Overview

The purpose of a Contract Major at Williams College is to allow highly motivated students to follow a course of study outside the boundaries of established majors. Students have an opportunity to draw from the wealth of offered courses and develop a major that corresponds to their particular interests and goals.

A Contract Major must be in an area suitable to the talents of the faculty in residence and cannot consist of modifications to an existing major. A Contract Major also must conform to the structure and coherence of a departmental or program major—it must embody a disciplined study that moves from an elementary to an advanced level and culminate in a synthesis similar to a senior major course.

Developing a Contract Major proposal is both interesting and demanding. Due to these demands, students should carefully consider the advantage of working within existing majors or programs, taking note of the considerable intellectual pleasures involved in sharing similar educational experiences with other students working within the same area of study.

Students who wish to explore or propose a Contract Major should consult with the Contract Major Advisor and potential faculty advisors as early as possible first semester of sophomore year.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Natural Sciences

Arts

Literature

Linguistics

Music

Business
Communication

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-04 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-01-08 00:00:00

Language

English

Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

General Studies View 673 other Bachelors in General Studies in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Williams College and/or in United States, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

School Report
Counselor Recommendation
Two Teacher Recommendations
Mid-Year Report (Due February 8* or for schools on a trimester, when 2nd trimester grades are available)
$65 Application Fee or Fee Waiver
Early Decision Agreement Form (Early Decision applicants only)
Williams Writing Question: As a residential learning community, Williams believes that some of the most important experiences happen while living and learning alongside those different from oneself. Please describe a time when you learned or grew through the process of interacting with someone whose background, identity, lived experience, or perspective differs from your own. (150-300 words; this question will automatically populate on the Common Application and QuestBridge Application Form)

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

64540 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 64540 USD per year during 48 months.
National

64540 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 64540 USD per year during 48 months.
In-State

64540 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 64540 USD per year during 48 months.

Living costs for North Adams

876 - 1815 USD /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Contract Major.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Overview

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Credits

Delivered

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Student insurance

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fee

International

National

In-State

Living costs for North Adams

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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