Bucknell University - Overview
Bucknell University Is a Top Liberal Arts College
Bucknell University is a private, liberal arts university located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, offering academic degrees in more than 50 majors and 60 minors.
Founded in 1846 as a "literary institution," Bucknell has evolved from its beginnings holding classes in the basement of the First Baptist Church of Lewisburg into a university with a beautiful 400-acre campus offering programs in humanities, sciences and mathematics, engineering, management, social sciences, and the performing and fine arts.
Today, the university consists of two main colleges -- the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. The School of Management is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. All academic programs, including engineering, are based on the liberal arts.
Recognized as one of the Top 30 liberal arts universities in the country by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2009, Bucknell University prides itself on the sense of community it creates for its students.
With small classes, a dedicated and accessible faculty, and more than 150 student-run clubs and organizations, the university provides an academic and social environment where students engage in a wide range of educational opportunities and enjoy a rich and rewarding undergraduate experience.
Bucknell University's College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is composed of three academic divisions: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. Students can earn a Bachelor of Music, a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, or a Bachelor of Arts.
The college's curriculum, the College Core Curriculum, prepares students for a lifetime of critical thinking and civic engagement; cultivates intellectual exploration and in-depth study in an academic discipline; engages students in diverse perspectives so that they can successfully navigate the globalized, multi-cultural world; encourages scientific and technological innovation; helps students analyze, evaluate, and integrate information; and teaches them to synthesize and communicate effectively.
Bucknell University's College of Engineering
Engineering education at Bucknell emphasizes an understanding of the fundamental principles of engineering, mathematics, and the natural and social sciences, and the ability to develop creative solutions to complex, open-ended, and multi-faceted problems with careful consideration of the impact of the solutions on the environment and society.
The very strong analytical and problem-solving skills developed by our engineering students serve them well upon graduation in careers both in engineering and in a wide range of other occupations such as finance, law, medicine, and a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors.
Bucknell's engineering students complete their undergraduate study in four years, but they also have the option of completing one of two five-year engineering programs that offers joint degrees in liberal arts and engineering: a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Engineering or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Management.
Bucknell's Faculty Members Are Mentors and Expert Scholars
The student-faculty ratio at Bucknell is 10:1, and professors, not graduate students, teach every class. Faculty members are dedicated to their students, providing one-to-one attention in class and mentoring students outside of class by involving them in research, creative projects, panel discussions, conferences, field trips, and more.
The faculty consists of 354 full-time members, with 97 percent having a Ph.D. or another terminal degree. Faculty members are also involved in campus life, serving as advisers to various clubs and organizations, helping Bucknell students connect to their studies on an academic and personal level.
Bucknell Promotes International Perspectives and Global Education
Bucknell encourages students to seek global awareness. Nearly half of its students study off campus at some point in their time at Bucknell. The university offers its own university-run programs in France, Spain, London, and the Caribbean, along with three-week summer sessions in Northern Ireland, Barbados, Nicaragua, Greece and Turkey, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and a program designed for engineers.
The Bucknell Office of International Education also encourages students to go abroad through external study abroad programs and community service opportunities.
First-year Housing Includes Seven Themed Choices
All first-year students are required to live on campus. In addition to a traditional residence hall experience, first-year students may choose to participate in one of Bucknell's seven Residential Colleges. These are themed communities that combine classroom and social activities built around a particular subject of interest.
The Residential Colleges include the Arts College, Environmental College, Global College, Humanities College, Languages and Cultures College, Social Justice College, and Society and Technology College. Other first-year housing choices focus on a quiet atmosphere and healthy, substance-free living.
Athletics Offerings are Competitive and Broad
A member of the Patriot League, Bucknell features 27 Division I athletic teams, along with numerous intramural sports teams, student-run sports clubs, and group fitness classes including yoga, Zumba, and spinning. Bucknell also owns an 18-hole golf course and a state-of-the-art fitness center including an Olympic-size swimming pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, and racquetball courts available to students, faculty, and community members.
Bucknell's athletes are also scholars. Ninety-three percent of student-athletes graduate within six years; the university is fifth among Division I schools for the number of student-athletes named to Academic All-America teams; and the student-athlete graduation is fourth highest in the nation among all Division I programs.
Bucknell's Campus Activities Are Varied and Numerous
Bucknell offers a wide array of opportunities for students looking for things to do on campus when classes and studying are complete. There are more than 150 different clubs and organizations, a vibrant calendar of performing arts and artistic programming, and 13 fraternities and eight sororities on campus. Students can also find a multitude of religious, cultural, environmental, and political groups to join and participate in.
Bucknell Prepares Students for Successful Careers
Bucknell's Career Development Center assists students from their first-year through their alumni years. The center offers career counseling services, alumni mentoring opportunities, on- and off-campus employer fairs, resume and cover letter writing advice, mock interviewing, and an extensive alumni network for students to take advantage of throughout their course of study.
Students are encouraged to gain hands-on experience through a wide range of internship opportunities provided in the Unites States and internationally. The Bucknell Public Interest Program (BPIP) provides a stipend to students who secure full-time summer internships in the nonprofit or public sector.
Bucknell's four-year graduation rate is a high 85.9 percent. Ninety-five percent of the Class of 2009 was placed (employed, in graduate school, volunteering, or traveling) within nine months of graduation.
Bucknell's Honors Program
Bucknell's academic divisions offer honors programs for students with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. The program is designed to encourage intellectual independence and to recognize academic excellence. Students submit an honors proposal, which must be approved by the Honors Council. Approved proposals allow for students to complete an honors thesis or project under the guidance of a faculty adviser.
Upon completion of the program, students graduate with honors, a distinction recorded on their transcripts and during graduation.
Financial Aid Is Available
Bucknell has budgeted $44 million in financial aid for students who qualify and is committed to making Bucknell possible for students of all income levels. Roughly 45 percent of students currently enrolled receive financial aid from the school and 60-62 percent receives financial aid in some manner.
Applying for aid is a separate process than applying for admission, but the deadlines are the same. Bucknell requires the CSS Profile from financial aid applicants.