California Institute of Technology  -  Caltech

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Caltech Information

Caltech History

Caltech was founded as Throop University in 1891 by Amos G. Throop. The school went through a number of different names before eventually settling on The California Institute of Technology, although everyone just calls it Caltech.

In 1907, George Ellery Hale joined the school’s board of trustees, and was instrumental in transforming the college from a vocational school into one of the foremost names in scientific research and education.

More about Caltech

Caltech Dorms

Caltech students are assigned to live in houses, similar to the residential college systems of Oxford or Cambridge. More like fraternities than mere living spaces, the students in the various houses have rivalries with other houses, sit down for communal dinners, and generally share a sense of family. Each house has its own traditions, nicknames and mottos, and often members often play pranks on other Undergrads generally stay members of their houses throughout their school careers.

The houses are divided into two groups, the North Houses (consisting of Lloyd, Page, and Ruddock) and the South Houses (Blacker, Dabney, Fleming, and Ricketts). Standing alone is Avery House, the newest in the house system—this house only recently admitted freshmen through rotation and its facilities are open to all members of the school (rather than just house members).

There are also a number of “off-campus” houses, so-called despite actually being located on the campus itself. These houses do not have memberships, though many students of various houses physically live in them if, for whatever reason, they are unable to live in their own houses.
Next Page: Caltech Stats and Rankings

Majors

Applied Computational Mathematical Sciences

Applied Physics

Astrophysics

Biology

Business Economics

Chemical Engineering

Chemistry

Computer Science

Economics/Management

Electrical Engineering

Engineering/Applied Science

English

Geobiology

Geochemistry

Geology

Geophysics

History

History/Philosophy of Science

Independent Study

Mathematics

Mechanical Engineering

Philosophy

Physics

Planetary Science

Political Science

California Institute of Technology Academics

Five terms of mathematics: calculus, ordinary differential equations, and infinite series; linear algebra; vectors and analytic geometry; calculus of several variables; probability.

Five terms of physics: classical mechanics, electromagnetism, waves, quantum mechanics, statistical physics.

Two terms of chemistry: lecture courses in general and quantitative chemistry.

One term of biology: a topical course introducing a variety of tools and concepts of modern biology.

Freshman "menu" course: one term of astronomy, geology, environmental engineering and science, energy science.

Two terms of introductory lab courses: freshman chem lab, plus one other lab chosen from offerings in applied physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, or physics.

Two terms of science writing: students research, write, and revise a 3,000-word paper on a science or engineering topic, which is then published in an online journal established for that purpose. Students work with a faculty mentor on the content of the paper and receive editorial guidance from science writing instructors.

Twelve terms of humanities courses: two terms emphasizing writing, two terms of introductory social-science courses, two terms of advanced humanities courses, and two terms of advanced social-science courses are required. The remaining four courses may be chosen from any of the humanities or social-science offerings.
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