professor speaking to students outside historic building in Croatia

Students and professor gathered around outdoor table discussing work

students walking with professor on Gordons campus

students studying in the library, reading books, working on computer

School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Hopeful transformation for a hurting world

In our trend-driven world it is easy to ignore the wisdom of the past and insights from cultures different than ours. With divisions and injustice all around, our communities need bridge-builders who embody a deep and wide understanding of the world. In the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, we work towards the flourishing of justice and peace. As they dig deep together, our students are equipped to become courageous difference-makers, armed with discernment informed by age-old wisdom to seek reconciliation and imaginative solutions for the present and future.

Majors &
Programs

Faculty

Opportunities Abroad

HIGHLIGHTS

100%
of international affairs students study or intern abroad

25 miles
from Boston's intercultural scene

"Best Colleges for English in America"

—Niche

students part of the JAF program presenting their work to other students

Encounter New Perspectives, Expand Your Own

Drawing on the abundant historical and cultural resources of New England, Gordon will deepen your understanding of the world through hands-on experiences. Take a trip to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, a walk through the historical district of Salem or a visit to the area’s largest Islamic Center. Study abroad at one of Gordon’s signature programs in Orvieto, Italy; Oxford, United Kingdom; or the Balkans Semester at the European Center for the Study of War and Peace in Croatia. Students can get involved on campus as well.

Run in student government, head up a campus newspaper or literary journal, create your own major through our Pike program, compete in Boston’s Model UN competition or pursue honors through the Jerusalem-Athens Forum.

students walking down a street in the Balkans with a professor

Discern Your Unique Path

Our school offers a safe space to ask big questions and wrestle with controversial topics within a supportive community led by our faculty, who are leading scholars and researchers in their fields. Our classes have low student-to-faculty ratios, so you’ll get personal attention and connections with your professors, who will support your vocational discernment from year one. Turn your passion into a practical career through internships at places like the State House, Plimouth Patuxet, Hendrickson Publishers, NPR, Wiley Publishers, The Smithsonian and the U.S. Department of Justice.

After graduation join alumni getting advanced degrees at places like Duke Law and the University of Notre Dame, or start a career at EF Go Ahead Tours, Moderna, HubSpot, London Business School and other renowned institutions.

School of Humanities & Social Sciences Programs at Gordon College

Mark Gedney, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Services

From the dean

"The School of Humanities and Social Sciences brings together students and faculty committed to reflecting on fundamental questions about who we are as beings created by God to live together in flourishing communities. Philosophical questions about what it means to live just and fulfilling lives are examined in their historical context, in social and political institutions, and in light of the languages that we use to communicate these ideas to the world. This desire to think deeply and communicate clearly about these fundamental questions shapes who we are as a community as we serve the enduring mission of Gordon College."

—Mark Gedney, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences
M.Litt. University of Edinburgh, Ph.D. Boston University

Hear from a Gordon College grad

“Since my time at Gordon, one thing that’s really benefited me in my career is learning how to synthesize lots of different sources together into a big-picture insight...If you can be curious about everything and constantly learning new things, it will help you in any industry because you have humility about finding things that will put you in a good position to do work that other people can’t or don’t want to do.”

—Kate Stadt ‘11