Central Connecticut State University

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From the College

Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) is Connecticut’s oldest publicly supported institution of higher education. Founded in 1849, CCSU is a regional, comprehensive public university that is dedicated to learning in the liberal arts and sciences and to education for the professions. The Association of American Colleges and Universities selected CCSU as one of sixteen Leadership Institutions in the nation and the only one in Connecticut, honoring CCSU’s “visionary innovations in undergraduate education.”

CCSU is the largest of the four state universities in the Connecticut State University system, with approximately 7,500 full-time and 2,200 part-time undergraduate students. CCSU’s student body represents the spectrum of ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Ninety percent of students are Connecticut residents, with other students coming from more than thirty states and forty other countries. Approximately 2,100 undergraduates live on campus in nine residence halls. Memorial Hall is the main dining facility, where students may choose among five meal plans that cater to different tastes and needs.

CCSU has five schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education and Professional Studies, School of Engineering and Technology, and School of Graduate Studies. CCSU is committed to offering access to its distinctive, high-quality academic programs by offering undergraduate and graduate programs consisting of master’s and sixth-year level programs and a doctoral program (Ed.D.) in educational leadership. The University is a responsive and creative intellectual resource of the state.

The Student Center houses the student newspaper, the radio station, dining areas, a game room, TV lounges, computer workstations, and other facilities. Students produce concerts, dances, film series, and other activities. More than 150 campus clubs and organizations are available, covering areas from academic and career groups to honors and professional societies; religious, performing arts, and political clubs; and fraternities and sororities. The Student Government Association funds a yearbook, sports clubs, and cultural and special-interest groups. Extracurricular activities include movies, intramural sports, lectures, musical and dramatic productions, and art exhibits as well as CCSU’s eighteen NCAA Division I intercollegiate programs.

Sports for men include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, indoor and outdoor track, and soccer. Women sports include basketball, cross-country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, and volleyball. Students interested in intramural sports enjoy basketball, flag football, floor hockey, softball, and volleyball. The Kaiser Hall Gymnasium offers an Olympic-size swimming pool, modern exercise equipment, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a weight-training room, and an athletic training center. The Kaiser Annex, commonly referred to as “the Bubble,” has a running track and tennis and basketball courts.

The Ruthe Boyea Women’s Center is a multipurpose program and service center for students and staff and faculty members. The center offers a variety of services for and about women. Both men and women are welcome to drop in and use the resources, attend activities, or just hang out.

CCSU is located in New Britain, home to a world-renowned art museum, a minor league baseball team, a 1,200-acre municipal park system, and a wide range of cultural activities. The University, located at the edge of the city, is in the heart of Connecticut, 15 minutes from the state capital of Hartford and its many restaurants, theaters, and sports and concert activities. State recreational areas, nature trails, and skiing areas are nearby; there are also convenient shopping areas. New York and Boston are both less than 2 hours away.

CCSU offers four undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.).

The Bachelor of Arts is awarded with majors in anthropology, art (art history), communication (broadcast journalism, media studies, organizational communication, promotion/public relations), criminology and criminal justice, economics (general, economics–operations research), English, French, geography (environmental, general regional, geographic information science, tourism), German, graphic/information design, history, international studies (interdisciplinary), Italian, mathematics (actuarial science, general, statistics), music (history, jazz studies, performance, theory and composition), philosophy, political science (political science and public administration), psychology, sociology, Spanish, and theater.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is offered in theater, with concentrations in acting, design/technical theater, general, general/directing, general/educational theater, and theater/dance.

Bachelor of Science degree programs include accounting; athletic training; biochemistry; biology (ecology, biodiversity, evolutionary; environmental science); biomolecular sciences (biotechnology, general); chemistry and biochemistry; civil engineering technology; computer engineering technology; computer science; computer science–honors; construction management; earth sciences; education–elementary (interdisciplinary); education–secondary (interdisciplinary); electronics technology; exercise science and health promotion; finance; general science; hospitality and tourism; industrial technology (electromechanical, environmental and occupational safety, graphics, industrial technology, manufacturing, networking technology, technology management); international business management; management (entrepreneurship, human resource); management information systems; manufacturing engineering technology; marketing; mechanical engineering; mechanical engineering technology; nursing (B.S.N.); physics; and technology education.

Certification programs in education for which a Bachelor of Science is awarded include elementary education (1–6), secondary education (7–12), and special subject fields (nursery–12). Single–subject matter majors for the elementary education program are English, geography, history, mathematics, science–biology, and science–earth sciences. Dual subject matter programs include English/geography, history/linguistics, history/writing, mathematics/biology, and mathematics/earth sciences. Majors in secondary education include biology, chemistry, earth sciences, English, French, general science, German, history, Italian, mathematics, physics, social sciences, and Spanish. Special subject field majors are art education, music education, physical education, and technology education.

Preprofessional study is offered in law and health/medical studies.

The graduation requirement for a bachelor’s degree is a minimum of 122 to 130 hours of credit, depending on the student’s program of study. Majors consist of a minimum of 30 to 68 prescribed hours of credit in one specific, approved field. A total of 45 credit hours of general education studies must be completed and include writing, foreign language proficiency, and international requirements. Some of the professional B.S. degree programs enable students to develop a minor or a concentration in addition to the major.

CCSU operates on a two-semester system. The fall semester usually starts the first week in September and ends in mid-December. The spring semester runs from the third week of January to mid-May. CCSU offers multiple summer sessions from June to August and two 3-week winter sessions in December and January.

For academically talented students, CCSU offers an honors program. This is a highly competitive program, which emphasizes scholarly activities and offers tuition scholarships.

The Cooperative Education Program (Co-Op) is available for students in good academic standing who have earned at least 30 academic credits at CCSU; students may participate in the program for one or more semesters.

The School of Engineering and Technology’s Pathway programs provide a seamless route between other institutions in the Connecticut State University System and Connecticut’s community technical colleges without loss of credit or repeated courses.

Internships are available through government offices, newspapers, nonprofit agencies, and many businesses. In addition, off-campus internships are possible through study-abroad and consortium arrangements with the University of Connecticut and other institutions in the Connecticut State University System. The study-abroad program offers students a semester-long or yearlong exchange in which they enroll overseas and study via a cultural immersion program.

CCSU’s 65 developed acres provide students with a full range of learning facilities. The Elihu Burritt Library contains nearly 700,000 volumes, more than 3,000 periodical titles, extensive research materials on microfiche and microfilm, and extensive online services and CD-ROM databases. CCSU’s online public catalog provides access to the holdings of all four Connecticut State University libraries. The Marcus White Microcomputer Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility, offers the latest PCs, Macintoshes, printers, scanners, and online capabilities. Other computer facilities are available in the residence halls. There are more than sixty-five smart classrooms that offer multimedia technology that includes computers, DVD players, satellite teleconferencing capabilities, and high-technology systems. The entire campus also has wireless access. The Samuel S. T. Chen Art Center’s gallery area presents changing exhibits, lectures, and programs. The Copernicus Science Computing Laboratory serves the faculty and students in the natural and physical sciences; the lab houses networked PCs and Macintosh computers, printers, scanners, and multimedia projectors. Copernicus Hall houses a planetarium and astronomical observatory, plus well-equipped laboratories for biology, chemistry, engineering, technology, and the physical sciences. Welte Auditorium is a state-of-the-art performance venue for music, dance, theater, and important lectures and conferences.

Annual tuition and fees for the 2008–09 academic year for Connecticut residents were $7042. Tuition and fees for out-of-state residents were $16,179. On-campus room (double occupancy) and board fees for the year were approximately $8618; costs vary slightly, depending on the meal plan selected and the particular residence hall. Annual costs for books, travel, and personal expenses vary but are estimated at $4000. All costs are subject to change. Students may contact the Bursar’s Office for the most current cost information.

Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, low-interest educational loans, and employment opportunities to students. The University participates in the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Student Loan, and Federal Work-Study programs. In addition, grants and scholarships are available through University funds and other resources. Approximately two thirds of students attending CCSU receive some type of financial assistance. Financial aid awards are based on demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); the priority filing date for the fall semester is March 1, and November 15 for the spring semester. Prospective students should visit the financial aid Web site at http://www.ccsu.edu/finaid for additional information.

CCSU’s faculty members are dedicated to teaching; it is their prime concern and the basis of their students’ successes. Over 75 percent of CCSU’s faculty members hold doctoral degrees, with all other faculty members having advanced degrees. The majority of faculty members are actively involved in research, publishing, and community service. CCSU has a student-faculty ratio of 19:1; this enables students to take advantage of their professors’ expertise and to benefit from personal attention.

All of CCSU’s full-time undergraduate students are members of the Student Government Association (SGA). The SGA Senate is the representative body of the SGA, and the full-time undergraduates democratically elect its members, the Executive Officers and Senators of the SGA. It promotes student participation in various projects, committees, and organizations at the University and at state and national levels that help shape the University and education in Connecticut. The SGA Senate allocates the SGA portion of the student activity fee to promote and fund student clubs, activities, services, and issues that benefit students and their educational opportunities.

CCSU is selective in its admission policy. Applicants are considered on an individual basis, with emphasis placed on the applicant’s secondary academic school record, competitive SAT or ACT scores, rank in graduating class, and teachers’ or guidance counselors’ recommendations. CCSU values excellence and achievement in academic scholarship, community and school involvement, and individual achievements. An applicant must be a graduate of an accredited high school or preparatory school or hold an equivalency diploma.

An applicant’s secondary school preparation must contain college-preparatory course work, including 4 units of English, 3 units of mathematics (including algebra I and II and geometry), 2 units of science (including 1 unit of a lab science), and 2 units of social sciences (including U.S. history). Completion of 3 consecutive units of the same foreign language through the third level is recommended.

For transfer admissions consideration, an applicant must have earned a minimum of 12 college-level credits (not including remedial work) at regionally accredited postsecondary institutions and have a cumulative college GPA of 2.0 or higher for all course work attempted. Transfer students who have earned a minimum of 12 college-level credits need not submit SAT scores with their application.

The University welcomes applications from students with a broad range of abilities, interests, and backgrounds and evaluates each student on the merits of his or her readiness to succeed, which is based on past demonstrations of academic and personal success. No applicant is denied admission because of race, color, religious belief, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Applications can be made after the first quarter of the senior year of high school through May 1 for the fall semester. Applicants should complete the online application, available at http://www.ccsu.edu/menu.htm, and also submit a $50 nonrefundable application fee, a transcript of high school grades and rank in class, and an official copy of SAT or ACT score reports (sent electronically to CCSU). The University adheres to a rolling admission policy. Applicants are usually notified of an admissions decision within one month after the application is complete. Information may be requested from: