AVE MARIA COLLEGE
Ypsilanti, Michigan
The College
Ave Maria College is a Catholic liberal arts college devoted to the education of the whole person, a dynamic process that engages students in both the pursuit of academic excellence and a deep exploration of Catholic faith and culture. The essential mission of the College is the development of a Christ-centered scholar.
Ave Maria College is proudly committed to a faithful expression of the Catholic faith. Guided by the intellectually profound teachings of Pope John Paul II in such documents as Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), Ex Corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church), and Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), Ave Maria accents the dynamic interplay of faith and reason in the serious and authentic search for truth.
Enrollment has more than tripled since the founding of the school in 1998. Today the total student population is 234; 57 percent women and 43 percent men. Enrollment continues to increase steadily each year as programs and facilities expand. The College has attracted students from thirteen different countries and thirty-four states. The American Academy for Liberal Education has approved Ave Maria College for preaccreditation.
The vision of Ave Maria College continues to expand. Currently, the College has a branch campus in Nicaragua and is closely affiliated with St. Mary's College of Ave Maria University (Orchard Lake, Michigan) as well as Ave Maria School of Law (Ann Arbor, Michigan). The College plans to develop graduate studies and additional study-abroad programs. Ave Maria College expects to open an additional campus in Naples, Florida, in fall 2003.
Founded in fidelity to Christ and His Church in response to the call of Vatican II for greater lay witness in contemporary society, Ave Maria College exists to further teaching, research, and learning in the abiding tradition of Catholic thought in both national and international settings. The College takes as its mission the sponsorship of a liberal arts education curriculum dedicated, as articulated in the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, to the advancement of human culture, the promotion of dialogue between faith and reason, the formation of men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the Catholic faith, and to the development of professional and preprofessional programs in response to local and societal needs. As an institution committed to Catholic principles, the College recognizes the importance of creating and maintaining an environment in which faith informs the life of the community and takes expression in all its programs.
Residential life is a key part of the overall education at Ave Maria College. It provides a rare and wonderful opportunity to develop lifelong friendships and to enjoy company and surroundings that support students in their faith and vocation. The College maintains separate residence halls for women and men students. Students live in one- to three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 800 to 1,600 square feet. In each residence hall, there is a live-in adult Residence Director and a student Resident Assistant on each floor.
Location
The city of Ypsilanti has a population of 24,800. The campus of Ave Maria College is situated in a suburban neighborhood block and consists of a number of renovated apartments, academic buildings, and homes. The College's residence halls are all within a short walk from the academic buildings and faculty homes. The proximity of the College's buildings has encouraged the formation of a close community of faculty members, staff members, and students.
The Ypsilanti–Ann Arbor area provides a great wealth of university life. Ave Maria College shares a common border with Eastern Michigan University and benefits from many resources available on the Eastern Michigan campus. The University of Michigan is just a 10-minute drive from the Ave Maria College campus and provides many cultural and socially enriching opportunities for Ave Maria College students.
Majors and Degrees
The College offers baccalaureate degrees in classics and early Christian literature, economics, history, literature, mathematics, philosophy, political science, and theology. Preprofessional programs are offered for business, law, medicine, and seminary.
Academic Program
Students are given a firm grounding in philosophy, theology, literature, history, Latin, natural science, mathematics, and the fine arts upon which they build their major program of study. All degree programs are designed so the program can be completed in four years.
The Ave Maria Pre-Theologate Program helps college men discern whether they have a priestly vocation and to learn to live that vocation before entering the seminary. The goal of nurturing vocations to priesthood is achieved through the full implementation of the Program of Priestly Formation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Off-Campus Arrangements
Students are encouraged to study in Gaming, Austria, or Ave Maria College of the Americas in San Marcos, Nicaragua, for one semester.
The Austria program is conducted in conjunction with the International Theological Institute. This is a Papal Institute established to further studies on marriage and family. Students live in a recently renovated fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery and are only a short trip from Salzburg and Vienna.
Ave Maria College of the Americas, a branch campus, is the only English-speaking, U.S.-accredited college in Central America. This is a tropical college campus just 45 minutes from the beach.
Academic Facilities
Mass is celebrated daily at 8 a.m. and noon. Each campus features an academic library. Computer labs with Internet access are available at each campus.
Costs
Tuition and fees for the 2003–04 academic year are $9650. The cost of room and board is $5000.
Financial Aid
Every effort is made to ensure that all admitted students are able to attend Ave Maria College. Financial need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the College Financial Aid Data Form. Approximately 90 percent of students in 2002–03 received some form of financial assistance. Students receive financial assistance through a combination of scholarships, grants, work-study employment, and loans.
Faculty
Each faculty member is fully committed to the mission and the Catholic values of Ave Maria College. In the discipline of theology, the professors take an oath of fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, which signifies a commitment to teach nothing that is not in conformity with the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church.
During the 2002–03 academic year, there were 17 full-time and 11 part-time faculty members. Ninety-four percent of full-time faculty members have earned doctoral or terminal degrees. In 2003–04, the faculty is scheduled to increase by 7 full-time professors. Faculty members are committed to excellence in teaching and research and to the development of a truly Catholic intellectual culture on campus. The student-faculty ratio is an exceptional 13:1.
Student Government
Student government representatives, elected by the student body, give voice to student interests on several important College committees.
Admissions Requirements
The College requires successful completion of secondary school courses in the following subjects: 4 in English, 4 in social studies, 3 to 4 in mathematics, 3 in science, 2 in foreign language, 2 in art, and 4 in electives. Candidates for admission who show exceptional academic performance and true character are considered for a number of academic scholarships provided by the College. Outside scholarships are also strongly encouraged.
Application and Information
All candidates for admission must submit a completed application with a nonrefundable $25 application fee (the online application fee is $15), an official secondary school transcript, an official college transcript (if applicable), two letters of recommendation, standardized test results (ACT or SAT I), and a well-crafted essay. Home school students are welcome to apply. All accredited home school programs are accepted, as are approved independent programs. The Admissions Office has forms to assist parents and students who used an independent program to satisfy all the admissions requirements.
To request application information to either the Michigan or Florida campus prior to September 1, 2003, interested students should contact the Michigan office at:
