Rather than follow a prescribed academic program, Marlboro students pursue a self-designed Plan of Concentration based on their intellectual interests that culminates in a major work of scholarship. Plans often integrate multiple disciplines - from mathematics and philosophy to dance, theater, and physics.
Learn more about the Plan of Concentration
Visit the Virtual Plan Room
Marlboro College is intentionally small, with a student-faculty ratio of 6:1. In addition to discussion-based classes, faculty members interact with students through one-to-one tutorials, Plan advising sessions, service-learning trips, and collaborative projects ranging from scholarly papers to films.
Meet the faculty
Learn more about tutorials
Marlboro College offers master’s degrees, certificates and continuing education courses in management, education, and technology. Designed for working adults, these programs blend engaging online study with intentionally small, in-person classes at Marlboro’s Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Learn more about Graduate and Professional Studies
Marlboro alumna Cookie Harrist recently performed her self-choreographed solo dance piece, titled “Present Present Present,” as part of a national dance gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Read Cookie's Story
“My work at Marlboro sparked a lifelong interest in international health care,” said Kristin. She did her Plan of Concentration on traditional medical systems in Guatemala, and is now a registered nurse working in maternal and newborn care in Nicaragua.
Read Kristin's story
Like many Marlboro students, Amanda demonstrated a passion for learning. It should be no surprise that she received her master’s degree in Marlboro’s Teaching for Social Justice program, and is now translating that passion for learning into teaching.
Read Amanda’s story
Jenny was working at a large university, but she really wanted to get further into higher education and to work with faculty. Now, after receiving her MA in Teaching with Technology, she’s the director of academic technology at Keene State College.
Read Jenny’s story
"I wanted to figure out a way to satisfy our growth as individuals, as a society, without this notion that we have to keep consuming,” said Larry. With Marlboro’s MBA in Managing for Sustainability, he has been able to be the change that he wanted to see.
Read Larry’s story
Deb has a strong interest in doing work that makes a positive impact on the world. In the MS in Managing Mission-Driven Organizations program, she learned things that were immediately useful in her role as associate director of admissions at a Waldorf school.
Read Deb’s story
Campus life at Marlboro College correlates directly with student interests. Each incoming class brings with it new ideas and initiative for extracurricular groups and activities, which in past years have ranged from Ultimate Frisbee and poetry slams to contra dancing and the Typewriter Social.
MORE ABOUT STUDENT LIFE
"To me, education is a conversation," says politics professor Lynette Rummel. Hear from faculty and students why Marlboro is their own special kind of academic community.
While most aspects of community life at Marlboro College are fluid, some have become an established part of campus culture. Click through to learn about some of Marlboro’s traditions, most of which are anything but traditional.
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The semi-annual Midnight Breakfast offers up some much-needed sustenance and socializing for students the night before clear writing portfolios are due.
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Every fall, the Marlboro community celebrates the apple harvest with seasonally inspired festivities that range from cider pressing and donut-eating contests to bobbing for apples and leaf jumping.
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Named for legendary Marlboro professor Dick Judd and longtime trustee Ted Wendell, this annual cross-country ski race follows a six-mile loop to South Pond and back. Marlboro ski enthusiasts have been competing for the coveted cup since 1965.
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Pitting teams of students, faculty, and staff against each other, the annual broomball tournament is a spirited show of camaraderie and clumsy athleticism on ice.
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Many of Marlboro’s buildings were built or renovated by community members. Work Day extends the college’s DIY spirit, bringing together students, faculty, and staff for construction and maintenance projects around campus.
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Hosted by President Ellen McCulloch-Lovell and her husband, Chris, this semi-formal dance takes place in a transformed Marlboro dining hall. The dress code is “creative black tie,” and the music is live and loud.
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One Saturday every November, Marlboro community members and town neighbors fan out along the college’s cross-country ski trails to ready them for ski season. Activities include cutting fallen trees, clearing brush, and eating hot chili in the great outdoors.
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Marlboro students, faculty, and staff gather every four weeks for Town Meeting – a community forum modeled after traditional New England town meetings – where college-wide issues are discussed and brought to vote. Community members also serve on committees for everything from curriculum development and faculty hiring to public art and food services.
Learn more about community governance at Marlboro
