Valparaiso University

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From the College

Valparaiso University (Valpo) was founded in 1859 by the citizens of Valparaiso, Indiana, but its recent history dates from 1925, when it was purchased by the Lutheran University Association. Valpo is one of the nation’s largest Lutheran-affiliated universities, yet it remains independent and is open to individuals of all faiths. The University’s 4,000 students represent most states and more than forty countries; 63 percent come from outside of Indiana. Valparaiso University is a residential community in which activities outside the classroom form an important part of campus life; more than 70 percent of its students live on campus. Nearly 100 extracurricular and cocurricular programs are open to all, including various NCAA Division I intercollegiate and intramural sports teams for men and women. Approximately 35 percent of the students are members of the University’s nine national fraternities and six national sororities. Both in and out of the classroom, students and professors operate a student-initiated honor code in which integrity is assumed to be the norm. If violations occur, they are handled by peers through a student-composed Honor Council. Because of these structures and the University philosophy as a whole, relationships among students, faculty, and administration are remarkably collaborative.

Major divisions at Valparaiso University include the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, and Nursing; Christ College (the Honors College); the School of Law; and the Graduate Division. Graduates earned a 95 percent job placement rate last year.

Valparaiso University is located in Valparaiso, a safe community of 31,000 in Indiana. Only 1 hour west, Chicago and its theaters, museums, restaurants, and cultural and sports offerings are accessible by auto, train, or bus. The campus is within walking distance of a vibrant town square and commercial/entertainment center with national chain stores and restaurants. Just 15 miles north is the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan, a famous recreational area and home of the finest ecological laboratory in the nation. Air service is available nearby from Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway International Airports and South Bend’s Michiana Regional Airport.

Valparaiso University offers the following undergraduate degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Education, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, and Bachelor of Social Work. The B.A. or B.S. degree may be earned in accounting, actuarial science, American studies, art, athletic training, biochemistry, biology, business administration, chemistry, Chinese and Japanese studies, church music, civil engineering, classics, communication, communication law, computer engineering, computer science, creative writing, economics, economics and computer analysis, education (elementary, middle, or secondary), electrical engineering, engineering, English, environmental science, exercise science, finance, French, geography, geoscience, German, history, information and decision sciences, international business, international economics and cultural affairs, international service, management, marketing, mathematics, mechanical engineering, meteorology, modern European studies, music, music composition, music education, music performance, new media–journalism, nursing, philosophy, physical education, physics, political science, professional writing, psychology, public and corporate communication, public relations, social work, sociology, Spanish, sports management, television-radio, theater, theology, and youth, family, and education ministry.

Valparaiso University has a long tradition of combining professional colleges with a strong commitment to the values and broadening experiences of the liberal arts. The University helps students of varied interests and objectives to clarify their goals and explore new possibilities. Connections between students’ lives and the classroom are encouraged through an emphasis on hands-on learning programs, including the Valpo Core. Programs are structured to provide a solid base for exploration in various fields, while offering students the freedom to develop depth in a specific interest. This philosophy is extended through the upper division, where students have three options when completing a degree: an individual plan of study involving the major and complementary courses from related fields of study, the election of a second academic major in addition to the first, or a special minor in connection with the major. Career planning is aided through the professional programs and the University’s Career Center. Many students also gain professional work experience in their chosen field before graduation by participating in the cooperative education program and internships.

Valparaiso operates on the semester system; the fall semester begins in late August and ends before Christmas, and the spring semester starts in early January and ends during the second week in May. Valpo also has two summer terms that further extend opportunities for study on campus or at various off-campus locations.

The University participates in the Advanced Placement Program, the College-Level Examination Program, and the International Baccalaureate Program. In addition, Valparaiso provides its own placement testing in several academic areas.

All departments of the University offer opportunities for honors work through independent study, seminars, and research. Christ College, the Honors College of Valparaiso, has a well-established but continuously evolving program designed to challenge gifted students. Christ College students enroll concurrently in any other Valpo college.

Valparaiso University sponsors study-abroad programs in Reutlingen and Tübingen, Germany; Puebla, Mexico; Paris, France; Hangzhou, China; Granada, Spain; and Cambridge, England. Valparaiso also sponsors semester-long study opportunities at two universities in Japan, one in Namibia, and another in Greece. Valpo students may study at other overseas locations through Valparaiso’s membership in the Central States College Association. In addition, Valpo grants credit for the following cooperative programs: Urban Studies Semester (Chicago), Urban Affairs Semester and Washington Semester (Washington, D.C.), and Semester on the United Nations (Madison, New Jersey).

Opened in 2004, the 115,000-square-foot Christopher Center for Library Information Services is a state-of-the-art facility, which offers a robotic book-retrieval system. In addition to library resources, the four-story structure houses a ninety-one-seat tiered classroom; three fireplace lounges; a sixty-seat computer lab; a snack bar; twenty-four stations for listening to, viewing, and developing multimedia projects; reading rooms; a writing center; electronic information services; and much more. The Neils Science Center houses an astronomical observatory, a greenhouse, and other facilities that have earned the University a citation from the Atomic Energy Commission for having a model undergraduate physics laboratory. The Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center, Virtual Nursing Learning Center, weather station (which includes Doppler radar), Center for the Arts, VisBox 3-D scientific learning system, and nonlinear (digital) video editing lab are state-of-the-art facilities. A new 202,000-square-foot Union is currently under construction and scheduled to open in the 2008–09 academic year.

Tuition for the 2008–09 academic year at Valparaiso University is $26,070, room is $4680, and board is $2940. General fees are $880. The total cost of tuition, room, board, and fees is $34,570. Students spend approximately $2840 per year for books, supplies, and such miscellaneous expenses as laundry and travel.

Ninety-two percent of Valparaiso’s undergraduate students receive financial aid, totaling more than $58 million. Many scholarships and awards are determined by the admissions application. Students are also encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for need-based grants, loans, and employment. Valpo awards federal, state, and University need-based aid based on FAFSA results, attempting to make up the difference between the cost of attending Valpo and the amount a family can afford. Early application is recommended for Valpo assistance, since the awarding of aid begins in January of the year of enrollment.

Valparaiso’s 254 full-time faculty members share a common interest–teaching in ways that encourage students and faculty members to get to know one another. The majority of the faculty members are full-time, and a considerable number serve as advisers to the various academic and social organizations on campus. Classes are led by professors, not teaching assistants. Almost 91 percent of the full-time professors have terminal degrees, and this figure reaches 100 percent in many departments. Each department has a full advising system to help students with course and program selection.

Students and faculty members alike are involved in the internal governance of the institution. House Councils in each of the residence halls are composed of representatives elected by the residents. Each council makes decisions and sets standards within the guidelines established by the University. Students in the living units and off-campus students elect representatives to the Student Senate (composed entirely of students) and the University Senate (made up of an equal number of representatives from the student body, faculty, and administration). The functions of these two separate bodies cover most phases of student life.

Valparaiso admits candidates who exhibit the potential for academic success at the University. The freshman retention rate averaged 86 percent over the past five years, reflecting in part the high quality of the admission program. Qualified students are admitted without regard to race, color, gender, disability, national origin, or ancestry. The credentials of each applicant are individually and personally evaluated, and consideration is given not only to ACT or SAT scores, but also to grades and trends in the student’s record, the nature of the high school and the program followed, outside interests, and recommendations. A campus visit and an interview with an admission counselor are recommended but not required. Students who have taken the ACT or SAT in their junior year and have submitted their high school transcripts, complete through the eleventh grade, may be considered for admission.

An applicant must complete a formal University admission application or the Common Application to be considered for admission. In addition, Valpo requires a high school transcript (complete through the junior year), ACT or SAT scores, a counselor evaluation form, and college transcripts (when applicable). Valpo’s nonbinding early action option requires applicants to submit their applications no later than November 1. Regular admission notification begins on a rolling basis after December 1. First priority for scholarship consideration is given to those who apply for admission by the early action deadline; preference is then given to those who apply by January 15.

Information and application forms for admission and financial aid may be obtained from: