Two students at a lab bench make adjustments to a coil.

Oberlin and Pioneer

Students work on research using optical magnetometers to search for dark matter as a part of the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic Physics (GNOME) collaboration.
Photo credit: Dustin Franz

Oberlin and Pioneer: a groundbreaking partnership.

An Oberlin education provides intellectual breadth and depth in the richness of humanistic, scientific and artistic inquiry. Because our small, liberal arts campus has no graduate students and postdocs, Oberlin undergraduates who participate in research have an unusual opportunity to work closely and directly with their professors to ask questions, design projects, and participate in cutting-edge research.

These values are what make the partnership between Oberlin College and Pioneer Academics so successful. Much like Pioneer, Oberlin provides opportunities to work closely and conduct research with world-class faculty.

Ever the trail blazer for access to higher education and for the most advanced liberal arts program of study, Oberlin’s collaboration with Pioneer Academics broadens our tradition and influence beyond our campus.

David Kamitsuka, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Oberlin College

A Unique Education

Oberlin’s liberal arts education provides intellectual breadth and depth in the richness of humanistic, scientific and artistic inquiry.

Oberlin offers a classic liberal arts education that draws on the dynamism of intellectual inquiry and applies it to our real world experiences with communities, cultures, and professions to tackle major challenges of contemporary life.

Together with our world-renowned Conservatory of Music and its 500+ performances each year, the Oberlin campus offers a vibrant and creative environment that is truly unique.

Oberlin College and Conservatory Establishes Five New Collaborative Programs

Distinctive courses of study draw upon interdisciplinary resources, chart paths toward 21st century careers.

Music theory class with Prof. Jan Miyake

Exploring Interstellar Waves

Jakob Faber ’21 explored ways to broaden the scope of branched flow with the goal of introducing work that has been done in radio astronomy and radio geophysics into the field.

Jakob Faber

Writing in the Time of Crisis: Incoming First-Years Published in Away Journal

The students participated in Oberlin's eight-week remote course, Uncovering COVID-19: Critical Liberal Arts Perspectives.

Multimedia graphic depicting a storm.

Undergraduate Research

At Oberlin, all research opportunities are for undergraduates.

On a small, liberal arts campus without graduate students and postdocs, Oberlin undergraduates who participate in research have an opportunity to work closely and directly with their professors to ask questions, design projects, and participate in cutting-edge research.

Third-Years to Present Research in Junior Practicum Symposium

Students participating in the Junior Practicum research track, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, and the Oberlin College Research Fellowship will present their mentored work.

Surrealistic battle scene. A tank is also a microscope, a test tube is a gun, and coronaviruses float in the sky.

Independent Scientific Research Opportunities Abound During Winter Term

In Professor William Parsons’ Chemical Biology and Organic Chemistry Research Winter Term project, students delve deep into independent scientific research.

Students examine equipment in a lab.

Sophomore Biochemistry Student is Lead Author on Peer-Reviewed Publication

David Fineman was part of a research group led by a neonatal researcher.

David Fineman

Recent Graduates Making News

After Oberlin, anything is possible.

They’ve risen to the challenge of rigorous academics, they’ve pursued their passions and taken advantage of real-world experience, and now they’re ready to forge their own paths. 

Nine International Obies Will Begin PhDs in STEM

A third of all Chinese international students in the Class of 2020 have secured positions in top PhD programs.

Hand placing a petri dish under a microscope.

From Double Major to Law School: Emily Kelly-Olsen ’19

A student athlete, Kelly-Olsen discovered her passion for politics and East Asian studies at Oberlin. She is currently a student at University of Michigan Law School and working as an associate at a law firm in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.

Emily Kelly-Olsen

Monica Dix Receives 2020 Nexial Prize

The 2020 graduate will use the Nexial Prize to explore the relationship between policy and waterways.

Monica Dix

Engaged Liberal Arts

Engaged Liberal Arts (ELA) takes many forms at Oberlin.

ELA takes what you’re learning in your courses and puts it into practice through internships, research, study away experiences, winter term, career exploration, and beyond.

Continue the Connection

Explore how your experience with Pioneer Academics fits with Oberlin’s values of academic excellence and access to education.