the six aspirational goals, each student must address each of the six goals and must complete at least five different courses to satisfy the goals. This does not mean goal courses need to be unique from courses counted towards majors and minors; rather, in the list of courses that a student completes towards the six aspirational goals, there must be a minimum of five different courses. Course lists that address each goal are available online, and each course that counts either partially or substantially towards a particular goal will be indicated in PeopleSoft under "Course Attributes."