Smith Scholars Program

The Smith Scholars Program is a Williams College of Business (WCB) undergraduate, cohort honors program. Smith Scholars students begin as freshmen in an intensive program that integrates the study of the liberal arts with the WCB core curriculum in a rigorous, purposeful, and innovative way. This unique cohort of Smith Scholars studies a range of courses in both the business and liberal arts curriculum thereby immersing themselves in the study of the foundational texts of philosophy, history, and economics. Building upon this foundation, Smith Scholars complete courses leading to their selected WCB major with a minor in Political Economy. The minor is designed to engage Smith Scholars in a rigorous examination of economic theory and its applications, the legal and regulatory environment of business, and the financial markets that integrate these forces.

About the Program

The Program emphasizes the study of foundational texts based on a Great Books model and a pedagogical approach that develops:

• A student's critical thinking and reading skills through the examination of the premises of arguments and the credibility of sources
• A student's objectivity and independent evaluation of texts and sources
• A student's ability to logically present his or her analysis in written and oral forms

The program also emphasizes experiential learning through Smith Center funded global travel and a financial center trip designed to expand students' understanding and appreciation of the historical and cultural contexts of economics, law, finance, and philosophy. Finally, the program emphasizes scholarship. Selected Smith Scholars will engage in scholarship related to the curriculum of the Smith Scholars Program to facilitate their understanding of research methods.