Engaged Students

As part of Young Harris College's core curriculum, students take classes in everything from composition to public speaking. This creates a better, well-rounded student: one who can connect the dots between multiple ideas, solve problems creatively and communicate effectively. Students graduate with versatile skills and employable attributes that will continually help them adapt to a changing world.

• The Bonner Leaders Program fits into YHC's culture of service and mission to engage the community. Bonners have a real passion for making a difference on campus, in the community and in the larger world beyond. Students work with non-profit agencies, completing tasks like mentoring elementary students and constructing affordable housing for families in need. In return for their efforts, Bonners may receive a combination of work-study funds and AmeriCorps education awards.

• YHC offers multiple international and scholarship programs each year so that students can study at prestigious schools overseas like Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain and Harlaxton College in England. Students can spend a semester, summer or full academic year abroad in Asia, Latin America, Africa or Europe. YHC also provides opportunities for students to travel and study abroad under the direct supervision of YHC faculty.

• YHC's First-Year Experience program is designed to provide support and encouragement to new students and help ensure their personal and academic success. The Ship of Thought: Common Reading Program provides first-year students with a common intellectual experience to stimulate discussion and critical thinking. The First-Year Foundations course helps new students understand what it takes to succeed in college.

• The Center for Appalachian Studies and Community Engagement is committed to the celebration of Appalachian culture and to service that engages students with communities in the region. The center leads initiatives centered on service learning, Appalachian studies, community engagement, social justice and sustainability.

• Outside of the classroom, YHC students are given ample opportunities to hone skills in a variety of on- and off-campus environments. Internships with local businesses and organizations are extensive, while YHC's close proximity to businesses in Atlanta and the surrounding area also contribute to the College's pool of internships and provide fertile ground to exercise the work of the classroom.

• YHC attracts and caters to bright, intellectually curious students with the exclusive Honors Program. Students take academics even further with deeper discussions in the classroom, experiential-based learning abroad and grad-level projects. Students in the program receive academic scholarships, priority registration for classes, special opportunities for travel and the honors distinction on their diploma.

Great Teaching

With a student/faculty ratio of 11:1 and a typical class size of 16, YHC students don't get lost in the crowd. This intimate setting allows students and faculty to work closely, forging nurturing relationships and strong bonds that endure well past graduation. Young Harris College has been able to accomplish more because of the College's size, and students can too. Widespread opportunities exist in the classroom, on the field, on stage and in the community - so students can build their skills, experience and résumé.

• YHC is one of only a few schools in the U.S. to offer a Business and Public Policy degree. The curriculum combines traditional courses like marketing and management with classes in business and public policy ethics. Other schools offering the degree include The University of Pennsylvania and Harvard.

• What started as a student interest group on campus has grown into an extraordinary bachelor's degree program in Outdoor Leadership. The National Forest Service permits YHC to program in the Chattahoochee, Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. Students study land and water pursuits management, environmental ethics, primitive survival and much more, all in-depth and hands-on.

• By enrolling in YHC's English program, students join a rich tradition in literature and creative writing. Byron Herbert Reece, an alumnus and faculty member of the College, was a nationally recognized poet and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Bettie Sellers, who taught English at YHC for 32 years, was named Poet Laureate of Georgia in 1997.

• The Ethics Across the Curriculum program seeks to make ethical reflection a vital part of the ethos of YHC. This innovative program includes workshops and luncheons on ethics in practice, ethical theories, moral reasoning and teaching ethics.  Faculty and staff also integrate discussion of ethical issues and values into classrooms and extracurricular programs.

• Rhetorica: The Art of Writing and Speaking at Young Harris College is an academic program created to improve students' written and spoken communication. Students take writing- and speaking-intensive versions of courses that are more interactive than typical lecture courses, enabling them to write papers and make presentations about topics that interest them and engage in lively discussion and debate. The Center for Writing and Speaking helps students improve their performance on papers, presentations and class discussion. Trained student tutors review paper drafts, evaluate presentations and explain discussion strategies to help students improve their performance.

• The Academic Success Center provides tutoring, personal academic counseling, assistance with English as a second language, study skills seminars and quiet study space for students who need academic, motivation or time management assistance.

Vibrant Community

Young Harris College students are encouraged to get involved and make the most of their four years by exploring all that's going on around campus. When it's time to put down the books and take a break, students have the opportunity to branch out and try new thing s- and meet students with similar interests - in more than 50 campus organizations and counting. By running for a student government office or organizing a fundraiser with a fraternity or sorority, students will make new friends, broaden their horizons, boost their résumés and have fun doing it.

• O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium features a state-of-the-art GOTO Chronos Space Simulator star projector with a state-of-the-art full-dome digital projection system, the Sky-Skan Definiti, in a 40-foot dome theater. The YHC Observatory features a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and is located about 1.5 miles from campus.

• The Campus Gate Art Gallery provides a great source of cultural enrichment to the YHC campus and community. Exhibitions by professional artists take place in the gallery throughout the year, as well as an annual juried student exhibition. Each exhibition has a reception where guests can meet and mingle with the exhibiting artist and discuss the artwork with them.

• The Division of Fine Arts at YHC offers quality programming that benefits student development and enhances the local cultural landscape. Theatre Young Harris, YHC's performing arts organization, presents a full lineup of notable productions, including full-length musicals, innovative dramas, classic plays, children's shows and more. The Department of Music hosts countless concerts each semester featuring the College's many musical ensembles.

• YHC constantly strives to provide students and faculty with access to thought-provoking speakers and guest lecturers. The College currently features distinct lecture series, such as the Byron Herbert Reece Lecture Series, Miller Lecture Series (named for former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller, '51) and Ragsdale Lecture Series, as well as various guest lectures for each academic discipline at the College.

• Many YHC students have something in common: a passion for preserving their breathtaking North Georgia home. Nearly all of YHC's sustainability initiatives are student-led, from campus-wide recycling, to tree planting, to energy and water conservation programs.

• Students can enjoy social and service-related experiences on campus and in the local community through Student Government Association, residence hall council, Greek organizations, honor societies, service and faith-based groups, professional organizations and special interest clubs. YHC also offers club sports, like the bass fishing team, and student publications like Enotah Echoes newspaper and Corn Creek Review literary magazine.

Successful Outcomes

Young Harris College is a small, private institution that has launched thousands of careers. YHC alumni stand out in competitive grad programs, and are accomplishing amazing things in various industries around the globe. There is one thing Young Harris alumni have in common: a fierce loyalty to the College and a lifelong relationship with the people who helped them realize their true potential.

• YHC students have been accepted into prestigious graduate and professional programs at institutions across the country. Just recently, a couple of the College's biology majors landed two of 60 coveted spots in the only dental school in Georgia. Both students worked on senior research projects directly related to the dental field during their studies and presented their research at the Georgia Academy of Science Annual Meeting.

• Young Harris College has cultivated a number of successful alumni over its 125-year history, including Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston, '74, Waffle House co-founder Tom Forkner, '37, Grammy-winning country music sensation Trisha Yearwood, '84, Baltimore Orioles right fielder and 2011 Gold Glove Award winner Nick Markakis, '03, and former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller, '51.

• Young Harris College students gain valuable experience during their studies by taking part in courses that integrate academic service learning into the curriculum. These courses provide YHC faculty, staff and students the opportunity to work at community partner agencies, participate in established service programs and become involved in grant-funded projects.