Creative Curriculum

A transition that provides Hampshire's extraordinary faculty and intrepid students time and resources to develop and experiment with courses and projects that spark discovery and solve problems in the connections among mind, art, science, health, enterprise, and social change in the anthropocene era, and challenge students in every discipline to consider their role in human survival.

The Food, Farm, and Sustainability Institute

The Food, Farm, and Sustainability Institute at Hampshire College is an interdisciplinary academic program focusing on food production and sustainable agriculture, centered at the vibrant Hampshire College Farm.

National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Grant:

In partnership with Holyoke Community College and the University of Massachusetts, Hampshire has received funding for “Application of Clean Energy Technology to Sustainable Agriculture Practice.” The grant will include support for clean energy infrastructure and course development, and will foster collaboration across the institutions. Proposed projects at Hampshire College include a moveable greenhouse with heat pump technology, as well as a solar array at the Hampshire College Farm that will provide power for new climate-controlled root and vegetable storage facilities, a mobile refrigeration unit, and a tractor that will be converted from diesel to battery power.

Sample Areas of Study

Recent Courses at Hampshire

Agriculture, Ecology, and Society
Vernal Pools: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
Chemistry and the Physics of Solar Energy and Energy Storage Technology
Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming
Hot War: the Impact of Climate Change on International Peace & Security
Innovations for Change: Problem Solving for the Future
Sustainable Landscaping Practicum
Sustainable Water Resources
The Future of Food
U.S. Climate Law and Policy
Agriculture, Food, and Human Health
Crafting a Sustainable Design Lens
Designing the Post-Suburban Community
Economics and the Environment
Kitchen Ecology
The Microbial Farm
Social Entrepreneurship
Zero Impact House

Full list of Sustainability Courses from Fall 2012 to Spring 2015»

Recent Student Projects

Agricultural Systems Thinking: Re-designing urban farming systems that are radically inclusive of marginalized communities
Imagine the Earth: Illustrating Environmental Science and Philosophy
Profit vs. People: A Case Study in the Environmental and Social Impact of Big Oil; Human Health
Learning for Our Future: Moving Towards a Sustainable Worldview
Tropical Reforestation
Wetland Biogeochemistry and Climate Change
Ecology and Management of Three Caribbean Fisheries
Enviro-Education at a School in the Woods: an Ethnographic Journey
Where the River Runs Dry: An Analysis of the Ecological and Socioeconomic Impacts of Large Dams on the Indus Delta
Path of the Dharma Farmer: Seeking a Sustainable Spirituality
You Are Where You Eat: Pedagogy for an Eco-Justice, Health-Oriented Sense of Place

Full List of Sustainability DIV III Titles from Spring 2013 to Spring 2016 »

Five College Programs and Certificates

Women who've created their own careers in solar technology, green architecture, sustainable agriculture, and accessible reproductive health describe essential elements of Hampshire College that paved the way for their success.

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The Hampshire College Tim Harkness Fund for invention awards grants for innovative work in applied design and invention, especially in areas of sustainability and renewable energy.

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By one estimate, the amount of new technical information doubles every two years, and 70 percent of today's students will end up in jobs not yet invented. They will struggle to solve problems we do not yet understand, collaborating with people on multiple continents through institutions not yet created.