Claremont McKenna

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Tours

1. Self-Guided Tour

   Follow the route to explore Claremont McKenna.

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   1. Kravis Center

      Welcome to Claremont McKenna College!

       

      The College was founded in 1946 as the Claremont Men’s College and became co-educational in 1976, changing its name to Claremont McKenna College in 1981.

       

      Claremont McKenna College prides itself on being a leader in the humanities and social sciences, and because of the resources of the Claremont University Consortium, a seven-college community modeled after Oxford University, CMC is able to offer its students the opportunity to study in depth a full range of fields, from the sciences to the arts. The Keck Science Center, which CMC shares with Scripps and Pitzer colleges, is the single largest academic department throughout the Consortium.

       

      The other undergraduate colleges in the Consortium are Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd and Pitzer. Students from CMC can easily cross-register for classes at the other colleges, boosting the number of available courses each semester to somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,500. Honnold/Mudd, the Consortium’s shared main library, is the third largest private library on the West Coast, with more than 2 million volumes. The Claremont McKenna experience offers the intimacy of a small liberal-arts college with the resources of a much larger university.

       

      In addition to basking in the sunny Southern California climate, Claremont McKenna is only 40 minutes from Los Angeles and nearby beaches, and even closer to mountain areas for hiking and skiing.

       

      Claremont McKenna has 10 research institutes run by faculty and staffed by students. These institutes provide real work experience combined with graduate-level research opportunities to CMCers. Moreover, they demonstrate the College’s practical approach to learning.

       

      We start this online tour at the Kravis Center. Opened in 2011, the Kravis Center houses several academic departments, 60 faculty offices, 15 classrooms and meeting spaces, five of the 10 research institutes, and the Office of Admission.

       

      Flanking the Kravis Center are Roberts Hall North and Roberts Hall South, both of which are home to academic departments, classrooms and faculty offices. In the lower courtyard level of this complex you’ll find the Pitzer Courtyard and the Veterans Patio, as well as large meeting spaces such as the Freeberg Forum, the Office of Financial Aid, and an underground parking garage.

       

      Experience a 360-degree panorama of the Kravis Center from the grassy Gann Quadrangle to its east by clicking here.

       

   2. The Living Room

      The Living Room, or the Kravis "Kube," is a one-of-a-kind study space with 24/7 access. It is the largest glass structure supported by glass west of the Mississippi.

       

      Claremont McKenna students can study in the Kube, or any of dozens of lounges, communal areas, patios available throughout the campus, as well as the main Honnold/Mudd Library or other places across the Consortium.

       

      And as they are studying, more than half of all CMC students are pursuing a double or dual major. Students must declare a major by the end of their sophomore year, and will be given an advisor specific to their majors who can help them plan. The average class size is 17 and 86% of classes have less than 20 students. In addition, there are no teaching assistants.

       

      CMC offers accessibility and excellence in teaching from accomplished scholars, and an excellent balance of classic liberal arts (theory, broad-based exposure to many disciplines) with pragmatic application of concepts and the development of strong skill sets that translate to all kinds of careers.

       

      CMC affords research opportunities that are not readily available at schools with graduate programs. These research experiences take place not only in the research institutes, but also with individual faculty on special projects of interest. The capstone thesis project is a prime example, but also include things like the Dean’s Summer Research Fellowships, sponsored internships, the Center for Civic Engagement, etc.

       

      CMC has plentiful resources that go beyond those of most liberal arts colleges. There is a sense that there is “enough to go around.” Enough money, enough faculty, enough space, enough opportunity, enough resources. There is enough to go around, so CMC faculty and staff are able to foster a collaborative, rather than hyper-competitive academic climate.

       

      CMC’s academic program is designed to encourage dialogue and debate across disciplines, both in and out of the classroom. Academic and social lives are not separate experiences.

   3. Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

      The Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum is the focal point of the integrated academic-social Claremont McKenna College experience. It was conceived as a place where students and faculty could gather for intellectual discourse in an intimate and relaxed setting.

       

      The Ath, as it is called, sponsors more than 100 speaker functions each year, at dinner or lunch. Dinners consist of a wine-and-cheese reception, sit-down dinner, speaker’s presentation, and question-and-answer period.

       

      The Ath is a very special forum where students get to interact closely with distinguished guests whose areas of expertise range from political science, economics and government, to philosophy, literature, music, and the natural sciences. It acts as a thought-provoking exchange of ideas and does not shy away from controversial topics.

       

      Past guests include former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; Nobel economist Daniel Kahneman; statistician and writer Nate Silver; authors such as Ian Frazier, Rebecca Skloot, Shamus Heaney, Jamaica Kincaid, Fran Lebowitz and Tony Kushner; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.; tennis star and activist Billie Jean King; Google founder Eric Schmidt; and many more. Speakers are chosen by students and professors at CMC.

       

      The Ath also hosts student debates, faculty panel discussions, student idea night, student theater, institute conferences, class dinners and official College functions.
      The Ath has its own kitchen staff and there is no charge to students, but students must sign up online to reserve space for dinner or lunch. This is on a first-come basis, especially for the more popular events.

       

      The Ath also features tea: Every weekday afternoon from 3:00 to 4:30, students gather in the library for fresh, homemade pastries (the Ath has its own pastry chef), Rice Krispie Treats, chocolate-covered strawberries, coffee, tea, and juice.

       

      You can view a 360-degree panorama of the main Ath dining room here.

   4. Collins Dining Hall

      You are standing alongside the College’s main eating area, Collins Dining Hall.

       

      Students who live on campus are all on meal plans, which can vary from a few meals a week to all meals. There are numerous vegetarian options available, along with a great selection of healthy, balanced dishes.

       

      Students can also use their meal plans at any of the other dining halls at the Claremont Colleges. Each dining hall has different menus, specialties, and hours to give students more flexibility.

       

      Meal plans also come with Flex dollars, which can be used to buy food items at several of the other non-dining-hall eateries at the Colleges, such as the Library Café at Honnold/Mudd, the Motley Coffeehouse at Scripps, the Hub Store at CMC, etc.

       

      If students miss a meal, they can get a meal replacement at the Hub, where there are great grill options, as well as sandwiches, wraps, and salads.

       

      Collins also offers a snack period Monday through Thursday nights at 10:30 p.m. The snack time offers the opportunity for many student groups to reach the CMC community. ASCMC elections, signups for events like Humans vs. Zombies or blood drives, and T-shirt sales are all held at Collins.

       

      The CMC Alumni Association also holds events for the students every year, including Donald McKenna’s Birthday/Tartan Snack, ice cream socials and food truck events.

   5. Story House

      Story House is the home of the Facilities and Campus Services Department. Students come to Story House to collect their mail and packages, to get keys, or to have their ID cards encoded for access.

       

      Students get one mailbox for the entire duration of their studies at CMC, conveniently keeping their address the same for all four years.

       

      Across the way from Story House is the entrance to the Ryal Residential Lab in Phillips Hall, one of five computer labs on campus. Ryal and South (located in Stark Hall), are residential labs, and the other three are located in the academic center of campus. 

       

      The labs offer unlimited free printing and dual screen setups, and technology assistants can help students set up their laptops to print directly to the printers from their dorm rooms.

       

      In addition, students will have wireless and Ethernet connections in their rooms, and there is wireless coverage across all the campuses in the Claremont University Consortium.

   6. Mid-Quad

      There are four distinct residence hall areas, North Quad, Mid Quad and South Quad, and the Apartments for upperclassmen on the eastern edge of the campus.

       

      Each area has a different style of housing and a different vibe and noise level, giving students many living options to choose from.

       

      South Quad tends to be the quietest, while North Quad is almost always the loudest. Students can have air-conditioning and great views in South Quad, or enjoy the very social and "open door" atmosphere in North Quad, so regardless of what students want, there is a great housing fit for every student.

       

      Mid Quad dorms have single and double rooms off central hallways with large, community bathrooms that get cleaned every day.

       

      Crown Hall in Mid Quad is CMC’s newest dorm and is LEED Silver-Certified.

       

      Each dorm has one or two building attendants. Every two weeks, students' rooms are cleaned by the building attendant, a huge treat that is unique to CMC.

       

      You can experience a 360-degree panorama of a Crown Hall dorm room here.

   7. South Quad

      South Quad dorms — Fawcett Hall, Stark Hall and Auen Hall — are towers with single-sex floors of four doubles and four singles around a central lounge and bathroom.

       

      South Quad rooms all have air-conditioning and high ceilings (great for lofting beds). Many boast beautiful views, since these are among the tallest buildings in Claremont — Fawcett is the tallest building in the city.

       

      Stark Hall has been designated a substance-free dorm. It also houses the South Campus Computer Lab, one of the two dorm-based labs that are open 24/7 for student use.

       

      South Quad is usually the quietest of the four residential precincts, but it always depends on who is living there.

   8. Roberts Pavilion

      The Roberts Pavilion is the spectacular fitness and events center for Claremont McKenna College and the athletic center for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps intercollegiate, intramural, and physical education programs.

       

      CMC teams up with Harvey Mudd and Scripps to form the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps sports teams, or CMS for short. Women's teams use the mascot of the Athenas, and the men's teams are the Stags. The teams' slogan is, “3 schools, 2 mascots, 1 spirit.”

       

      CMS Athletics is a NCAA Division III program, offering 21 varsity sports in addition to strong Claremont Colleges club teams and intramural sports. CMS competes in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) along with eight other Division III teams within a one-hour radius.

       

      At least one-third of CMC's student body is on a varsity team, and many student-athletes choose CMC because of the great balance that can be achieved academically, athletically and socially. Student-athletes often find that professors and coaches are very willing to work together to ensure the student’s success both on and off the field.

       

      Many CMS teams go on to compete at the NCAA Championships, and CMC is home to many All-American athletes.

   9. Parents Field

      Many social and intramural activities on campus take place on Parents Field.

       

      CMC offers its students a wealth of extracurricular activities. The student government, ASCMC, is unique among college student governments in that it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, which means it is legally and fiscally independent from the school. That gives it tremendous autonomy to lead and make important decisions.

       

      There is no Greek life at CMC. Instead, the ASCMC Executive Board manages an annual operating budget of $350,000 to organize parties, concerts, alternative events, clubs, dorm events, class events, other student organizations and more.

       

      There are 49 recognized CMC clubs and organizations. ASCMC spends about 25% of its annual budget supporting the initiatives of a diverse assortment of campus organizations.

       

      In addition to the rich social and extracurricular life at CMC, students can take part in scores of events and organizations at the other Claremont Colleges.

       

      CMC is highly rated for student happiness and quality of life by surveys and lists such as the Princeton Review.

   10. North Quad

       North Quad — Appleby Hall, Boswell Hall, Green Hall and Wohlford Hall — is the geographic and social center of Claremont McKenna.

        

       On weekdays it is common to see professors and students mingle, and on weekends North Quad is the center of many of CMC’s festivities.

        

       North Quad dorms are suite-style, with four double rooms sharing a common bathroom. All doors open to the outside to maximize enjoyment of the sunny Southern California weather, creating an open and inclusive atmosphere.

        

       Approximately 94% of all CMC students live on campus, creating a close-knit community. Each dorm is co-ed and has its own laundry facilities and at least one lounge, as well as wired and wireless Internet connections.

        

       There are no freshman dorms. Each dorm has at least 10% freshmen, giving upperclassmen and first-year students a chance to mingle, which is great for mentoring purposes, creating friendships, and enhancing school cohesion.

        

       A few students every year choose to live on another campus in the Claremont University Consortium. They can do so by switching room-draw numbers (and thus the campus that you are going to live on) with a student at another Claremont College.

   11. Bauer Center

       To the east of the campus is the Bauer Center, composed of Bauer North and Bauer South. It is home to classrooms, auditoriums, administration and faculty offices, the College's ROTC program, the Robert Day School, and the Center for Global Education.

        

       The Robert Day School of Economics and Finance was created with a $200 million gift from Trustee Robert A. Day '65 P'12.

        

       The school helps administer the Robert Day Scholars program, networking opportunities, and courses specializing in economics, finance, and accounting.

        

       The Robert Day School is also associated with the Financial Economics Institute, the Lowe Institute of Political Economy, and the Student Investment Fund.

        

       The Center for Global Education administers the Study Abroad program, which includes more than 100 approved programs. Over half of CMCers have studied abroad by the time they graduate.

        

       CMC offers two special off-campus programs – the Washington and Silicon Valley programs, semester-long experiences featuring a full-time internship during the day and classes on Saturdays. The intense but very rewarding programs have helped launch many students' professional careers.

        

       The College's Army ROTC Program (the Military Science Department) offers full scholarships — tuition, room, and board — plus a monthly stipend.

   12. Heggblade Center

       Heggblade Center is home to two vital offices for CMC students.

        

       The Dean of Students Office is a resource and support center, where students can often walk right in to meet with their deans. It is the office most responsible for students’ out-of-class experiences, such as residential life and activities. It also includes the Center for Civic Engagement.

        

       The office also coordinates the yearly room housing draw, RAs, volunteer opportunities and student wellness.

        

       Upstairs at Heggblade is the CARE Center, an innovative undertaking that seeks to proactively engage and educate the community. The Center seeks to build capacity in communicating across difference with respect and civility. It's a space for expression, study, dialogue, and exploration of intersecting social identities and how they inform the ways in which we live within, learn from, and engage with the world.

        

       Behind Heggblade, closer to Ninth Street, is the International Place, which serves as a social, academic and administrative resource for all international students in the Claremont University Consortium.

   13. Emett Student Center

       The fountains in Flamson Plaza, in front of the Emett Student Center, are integral to two longstanding CMC traditions: Ponding and Senior Thesis Celebration.

        

       Ponding, a birthday celebration, involves students' being carried and thrown into the fountains on their special day. Seniors celebrate the completion of their theses at the end of each semester with a gathering at the fountains.

        

       The Emett Student Center, also known more popularly as the Hub, houses pool tables, flat-screen satellite TVs, comfortable seating, as well as the Hub Grill, which serves food and drinks throughout the day. The Hub Store, next to the grill, also sells snacks, toiletries, and other basics.

        

       The building also houses the Soll Center for Student Opportunity. The Center is home to three important resources: Career Services, Scholar Communities, and Sponsored Experiences. A dedicated team of professionals provides personalized support for students at all stages of their college experience with complementary advising, counseling, mentoring and networking services. This support also extends to our alumni post-graduation.

        

       You can view a 360-degree panorama of Flamson Plaza here. Step inside the Hub and view the student lounge area here.

        

       As we end this self-guided tour, it is important to note what sets CMC apart from other elite schools is its open-door atmosphere and the fact that CMC has plentiful resources that go beyond those of most liberal arts colleges.

        

       Because of CMC's connection with the other Claremont Colleges, students have the unique opportunity of making their college experience as small or as big as they want. Want a small college experience? Focus on what CMC has to offer. Want a midsize college experience with the resources of a university? Then take advantage of everything the 5Cs have to offer — go to a party at Pitzer, take a class at Pomona, eat lunch at Harvey Mudd, tan at the Scripps pool, and join a 5C-wide club.

        

       There is a sense at CMC that there is “enough to go around” — enough money, enough faculty, enough space, enough opportunity. Claremont McKenna faculty and staff are able to foster a collaborative, rather than hyper-competitive, academic climate. There is no limit to what you can do at CMC.