Johnson Chapel
Johnson Chapel is one of the oldest buildings on campus. Completed in 1827, the original construction of the building was made possible by donations from local members of the community, most notably Noah Webster, first president of the Amherst College Board of Trustees and creator of Webster’s Dictionary, and Emily Dickinson’s grandfather Samuel Fowler Dickinson. It's home of the English Department’s offices and classrooms, as well as the Film and Media Studies Program. The second-floor chapel itself is now used for all-campus meetings, lectures, and musical performances and as a nondenominational space for student religious services.
Media Gallery
Open Curriculum
⭐ Open Curriculum
Amherst has no distribution requirements and no core curriculum. Instead, students choose the courses that matter most to them. Our open curriculum ensures that each classroom is filled with inquisitive, fully engaged students committed to the topic at hand.
850+ Courses
Amherst offers more than 850 courses (explore our Course Catalog), and the Five College Consortium offers thousands more. How do students choose among all those options? Our accomplished, approachable faculty are committed to serving as advisers and mentors during the course selection process.
Flexibility and Independence
Our curriculum offers flexibility and independence. It rewards initiative. Students take full responsibility for their intellectual growth, in the same way they will take responsibility for important choices later in life. Many students decide to double major. With no core requirements, they are able to choose two majors and still have enough time to explore other disciplines. They are also able to consider a broader range of study abroad programs.
Faculty
Students are not in it alone. Faculty advisers offer close guidance as students shape their own education. The open curriculum also allows professors to quickly adapt courses to new developments in their fields, and to the evolving interests of students.
