Foster Intellectual Growth

Welcome to the Office of the Dean of the College. Here, we oversee all aspects of the undergraduate academic experience at Princeton. Our work spans the undergraduate career — from admission to commencement — and we are committed to fostering intellectual engagement and growth every step along the way.

We are responsible for the undergraduate curriculum, academic advising and support. How does that translate to students? Our message is quite simple: study what you love, take advantage of the opportunities around you and find help when you need it. 

Learning at Princeton extends far beyond the classroom. We actively promote opportunities for study, research and service abroad, as well as in our local schools and communities. We also believe that living at Princeton is integral to learning at Princeton. Our deans and assistant deans oversee academic advising in the residential colleges, and we hold freshman seminars and writing center consultations in the residential colleges as well.

Appreciating the Faculty’s special commitment to undergraduate education, we support faculty members in their efforts to create new courses, incorporate new technologies and refine their teaching methods. Given the defining role independent work plays in the Princeton experience, we also work closely with academic departments and programs to develop thesis guidelines, fund undergraduate research and create writing support groups.

The following offices and programs are affiliated with the Office of the Dean of the College:

Offices & Programs

Residential Colleges

One of Princeton's most distinctive characteristics is its close-knit residential community. The University's seven residential colleges are the center of residential life and offer an array of academic and social programs that enhance the undergraduate experience. The colleges provide for four-year housing options.

Each college has a head of college, dean, director of studies and director of student life. Academic advising for freshmen and sophomores is centered at the colleges, and juniors and seniors also are encouraged to confer with their college advisers for nondepartmental academic advising throughout their undergraduate careers. Undergraduates also benefit from the guidance of Residential College Advisers, who are upperclassmen, and Resident Graduate Students.   Freshman seminars and writing seminars often meet in residential college classrooms.