Academic Programs
Linfield College offers over 40 majors and 38 minors across four divisions of the college – Arts & Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences & Mathematics on the McMinnville campus, and Nursing on our Portland campus.
Students generally organize their academic plan roughly in thirds consisting of an academic major, the Linfield Curriculum courses and other electives (which could be for an academic minor, a second major or other courses of interest). Students have until the end of sophomore year to select a major. However, if students are interested in fields of study requiring many pre-requisites, such as nursing, education or athletic training, they are advised to begin work on preparatory courses in their first semester.
Arts & Humanities
"Creative types" are usually drawn to the Arts and Humanities, along with others who love language, deep thinking, philosophy and religion. Graduates from this division usually go on to become novelists, linguists, set designers, painters, interpreters or professors.
| Majors | Minors |
|
Communication Arts |
Chinese Studies |
Social & Behavioral Sciences
The Social and Behavioral Sciences Division is where most of our professional studies programs are found, as well as a number of classic liberal arts programs. Those who pursue a major in this division usually go on to become financiers, family counselors, journalists, elected officials, anthropologists and entrepreneurs.
| Majors | Minors |
|
Accounting |
American Studies |
Students with an interest in secondary education (teaching at the middle or high school level) will major in the academic area they intend to teach, and take additional coursework in the Education department. Linfield is approved to recommend for endorsement in the following subject areas: art, biology, chemistry, French, German, health education, language arts (English), mathematics, music education, physical education, physics, social studies (anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology), and Spanish.
Students with an interest in law will meet with an academic advisor to discuss curricula and majors that are most useful for law school preparation. There is no prescribed pre-law curriculum or major. Students, instead, should plan to major in an area they will enjoy and that will challenge them.
Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Research, pharmacy, plant hybridizing, coaching, athletic training, computer programming and mathematics – those are just some of the careers that typically appeal to graduates from our Natural Sciences and Mathematics Division. With an emphasis on traditional courses like biology and chemistry, as well as some less-conventional ones, like school health programs and biomechanics of sport and exercise, there’s something for all students.
| Majors | Minors |
|
Applied Physics |
Biology |
Students with an interest in health professions and graduate school can consider any academic major. They will be provided with an advising track, which schedules meetings with an academic advisor, in addition to their department advisor. Advisors provide assistance for students considering the fields of dentistry, medicine, medical technology, optometry, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant and veterinary medicine.
Nursing
Our Nursing Division is structured a bit differently from the other three. All general education and prerequisite courses are taken on the McMinnville campus during the first two years, and students then transfer to the Portland campus for their junior and senior years. The Portland campus is located in the trendy Northwest district of the city, just a little over an hour's drive north of McMinnville.
We’ve found that this structure allows students to become more fully immersed in their major and to gain critical, hands-on experience in area hospitals, schools and health departments.
Major
Nursing