Drake University

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From the College

A Drake University education offers a unique mix of advantages for future success. More than seventy major programs of study–including top-notch professional and preprofessional programs and options for undecided students–create lively and diverse learning opportunities. Drake’s outstanding faculty members are renowned scholars and experts whose top priority is teaching. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1, and no graduate assistants teach classes. Drake’s 5,617 students, including 3,202 full-time undergraduates, represent forty-seven states and more than fifty countries. Nearly all Drake graduates (99.1 percent in 2007) find career employment or enter graduate school within six months of earning their degrees.

In addition to its undergraduate degrees, Drake offers master’s degrees in accounting, business administration, communication leadership, education, financial management, and public administration as well as Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Jurisprudence, and Doctor of Education degrees. The following joint degrees also are offered: M.B.A./Law, M.B.A./Pharm.D., M.P.A./Pharm.D., and Pharm.D./Law.

Drake University’s 150-acre campus is located in Des Moines, Iowa’s capital and largest city. Des Moines offers numerous internship and employment opportunities in all fields, including government, banking, insurance, publishing, nonprofit organizations, and health care. Nearly 80 percent of Drake students graduate having one or more internships. With a metropolitan population of approximately 500,000, Des Moines also offers diverse cultural and entertainment options, a nationally known art center, a civic center, professional athletics, parks and bike trails, and a downtown skywalk system.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers degree programs and liberal arts education experiences that equip students to apply knowledge and skills to the scientific, mathematical, literary, and artistic tasks that will confront them in all careers. The college awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees with majors in anthropology and sociology; astronomy; biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; biology; chemistry; computer science; English; environmental policy; environmental science; history; international relations; law, politics, and society; mathematics; mathematics education (secondary); philosophy; physics; politics; psychology; religion; rhetoric and communication studies; sociology; study of culture and society; and writing. The college offers individualized majors and an open enrolled (undeclared) option. Preprofessional programs are available in dentistry, engineering, law, medicine, and veterinary medicine. Concentrations are available in American studies, anthropology, geography, Latin American studies, primate studies, women’s studies, and most fields that offer majors. Through the School of Fine Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences awards Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Music Education degrees, offering programs in art and design, music, and theater arts with a dual focus on teaching excellence and artistic creativity. The Department of Art and Design, which is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, provides degree programs in art history, graphic design, and studio art (drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture). The Department of Music provides degree programs in applied music (instrumental, piano, and vocal music performance) and music education (instrumental or choral). Students may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music or a Bachelor of Music degree with elective studies in business; a jazz studies concentration can be combined with any degree the department offers. The Department of Theatre Arts offers majors in acting, directing, musical theater, theater, theater design, and theater education.

Drake University’s College of Business and Public Administration provides a four-year undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with majors in accounting, actuarial science, economics, entrepreneurial management, finance, general business, information systems, international business, management, and marketing. Interdisciplinary majors, combinations of majors, and open business (undeclared) enrollment are also available. Concentrations are offered in human resource management, insurance, and law and business. The college is accredited by AACSB International–The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Drake’s School of Education offers professional programs in elementary education and secondary education. The University awards the Bachelor of Science in Education for teaching at the elementary level and the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science for teaching at the secondary level. Elementary and secondary education majors also may add middle school and coaching endorsements to their teaching credentials. Drake University has been a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education since the association’s inception.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication, with majors in advertising (management and creative tracks), electronic media (broadcast news and radio/television), magazines, news/Internet, and public relations. An open enrolled (undeclared) option is also available. The school is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

With Drake Law School, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Public Administration, and the School of Journalism offer combined 3+3 programs. Students in these programs can obtain their undergraduate degrees in three years in one of the aforementioned schools and then pursue a law degree for the next three years at the Law School.

Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences offers a six-year Pharm.D. degree and a four-year Bachelor of Science in health sciences with tracks in clinical and applied sciences, health services management, and pharmaceutical sciences. First-year students are admitted directly into the Pharm.D. program as prepharmacy majors. The college is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

What makes the Drake experience so exceptional is the wide variety of accessible, hands-on learning opportunities students have both in class and out of class, beginning in their first year. Drake students conduct real research with top-notch faculty members, and many students present and publish their work. They student-teach in local schools, participate in and lead more than 160 campus organizations, perform in campus and community theater productions and music ensembles, and work on the campus newspaper, radio/TV station, and award-winning magazines. Students also gain invaluable experience in career-related internships in all fields, and they network with Drake’s more than 64,000 alumni worldwide, many of whom are business and civic leaders in central Iowa and beyond.

A Drake education combines a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with professional programs. The Drake curriculum offers extraordinary preparation for the varied challenges of career and life, with discussion-based first-year seminars, individualized plans for achieving educational goals, and a Senior Capstone–a research project, thesis, or other major work that demonstrates a student’s ideas and abilities. Candidates for an undergraduate degree are required to successfully complete a minimum of 124 semester hours. Exceptional students may participate in Drake’s Honors Program, a challenging interdisciplinary program of study. Students also have many opportunities for internships, undergraduate research, independent study, and combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Qualified Drake students may earn credit through the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program, the International Baccalaureate, and the College-Level Examination Program.

The academic year is divided into two semesters; summer terms are also offered.

Through the Center for International Programs and Services, which maintains affiliations with several institutions and consortia, students can arrange to study overseas for a semester or a year. Programs are available in Argentina, Australia, Austria, the Balkans (four countries), Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia (Bali), Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Oman, Panama, Peru, Poland, Russia, Samoa, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, “Southern Cone,” Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam, and Wales. The Semester at Sea program is also offered.

Cowles Library collections include more than 600,000 books and journals, 100,000 federal and state government documents, 777,000 microform records, 118 electronic databases, and approximately 22,000 scholarly online journals. The collections include DVDs and music CDs as well as a digital repository of scholarship and historical material unique to Drake. The library also provides interlibrary loan and document delivery services to obtain materials not owned by the library. The library Web site serves as a portal to the online catalog and subject sources, including a wide variety of databases, indexes, full-text electronic journals, e-books, encyclopedias, and other reference tools. Assistance can also be obtained through the Ask a Librarian virtual reference service. All of these services are accessible through the campus computer network and are available to off-campus users enrolled at Drake. Specialized collections are also maintained by Drake’s colleges and schools, including the Law School, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Center for Teacher Education, and School of Fine Arts.

The Dwight D. Opperman Hall and Law Library contains extensive computer and Web resources, numerous study areas and rooms, and more than 330,000 volumes.

The Harmon Fine Arts Center includes the Studio Theater, the Monroe Recital Hall, and the 600-seat Hall of the Performing Arts. The 755-seat Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main also provides a beautiful performance hall.

For the 2008–09 school year, tuition was $24,430, and room and board were $7500. Full-time students also paid an annual $330 technology fee and $132 student activities fee.

Drake University’s financial aid program is designed to offer, within the University’s resources, all capable and deserving students the opportunity for higher education. In 2007–08, the average financial aid package that included grants, scholarships, need-based loans, and need-based work was $19,290. For entering first-year students the average value of scholarships and grants funded by Drake was $12,160. More than 98 percent of Drake full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. Drake awards more than 5,000 scholarships each year, including both merit- and need-based assistance, and more than $60 million in financial assistance annually. Students interested in applying for financial aid should contact Drake’s Office of Student Financial Planning and should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1. Students may apply for all federal, state, and institutional awards on this form.

Drake’s 259 full-time faculty members are accomplished in their fields and dedicated to their professions, yet they are primarily teachers. Full professors, including department chairs, regularly teach introductory-level courses. Each student works with a faculty adviser. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1.

Drake offers students a wide variety of opportunities for campus involvement. Students play an active role in academic planning and campus governance through the Student Senate and its committees as well as through representation on some committees of the Faculty Senate. Students are elected to the senate by the student body. Students are also elected to the Student Activities Board, which plans cultural, social, educational, and special events. The Residence Hall Association, a network of student representatives, plans activities, addresses concerns, and provides information about residential life.

Admission to Drake University is selective. Because the University prefers students with varied talents and interests, there is no single, inflexible set of admission standards. The admission process involves a comprehensive review of a student’s academic background (courses and grades), standardized test scores (ACT or SAT), personal essay, recommendations, and activities in both high school and the community. Drake University admits students without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

To be considered for admission, first-year applicants must submit a completed application form, the $25 nonrefundable application fee (the fee is waived for those who apply online), the High School Report and Counselor Recommendation Form, an official high school transcript, ACT or SAT scores, and a personal essay. Transfer applicants are considered for admission on the basis of all college work attempted. Transfer students must provide official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended previously; high school transcripts may also be requested.

Application for admission to undergraduate degree programs, except the prepharmacy program, may be made for any fall, spring, or summer term. Beginning October 15, students are notified of admission decisions on a rolling basis as applications become complete. March 1 is the priority deadline for consideration for admission and merit- and need-based financial aid. Applications received after this date are considered on a space-available basis. Freshman applicants to the prepharmacy program in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences must meet the December 1 postmark deadline for direct admission. Transfer students are considered for admission only to the professional level of the pharmacy program; admission is not offered to transfer applicants at the preprofessional level.

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