Salem State University - Overview
Discover Salem State University
Salem State University is located just 15 miles north of Boston, in the historic seacoast town of Salem, and is one of the largest state universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Salem State occupies 115 acres on five campuses less than a mile from downtown Salem.
Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students representing 27 states and 70 nations. The university is home to over 2,000 undergraduate resident students in three resident halls and two residential complexes.
Salem State offers an affordable, high quality education that prepares students for the real world. Over 70 percent of Salem's students receive financial aid.
Top Ten Majors
Some of the important majors offered at Salem State include business administration, nursing, education, criminal justice, biology, psychology, communications, sport and movement science, English, and history. There are 29 majors, 100 concentrations, and 59 minors at Salem State.
The following is a list of all majors offered at Salem State: art, athletic training, biology, business administration, cartography and geographic information systems, chemistry, communications, computer science, criminal justice, economics, education, English, geography, geological sciences, history, liberal studies, mathematics, music, nursing, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, Spanish, sport and movement science, and theatre arts.
Salem's academic programs advance the intellectual and personal growth of all students through a wide spectrum of learning opportunities and high-quality academic programs.
Faculty Members Who Inspire, Encourage, and Support
At Salem State students will find deeply engaged faculty members who are highly qualified researchers and practitioners who bring their expertise to the classroom. Salem's faculty members are committed to providing students with the tools needed for academic success and lifelong education. With an 18:1 student to faculty member ratio, faculty members get involved and foster student's academic development.
A Rich Tradition of Excellence in Intercollegiate Athletics
Salem State offers its students a chance to compete in intramural athletic clubs and in a variety of competitive intercollegiate conferences. Salem State, a member of the NCAA Division III, fields men's and women's teams in 17 varsity sports. The athletic program operates out of the Richard B. O'Keefe Sports Center, regarded as one of the finest athletic facilities among Massachusetts state universities. Intercollegiate sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and club ice hockey.
Over 100 Student Groups and Clubs On Campus
Salem State offers a national award-winning residence life program with opportunities for civic engagement, volunteer and community services with experiential learning opportunities, numerous student leadership programs, comprehensive multicultural programs and services, and Army and Air Force ROTC. With more than 500 on-campus events each year, there is always something to do!
Center for Creative and Performing Arts
The Center for Creative and Performing Arts provides diverse, high quality and affordable events in theatre, dance, music, creative writing, and art for all members of the university community and the greater North Shore. The university offers over 100 arts events each year, has three different stages, music rehearsal rooms, and the glassblowing studio -- one of only three at a college campus in Massachusetts.
Commonwealth Honors Program
The Commonwealth Honors Program provides a stimulating academic environment and a high-quality education designed to provide a more challenging curriculum to motivated and talented students. Honors program students are exempted from the limit on the maximum number of credits taken each semester and may enter advanced-level courses without introductory level prerequisites; they also have priority in course selection at registration, and other benefits that assist them in their academic journeys.
Study Abroad Experience
Study abroad experiences -- whether for two weeks, a semester, a summer, or a year -- provides Salem State students unique opportunities to become intimately familiar with other cultures. Salem sponsors summer and semester programs in Oxford, England; Caen, France; Oviedo, Spain; Florence, Italy; and Quebec, Canada. In the past few years, Salem State students have studied in Argentina, Austria, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, and Spain. Additional opportunities are available through programs sponsored by other institutions.
Academic Support Services for All Enrolled Students
Student Academic Support Services (SASS) provides academic support to all enrolled students. Academic support includes peer tutoring, academic advising, disability services, the writing center, math lab, the reading center, and accounting lab. SASS also offers alternative admissions opportunities for students who show evidence of having academic deficiencies during high school.
Preparing Students for Careers
Career services offers comprehensive career planning support to all members of the Salem State community in identifying, planning, and implementing thoughtful career decisions by empowering them to proactively manage their career paths. Seminars, individual counseling sessions, mock interviews, critiques, job listings, and the career resource center are a few of the valuable services available.