Syracuse University - Overview
Learning on a Grand Scale
Syracuse University, nestled atop a hill overlooking downtown Syracuse in central New York, is a diverse multidisciplinary research university located 250 miles northwest of New York City.
A large university, Syracuse is home to 12,364 undergraduate and 5,300 graduate students. The campus has 170 buildings and 21 residence halls. The university offers more than 200 majors, 90 minors, and houses 13 award-winning schools and colleges in architecture, arts and sciences, education, engineering and computer science, ecology, information studies, law, management, public affairs, communications, and visual and performing arts, as well as graduate school and a college for part-time students.
Despite its grand size, the university maintains a faculty-to-student ratio of 1 to 15, giving students the opportunity for an intimate learning experience.
In addition to a very wide range of academic courses, students have myriad choices of housing, extra-curricular, and community activities to round out their college experience.
A Diverse Faculty and Student Body
At the core of this grand institution is a vibrant and diverse mix of students and teachers. The university's top-notch faculty is comprised of approximately 1,000 full-time teachers, 100 part-time, and 500 adjunct professors. These instructors hail from around the world to teach, research, and mentor Syracuse students.
Syracuse students come from 50 states and 124 foreign countries to round out this eclectic and international learning environment.
At the Cutting Edge of Technology
Students at Syracuse have easy access to high-speed wireless network connections, web-based course management systems, 3 dozen computing labs that house PCs equipped with specialized software, and 200 classrooms outfitted with the latest multimedia technologies.
A recent partnership with IBM and New York State has resulted in the construction of the Green Data Center, a pioneering energy-efficient information center. This $12.4 million, 12,000-square-foot LEED-certified facility uses an on-site power generation system for electricity, heating, and cooling. It also incorporates energy-efficient servers, computer-cooling technology, and system management software, making it about 50 percent more energy-efficient than a typical data center and a leader in the field of energy conservation.
A Prominent Learning Abroad Program
The university takes its commitment to expanding learning beyond the classroom seriously. SU Abroad is ranked as one of the highest quality study abroad programs by "U.S. News and World Report."
About 50 percent of Syracuse University students study abroad with the program, which is a cornerstone of the undergraduate experience. Syracuse currently operates overseas centers in Beijing, Florence, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Santiago, and Strasbourg. Partnerships with other programs allow students to choose from an additional 30 countries for studying abroad.
Students who want to stay in the country can also study through Syracuse programs in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles.
A Leader in Many Fields
Syracuse boasts several prestigious, nationally recognized, and highly ranked schools and colleges. Among these are the College of Visual and Performing Arts, School of Architecture, L. C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, School of Information Studies, Martin J. Whitman School of Management, and the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Graduates of these and other schools have emerged to become leaders in their fields, including Vice President Joe Biden, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist William Safire, former anchor Ted Koppel, and many more.
A Stone's Throw Away from a Vibrant City
The school is nestled on 200 acres of land overlooking the city of Syracuse. While there is plenty to do on the hill, students also have access to the bustling city of Syracuse, which has a metropolitan population of 700,000. The city's cultural events, restaurants, historical landmarks, sports events, shopping centers, museums, and festivals are a quick walk, bus ride, or drive away.
A Pioneering Spirit
Syracuse University has been a pioneering force in education since its founding in 1870 as a small, private, coeducational liberal arts institution offering programs in the physical sciences and modern languages. Four years later, Syracuse created the nation's first Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
In the 1930s, Syracuse opened one of the country's first journalism schools. The university became a major research institution after World War II, when veterans enrolled in droves under the G.I. Bill. Today, SU is home to many prestigious colleges, an award-winning faculty, and a vibrant student body.
A Home for Serious Athletics
A vibrant athletic culture thrives at Syracuse. Athletic teams, known as the Orange, include men's football, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, and track and field. Women's teams include basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, and track and field.
SU is a member of the Big East Conference for most NCAA Division I athletics and a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. For football and basketball games, as well as concerts, Syracuse is home to the Carrier Dome, a 49,250-seat domed stadium that is the largest structure of its kind on a college campus in the country.
Student Life
The university has more than 300 recognized student organizations for students interested in extra-curricular life at Syracuse. Overseen by the Office of Student Life (OSL), these include 5 Greek Councils, which oversee 27 fraternities and 20 sororities as well as dozens of professional, cultural, political, artistic, and religious organizations. The OSL also coordinates a Leadership Institute comprised of retreats, community service, mentoring, and programs.