Mount Mercy offers a practical, hands-on liberal arts education. Guided by our Core Curriculum, you will be challenged to “reflect and engage” with the ideas and assumptions that affect your community, your world, and your future career. You will receive a well-rounded, active college education enriched by community service projects, internships, and close faculty interaction.

Majors & Minors

Choose from more than 35 majors and as many minors in eight academic departments. Mount Mercy is famous for our professional programs in nursing, education and business administration, but we’re equally excited about in-demand majors like criminal justice, biology, journalism and international studies.

The Core Curriculum

No matter which major you choose, your Mount Mercy education will be grounded in a firm liberal arts foundation. We’ve designed each component of the Core Curriculum to spark independent inquiry, sharpen critical thinking skills, foster personal reflection, and cultivate a spirit of service and citizenship.

The three components of Mount Mercy’s Reflection and Action curriculum are:

• Portal Courses: First-year students are introduced to Mount Mercy’s service-oriented academic culture through eye-opening interdisciplinary seminars like Avatars of Good and Evil: Media Stereotypes vs. Reality, The Religious Roots of Political Involvement, and Ethnic Iowans: Diversity Issues in the New Millennium. 
• Domains of Liberal Studies: To ensure that every Mount Mercy student graduates with a well-rounded perspective, you will take courses in seven core domains: Expressive Arts, Global Awareness, Historical Roots, Holistic Health, The Natural World, Self and Society, and Ultimate Questions.
• Mercy Experience Capstone: As a senior, you will complete an independent, writing-intensive project that integrates one of the six critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy: earth, immigration, non-violence, poverty, racism, and women.

Special Opportunities

We encourage all Mount Mercy students to make study abroad part of their college experience. Whether you travel to another country for a week, a summer or a full semester, you will gain an important new perspective on your studies, your world and yourself. Mount Mercy maintains close partnerships with universities in the Czech Republic, England, and Italy, or you can choose from hundreds of other approved international programs.

We also encourage high-performing students to apply to the Honors Program, a supplementary curriculum featuring broadly interdisciplinary courses, small class sizes, and high levels of interaction with professors.

How to Apply

Visit the admissions section to learn more about the benefits of a Mount Mercy education and how to apply as a freshman, transfer, or international student.