Franklin's undergraduate programs are completed over four years and lead to either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS), depending on your chosen field of study.

Throughout your degree, you will combine:

• Core Requirements courses that provide a broad academic foundation
• A Major, your primary field of study
• Elective courses that allow you to explore different disciplines
• Optional Minor or interdisciplinary pathways
• Experiential learning opportunities, including Academic Travel, research, internships, and community engagement

Working closely with your academic advisor, you will build a degree that balances structure with flexibility while supporting your academic and career goals.

Looking to Graduate in Three Years?

Students who already have a clear academic direction, have already completed the minimum requirement, or are ready for a more intensive course load may be eligible to complete their bachelor's degree in three years instead of four.

Franklin's 3-Year Degree option allows motivated and eligible students to accelerate their studies while benefiting from the same liberal arts education, personalized advising, and international learning experiences.

Learn more about the 3-Year Degree option

Franklin's Core Requirements merge academic skills with a strong focus on international and intercultural competencies. These courses give you the tools you need to study, research, communicate, and live responsibly, while crossing borders and traveling far from home. The university core represents the heart of the Franklin experience.

First-Year Seminar

New first-year students and transfer students with fewer than 30 credits are assigned a First-Year Seminar (FYS), a three-credit, semester-long course that reflects a specific research interest of the Franklin faculty members who lead them. The broad aim of FYS is to help students adapt to academic expectations and the university experience, engaging them both in and out of the classroom. This seminar is an integral part of a larger First Year Experience that integrates academics with orientation, advising, academic support, co-curricular activities, and community activities.

Academic Travel

Academic Travel is Franklin’s signature program and an essential part of the Franklin degree program. Three-credit Academic Travel courses are regular semester courses that include a 10-14 day travel period, thus adding an experiential learning piece to regular classroom activities. The graduation requirement for Academic Travel is normally fulfilled by successful participation in four three-credit Academic Travel classes (12 credits).

Academic Writing

Being a student at Franklin means learning to write well in English, as well as being able to use that skill in other languages. After the first-year seminar, students enroll in an academic writing course (WTG 150 Academic Writing: Crossing Borders and/or WTG 200 Advanced Academic Writing: Ethics at Work) as part of the year-long experience and then later enroll in W-designated courses that are writing intensive. The writing requirement culminates with the capstone course, thesis, or senior project.

Global Responsibility

Students choose two courses from each Area of Knowledge (Intercultural Competencies - International Engagement - Social Responsibility) for a total of 18 credits, and they will be advised to complete courses from at least five different disciplines. Courses taken to meet major requirements may also fulfill core requirements; however, credits count only once in terms of meeting the 120 credit requirement for the bachelor's degree. These learning outcomes articulate what students are expected to demonstrate in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes upon completion of the Global Responsibility components.

Modern Language

As part of Franklin’s mission to cultivate international leadership skills through foreign language acquisition and cultural literacy, Franklin encourages all students to learn at least one Swiss language. Two options, or tracks, are available to students to ensure successful completion of this requirement. Students in Track 1 strive to achieve advanced proficiency in French, German, or Italian. Track 2 students opt for a combination of language study and cultural literacy classes across several Franklin disciplines. For all students, a two-semester commitment to Swiss language study (most typically satisfied in the 100-101 sequence) is mandatory.

Quantitative Literacy

Quantitative Literacy represents the ability to understand and effectively communicate in the language of numerical data, patterns, and structures. To distinguish between solid facts and fake news, fluency in this language is required. One needs to understand its rules, its uses, and the logic behind it, as well as possess the ability to recognize inappropriate or flawed uses. The Quantitative Literacy requirement provides students with the tools necessary to achieve this objective, in a way that is compatible with their field of interest. 

Every undergraduate student completes a major, the primary area of study that forms the foundation of the bachelor's degree.

Many students also choose to add a minor, a secondary field that complements their major or allows them to pursue another academic interest.

For students whose interests naturally span multiple disciplines, Franklin also offers opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary pathways through Combined Majors or Double Majors.

These options allow every student to create an academic experience that reflects both their passions and their future goals.

Learn more about Majors, Minors, and Combined Degrees

Degree Length

4 years
(3-year option available for eligible students)

Degrees

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS)

Majors available

18

Minors available

22

Academic Travel

Once a semester, included in the curriculum and fee

Degree Structure

Core Requirements + Major + Electives + Optional Minor

Academic Advisor

Personal faculty advising available for every student