Shimer College

Shimer College is a liberal arts college in Chicago, Illinois, best known for its intellectual atmosphere, small class sizes, and Great Books curriculum. The college is located on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology where students of both institutions have the opportunity to cross-register in appropriate courses.

With fewer than 150 students, Shimer is one of the smallest liberal arts colleges in the United States. More than 50 percent of Shimer graduates go on to graduate and professional schools. In the early 90's, the Ph.D. rate for Shimer graduates was the highest in the nation among liberal arts colleges, and the third highest among all U.S. 4-year colleges and universities. As of 2007, Shimer ranks in the top 1% of the 3,478 U.S. colleges and universities in doctorate productivity. Shimer is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Curriculum

Shimer College became formally affiliated with the University of Chicago in 1895 and adopted the Chicago "Hutchins Plan" in 1950. The Hutchins Plan refers to American educator Robert Maynard Hutchins who was President of the University of Chicago from 1929 to 1945 and Chancellor from 1945 to 1951. The Hutchins Plan relies on close readings of original sources (often called "Great Books") rather than textbooks as the basis for its curriculum.

Shimer remains among a very small number of "Great Books" colleges— among them Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California and St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shimer markets itself as "the Great Books College of Chicago". The emphasis at Shimer on Great Books has been broadened and updated in recent curriculum additions to include a range of contemporary texts and texts by female authors and writers of color.

Shimer's core curriculum requires three years of study in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and trans-disciplinary "integrative studies." Electives are generally taken in the junior and senior years, though many of them are open to first and second year students as well. Students also often take tutorials with their professors, either one-on-one or with up to two other students. A senior thesis is required, and thesis writers have the option to present their work in a public thesis defense.

Shimer College is a liberal arts college in Chicago, Illinois, best known for its intellectual atmosphere, small class sizes, and Great Books curriculum. The college is located on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology where students of both institutions have the opportunity to cross-register in appropriate courses.