Be yourself. Be good at it.
Spring Enrollment
Spring Enrollment
There’s an advantage to studying at a women’s college. We’re uniquely positioned to help you chase down your dreams, find your voice and discover what and who you were meant to be.
Conservatory for the Performing Arts
Stephens College is accepting applications from students for the Conservatory for the Performing Arts.
Small matters.
Academic Spotlight
Academic Spotlight
At Stephens, an English + Creative Writing degree helps writers and readers work together by studying, critiquing and writing in a wide range of literary genres.
Find your happy place.
Find your happy place.
Stephens is small, and that’s a good thing. You get to know people here. Friendships mean something and last a lifetime. So bring your pets, bring your personality, and bring your dreams. We want to hear all about them.
BFFs for life.
Stephens women stick together. Work hard, play hard. Create and collaborate. Laugh and cry. Find your friends. Find your home.
Check out all the ways Stephens ticks all the boxes and emboldens you to go after the life you want.
Dream up.
Dream up.
We’re a small school in a big college town. We’re fiercely proud of our 189 years as a highly innovative women’s college. We know we deserve to be heard — and we’re not afraid to dream up.
Big names on campus.
LaParis Phillips, a floral designer and Stephens alumna, who has graced the pages of Bon Apetit, Ebony, and Harper’s Bazaar was the keynote speaker at the Academic Opening Convocation at Stephens College.
From your very first semester, you'll be working in your major ... designing, exploring, daring — doing.
At Stephens ...
We live by one rule:
Go for it.
You bring the grit, determination and never-quit attitude, and we’ll show you how to take charge of your dreams. Challenging academics, faculty advisers who care about your goals, and career-building coursework put you on the path to your personal success.
Come dream up with us.
Work That
Speaks for Itself
Your design, downtown
Imagine eating at the popular vegetarian hang-out downtown ... with your logo right there on the door. Or presenting your work to the City of Columbia and the Columbia Regional Airport.
Those are the kind of Addy Award-winning, real-world projects tackled by Creative Ink, our student-run creative services agency.
Nationally recognized student magazine
The stunning and highly creative work of Stephens Life is often recognized with top national student awards. Most recently, the Spring 2019 Voyage Issue earned Best of Show at the Fall 2019 National College Media Convention. Open to all majors, Stephens Life is one more example of Stephens' focus on portfolio- and experience-building curriculum.
Carissa Stevens ’21
One-on-one mentoring makes a difference for women in the sciences. Here you’ll be encouraged to speak up and try new things, without judgement ... and to find your own path to leadership.
Transitioning to TV Writing from Previous Careers
MFA Executive Director Dr. Rosanne Welch moderated a Writers Guild Foundation panel featuring TV writers who transitioned to television from previous careers. Panelists included: Rashaan Dozier-Escalante, M.F.A. '19 (Staff Writer, "SEAL Team"; former career: Senior Physical Security Analyst for federal agencies, U.S. Army Reserve veteran), Calaya Stallworth (a former college English professor who's a writer on "Fear the Walking Dead"), Zoanne Clack (an M.D. who's an executive producer on "Grey's Anatomy"), and Akilah Green (a former lawyer-lobbyist who's a writer on HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and Showtime's "Black Monday").
The Collections
Celebrating 76 years, the student-run fashion show showcases the best of juried student work. All fashion majors work together to produce the show as seniors launch their own personal collections and build their body of work in preparation for graduation.
Nationally recognized filmmaking
When digital filmmaking students in the Stephens Film Institute work together, the results are incredible. “Tampsen Air,” the episodic film produced during SFI 2018, was nominated for Best TV Pilot by the New York City Independent Film Festival, among other accolades.
Jennifer Hemphill, Broadway actress, assistant professor and program chair of musical theatre
“The caliber of students in the Acting and Musical Theatre programs at Stephens is outstanding. The actors are passionate and dedicated to their craft. They are truly a joy to work with.”
Mallory Stacy Sciaraffa ’19 Trainer/Instructor, Hallmark Farms
Stephens College combines a classical, classroom education with hands-on experience caring for and training horses, as well as all aspects of managing a fully functioning equine facility and business. There is no better teacher than experience in the equine industry and Stephens College gave me just that. The faculty in the Equine Program at Stephens are top-tier professionals who pour their hearts and souls into teaching the students for the betterment of their respective breeds and industries. Saddleseat professor Kelly Hulse continues to be an incredible mentor for me in my professional career. Stephens College set me up for success in the equine industry and continues to provide a support system for me as a young professional. I truly believe my time at Stephens College and in the Equestrian Department there has had an astronomical impact on my career. I am so thankful for the knowledge and experience I gained there and am beyond proud to represent Stephens College as an alumna.
Sarah Vitel ’16, photographer, business owner
Our dream up culture means Stephens women find a way to make dreams happen. For Fashion Communication major Sarah Ellen Vitel ’16, that meant leveraging the photography, marketing and entrepreneurial skills she learned at Stephens into a photography project in India with her employer, a sustainable jewelry company.
Alumna’s Midwest persistence leads to business success in New York
A floral designer and Stephens alumna who has graced the pages of Bon Apetit, Ebony, and Harper’s Bazaar and has even been featured on a billboard in Times Square, LaParis Phillips was the keynote speaker at the Academic Opening Convocation at Stephens College.