Frequently Asked Questions About Champlain College

We've found the most direct path to success is upside-down and inside-out.

Your academics at Champlain will weave together many different types of learning. It all starts on day one, when you begin learning the work of your major—or deciding what you really want to study—in our Upside-Down Curriculum.

Make connections between disciplines. Take your classroom learning out into the field. At Champlain, you'll be developing all kinds of skill sets simultaneously and integratively.

That's four years of interdisciplinary inquiry, career-minded skill building, and big-picture thinking; by the time you graduate, you'll be fully prepared to start the rest of your life.

Learn more about Champlain's integrated approach to education.

Champlain offers professionally focused majors that meet real-world demand.

There's at least one thing that hasn't changed for Champlain College since our start in 1878: We provide an education that will launch you into a career you'll love. We continually revise our offerings and curricula to ensure our students learn the most relevant skills and concepts for the workplace they'll be entering. We don't just keep pace with current technology, arts, and social progress—we graduate leaders and influencers in these spheres.

See a full list of Majors & Concentrations.

At Champlain, there are delays between you and your future.

Champlain's unique Upside-Down Curriculum means you get to start taking classes in your major in your first semester—or, if you're unsure what you want to study, you can test out a few majors right away to determine which fields best match your interests early on.

But that barely touches the surface of what makes this early learning experience an ideal path to career success.

• By working on career-focused projects earlier, you're ready for meaningful internships sooner—and can get more out of the experience. 
• Seriously, see above. You learn so much more when you're doing important work on the job.
• Get your rookie mistakes over with early on!
• Impress your first employer (or client) with your ability to hit the ground running.
• Understand your major in the context of the job market and the world. 

With four years to deeply explore your field, you'll see how you can have a direct impact in your community and the larger world, and find your calling sooner than you would at other schools.

Learn more about Champlain's unique Upside-Down Education model.

We've taken a different approach to a liberal arts education.

At Champlain you won't get a list of required credits in seemingly arbitrary subjects, with the hope that you'll somehow broaden your horizons on your own. We're here to help you build your critical thinking skills and civic engagement mentality a different way.

Champlain's Core curriculum is the backbone of our innovative version of a liberal arts education. We don't call it general education, because it's not-it's specifically focused on developing important skills like critical thinking, inquiry, communication, and much more. You get to explore a wide variety of topics with faculty who are excited to guide you in making connections of an interdisciplinary, intercultural, interpersonal nature.

Learn more about Champlain's innovative approach to liberal arts education.

There is no lack of things to do at Champlain!

Do you love to knit, play video games, watch films, hike, dance, sing, ski?

No matter what you're into, you're sure to find someone at Champlain who shares your interests.

The Activities Fair at the beginning of the school year is a fun way to see what's available on campus. If we don't already have a club for it, you can start one with the help of our Student Government Association. (And you can join that, while you're at it!)

Beyond the weekly club meetings and ongoing Humans vs. Zombies game, you'll have a variety of opportunities to get out and do cool stuff on the weekends, too-cool stuff like maple sugaring, jet boating, and ice climbing.

Learn more about student clubs and activities.

These are not your parents' dormitories. (They're someone's great-grandparents' fancy homes.)

The exterior is impressive, the woodwork is incredible, the views-oh goodness, the views!—and you get the conveniences of modern life, like laundry, Wi-Fi, and TV on demand. Welcome to your first-year residence hall. Did we mention it's a Victorian-era mansion?

After your first year, you may want to continue mansion life (it's pretty easy to get used to), or you may want to move into one of our contemporary suite-style residence halls on campus. Juniors and seniors are eligible to move into the 194 St. Paul Street apartments. This new, super modern building is just steps away from Burlington's downtown area and a couple blocks from our main campus. Free shuttles run on a regular basis between our main campus, 194 St. Paul, and our Lakeside campus.

Learn more about Champlain Residence Halls.

At Champlain College, you're encouraged to pursue your interests and be exactly yourself.

There's something for everybody at Champlain College; we value difference and celebrate expressions of your unique self. Champlain is the perfect place to explore who you are-and find friends who wouldn't change that for the world.

The best way to learn what our culture is like, is to meet our students.