Academics

Welcome to the vibrant academic experience of the University of Charleston where learning your way is our signature! We invite you to join our community of learners.

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University of Charleston approaches academics in a unique way and is now receiving national recognition to prove it.

We’re the top-ranked school
For the second-straight year, U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Charleston FIRST among 14 comprehensive colleges in West Virginia, as well as No. 21 in the South.

Our students learn more
In 2006, UC students ranked No. 1 in the United States on Rand’s Collegiate Learning Assessment test, as reported by The Council for Aid to Education.   The CLA measures students’ learning gain from first to final year. UC was asked to be one of 40 colleges in the U.S. to participate in the 2005-2006 CLA pilot test.   UC freshmen and seniors were tested, and the students’ learning gain at UC was the highest of any participating college.

Be engaged in your education
Also for the second year in a row, UC students rank above the 80 ^th percentile on each of the indicators of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which measures the extent to which students are actively learning: i.e., how many books they have read, how many papers they have written, how many times they met individually with a faculty member, and similar questions concerning their learning experiences. Of 523 four-year schools and about 260,000 randomly selected first-year and senior students, UC’s freshmen rank in the top 15 to 20 percent of all schools. UC’s seniors fared even better, ranking in the top 10 to 15 percent nationally. Both groups were 5 to 16 points above the national average.

Learning Your Way
The mission of the University of Charleston is to educate students for a life of productive work, enlightened living, and community involvement. To maximize student opportunity to fulfill the mission, many enhancements were made. In 1996 UC underwent an academic transformation, with the goal of developing a performance-based curriculum. Teaching strategies were altered so that students learn in multiple ways, not just listening to lectures. Learning Your Way was created.

Learning Your Way is an academic emphasis that requires students to demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary for a life of productivity and involvement. There are six liberal learning outcomes stressed in this philosophy: communication, citizenship, science, creativity, critical thinking, and ethical practice. When students demonstrate these skills and knowledge, they earn credit. Talented and motivated students can graduate in less than four years, and over 10 % of UC students are doing so.

It’s working
The results of CLA and NSSE indicate that Learning Your Way’s emphasis is successful. There is other proof. In 2005, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was looking for models of integration of the liberal arts across the curriculum for an Integrated Learning Project. UC was one of 10 schools chosen nationally. In 2006, UC was one of only 70 colleges from around the world selected to participate in the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL).

Get a Professional education
In 2006, UC also opened the doors of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Pharmacy Education to the inaugural class of the School of Pharmacy, its first doctoral program. Over 100 pre-pharmacy undergraduates are enrolled at the University as well. Also, Executive Master’s of Business Administration (EMBA) and Accelerated Master’s of Business Administration (AMBA) degrees are on the rise, their value being recognized by the Kanawha Valley’s corporate community.

Get ready for the real world
Other undergraduate degrees take advantage of UC’s location in the capital city to provide meaningful internships. Within six months of graduation, 98 percent of the Class of 2005 were either in graduate school or employed in their fields of study. UC truly prepares students for the real world!

To view the honors that UC students have received, click here  for our Academic Honors page.