Burlington College - Overview
Nontraditional Education in a Community Setting in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington College is a small, private, liberal arts institution located in Burlington, Vermont, on Lake Champlain. The largest city in Vermont, Burlington is home to 4 colleges, fostering a forward-thinking, diverse cultural and intellectual atmosphere. Founded in 1972 as the Vermont Institute of Community Involvement, the college is dedicated to its original mission, that of integrating learning, personal development, and engagement in the community into a comprehensive educational opportunity.
Located close to the city's center, the college is situated in a setting of historic buildings on 32 acres of lawns and woodland, sloping down to the city's bike path and the college's own beach. Burlington College is SAT-optional, which means that the SATs are not required for admissions. The college awards narrative evaluations as it focuses on the development of self-directed learning skills, empowering students to take control of their own educations. Unique opportunities are offered for individualized education, with an array of courses, majors, and degree programs, several of which are student-designed. Students are actively engaged in civic and environmental activities integral to their educations that encourage their growth and commitment as good citizens.
It is this educational atmosphere that sets Burlington College's independent approach apart in answering each student's individual educational concerns, resulting in well-rounded, lifelong learners and active citizens successful in their chosen fields.
Ever-expanding Degree Programs Offer Exciting Options
As a non-traditional academic institution of higher learning, Burlington College offers ever-widening arts and sciences curricula and degree programs, many of which have been developed through student input. The college offers courses, majors, and degree programs which include Associate, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, as well as an Individualized Master's degree program, and several professional certificate programs.
Among the Bachelor of Arts degree programs are Expressive Arts, Hospitality and Event Management, Human Services, Writing and Literature, Integral Psychology, and Legal and Justice Studies. Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees include a celebrated Cinema Studies and Film Production degree program; Graphic Design; Photography; and Craftsmanship and Design. Each student is free to create a degree program based on his or her own interests. Degree projects to date have included Sustainable Agriculture, Celtic Studies and Spirituality, Film Production and History, Design, and Community and Environment.
The college is also actively involved in partnering with Vermont colleges and schools, including the University of Vermont (UVM), Champlain College, the Community College of Vermont (CCV) in Burlington, St. Michael's College in Winooski, the Vermont Law School in Montpelier, and the Vermont Woodworking School in Fairfax.
Involvement in the community is an integral part of a Burlington College education. The Institute of Civic Engagement (VICI) enables students to research, educate, publish, and take action on issues of importance both here in Vermont and throughout the worldwide community.
Exciting New Opportunities to Study Abroad in Cuba
Burlington College offers a number of special programs. One of these affords the opportunity to study abroad in Cuba. Since 1959, the United States and Cuba have been in almost total isolation from each other economically, politically and culturally. In 2008, through a license with the US Treasury Department, the college began a study-abroad program in cooperation with the University of Havana in an effort to re-open lines of communication between the two nations.
The University of Havana, founded in 1728, is one of the oldest and most acclaimed universities in the world. Burlington College students who choose to take advantage of this opportunity live for a semester in a townhouse run by a farmer's cooperative in Havana. The specially designed program of study includes a Cuban studies class, Spanish language lessons, a course in Cuban arts and culture, as well as electives at the University of Havana's main campus.
This unique program allows students to expand their horizons and impact relations between Cuba and the US. It encourages Burlington College students to think creatively and experience exciting moments of exploration, learning, discussion, and debate of issues of importance to each nation.