The McBride Program is a continuing expression both of (1): Bryn Mawr College’s historic role in providing excellent education to women for whom it would not otherwise be available; and (2) the College’s fundamental conviction that exploration of and engagement with disparate perceptions are essential for that education.

The Mission of the McBride Program is to make a rigorous liberal arts education and the bachelor’s degree accessible to women beyond traditional college age. The Program seeks women from a diversity of backgrounds, resources, and perspectives, who demonstrate intellectual capacity, intense intellectual commitment, self-directed and purposeful life-vision, and the desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world.

McBride Scholars at Bryn Mawr receive the same rigorous education that has been traditionally offered to students throughout the College's history. The curriculum is designed to encourage breadth of learning and training in the fundamentals of scholarship in the first two years, and mature and sophisticated study in a major program in the last two years. Its overall purpose is to challenge the student and prepare her for the lifelong pleasure and responsibility of educating herself and playing a responsible role in contemporary society. The curriculum encourages independence within a rigorous but flexible framework of divisional and major requirements, and fosters self-recognition for individuals of diverse communities: national, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and sexual.

The curriculum obtains further breadth through inter-institutional cooperation with neighboring institutions. Virtually all undergraduate courses and major programs Bryn Mawr and Haverford are open to students at both schools, greatly increasing the range of available subjects. Full-time Bryn Mawr students may also take courses at Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania during the academic year without payment of additional fees.

An inter-disciplinary College Seminar.
One course of college-level mathematics or quantitative skills
Work to demonstrate proficiency through the intermediate level in foreign language
Two courses in social sciences, two in the natural sciences and mathematics (including at least one laboratory courses), and two in the humanities
A sequence of courses in the chosen major
Elective courses to complete an undergraduate program

In addition, all students must complete eight half-semesters of physical education, selected from an extensive and varied menu of classroom and self-paced activities. The transfer of credits taken at other institutions is determined on an individual basis; however, Bryn Mawr's "residency requirement" requires students take a minimum of 16 units of credit after being admitted to the College. For more information about transferring credit click here.

As a rigorous but personal college, Bryn Mawr offers a positive environment in which students are respected for their intelligence and effort. Support services available to any student include: study groups in introductory courses, bi-weekly individual tutorial sessions with "College Seminar" professors, abundant faculty office hours, a writing center, a language laboratory, math problem sessions, assistance in making tutorial arrangements, and departmental mentor groups.