THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
Washington, D.C.
The University
The Catholic University of America (CUA) offers a strong liberal arts curriculum, small classes, and personal attention from faculty members in a values-based environment.
Founded in 1887 by the U.S. Catholic bishops, CUA is home to more than 2,700 undergraduate and 2,900 graduate students from all fifty states and ninety other countries. Students from all religious traditions are welcome.
While the University maintains a small-college atmosphere, with a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, it is a major research institution. Undergraduates learn from the same professors who conduct research and teach graduate students.
CUA maintains its green, tree-studded grounds through a commitment to ecologically sound practices and is noted for the beautiful architecture found on its 193-acre campus. The majority of undergraduates live on campus in nineteen residence halls, including an option of honors housing. Students are involved in more than 100 diverse student organizations in addition to extensive cocurricular, extracurricular, and social activities.
The University offers many venues for spiritual devotion and growth that enable students of all religious traditions to deepen their faith. Campus Ministry provides many opportunities for community service in the Washington, D.C. area; in other parts of the United States; and abroad.
A competitive NCAA Division III athletic program enables teams to compete with others who share similar standards of academic and athletic excellence. Intercollegiate teams for women are basketball, cross-country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball. Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field (indoor and outdoor). Club sports are extensive, and they include crew, fencing, golf, ice hockey, rugby, and ultimate Frisbee. A wide range of intramural athletic programs is also offered.
The Raymond A. DuFour Center includes a main arena and stadium; swimming pool; handball, racquetball, and tennis courts; a dance and aerobics studio; a weight room; indoor and outdoor running tracks; and outdoor playing fields.
Services available to students include individual tutoring and general seminars on research techniques, writing, and study skills; career assessment and placement; disability support; and programs for minority and international students.
A state-of-the-art university center opened in 2003. A variety of food service choices and programs including concerts, seminars, and lectures are offered for the campus community.
Location
Located three miles north of the Capitol in residential Washington, D.C., CUA is in the same residential neighborhood as several other educational, medical, and research centers.
Majors and Degrees
Undergraduate degrees are offered in eighty-three major programs in six of CUA's ten schools: arts and sciences, engineering, architecture and planning, nursing, music, and philosophy.
The School of Arts and Sciences offers the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees in the following areas: accounting, anthropology, art, biochemistry, biology, chemical physics, chemistry, classical civilization, classics, drama, economics, education (early childhood, elementary, and secondary), education studies (non-teaching), English language and literature, environmental science, finance, French, German, Greek and Latin, history, international business, international economics and finance, Latin and classical humanities, management, management information systems, marketing, mathematics, media studies, medical technology, medieval and Byzantine studies, music, philosophy, physics, politics, psychology, religion and religious education, social work, sociology, Spanish, and Spanish for international service. Predental, prelaw, premedical, and preveterinary programs are available. Students can also select double majors and minors. Accelerated degree programs are available to students who perform at exceptional levels. Possibilities include a three-year Bachelor of Arts program, a four-year bachelor's/master's joint-degree program, and a six-year joint Bachelor of Arts/Juris Doctor program with the Columbus School of Law.
The School of Engineering offers programs leading to the first professional degree in biomedical, civil, computer, construction, electrical, environmental, or mechanical engineering or in computer science. Students can also undertake a dual-degree program in civil engineering and architecture or in an interdisciplinary program such as computer science and engineering.
The School of Architecture and Planning offers the Bachelor of Science in Architecturea four-year degree programand the Master of Architecturean additional 1-year professional degree program. A dual-degree program is available in architecture and civil engineering.
The School of Nursing offers a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Also offered is an accelerated B.S.N. program, a twenty-month sequence for students who have a bachelor's degree in another field.
The Benjamin T. Rome School of Music offers four-year programs leading to Bachelor of Music degrees in composition, music education, music history and literature, musical theater, and performance, including orchestral instruments, organ, piano, or voice.
The School of Philosophy offers two programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, including the program of concentration and the prelaw concentration.
Academic Programs
Engineering, nursing, music, and architecture students follow study courses that provide professional training integrated with a broad range of academic disciplines. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences undertake a major course of study within a liberal arts curriculum that encompasses the humanities, languages and literature, philosophy, the social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, and religion. Most majors require the satisfactory completion of forty courses that are 3 credits each for graduation. Certain majors under the Bachelor of Science degree may require additional credits. In addition to the major, students may complete a minor course sequence by utilizing the elective courses included in the undergraduate program.
CUA maintains small undergraduate classes, even for introductory courses. Faculty members who teach graduate students also teach undergraduates, enabling freshmen to engage in dialogues with teachers and scholars. CUA offers outstanding academic research and library facilities and exposure to graduate and professional-level programs.
Also provided is a University-wide honors program for outstanding undergraduates who seek intense intellectual challenges. The program draws from traditional liberal arts disciplines and professional curricula to offer comprehensive academic experiences.
Off-Campus Programs
CUA belongs to the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Undergraduates, with the approval of their academic advisers, may undertake course work and research at member institutions. Earned credits are applied to the CUA baccalaureate degree.
Washington-area internships are available for students in almost every academic area. In addition to numerous internship and study opportunities in the Washington area, CUA students can take advantage of exciting study-abroad programs. These programs include British and Irish politics and society programs in London and Dublin, which include parliamentary internships. European studies are offered in Leuven, Belgium. Language and humanities programs are offered in Africa, China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Venezuela. CUA also sponsors study-abroad programs in Hungary, Japan, and Poland.
Academic Facilities
More than 1.6 million volumes are available through the CUA library system. This collection is housed in the John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library and in six specialized libraries: chemistry; engineering, architecture, and mathematics; library and information science; music; nursing and biology; and physics. Students also have access to the libraries of the Washington Consortium and institutions such as the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the National Archives.
Catholic University's Center for Planning and Information Technology offers service and support for network, administrative, and academic computing. The center helps members of the University community use information technologies to deliver, access, process, communicate, and disseminate information.
In addition to a central computing cluster for faculty members and students, various labs, networked classrooms, and technology-equipped classrooms are located throughout the campus. VMS is the central operating system. A Compaq computer cluster is available for use by students and faculty and staff members. A high-speed fiber network links the entire campus to the Internet, including all academic buildings and all residence halls.
The Center for Planning and Information Technology issues a VMS and an NT account to all members of the University community. The VMS account can be used for e-mail and storage of files, and the NT account allows users to log on securely to any machine in an office or computer lab. A campus computing Information Center answers users' computing or information technology questions.
CUA was listed as one of the most-connected campuses in the nation in a 2003 survey by The Princeton Review and Forbes magazine.
CUA is home to research facilities such as the Vitreous State Laboratory and the Centers of Excellence for Biomedical Engineering, Catholic Education, and other areas.
Costs
Tuition for the 200405 academic year was $23,000, except for the Schools of Engineering and Architecture and Planning, which cost $23,800. Room, board, and fees totaled approximately $10,998.
Financial Aid
CUA administers two separate and distinct financial assistance programs: merit scholarships and need-based financial aid. A number of scholarships awarded on the basis of academic achievement are available. The University offers financial aid to students based on need as demonstrated by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Loans, work-study, and University grants are available. Candidates who complete the admission application process before February1 of their senior year of secondary school are considered for academic scholarships and receive priority for financial aid.
CUA has a need-blind admissions policy and makes admission decisions without regard to financial aid status.
Faculty
CUA has 336 full-time and 340 part-time faculty members. More than 97 percent hold doctoral or appropriate professional degrees. Thirteen percent of full-time faculty members are in religious orders; 87 percent are laypersons.
Student Government
The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) is composed of the legislative, academic, and judicial branches and the treasury and program board. Through this organization, students serve on standing committees and send representatives to the University's Academic Senate and Board of Trustees. USG also governs and allocates student activities fees to student organizations, sponsors functions and social events, and protects students' rights.
Admission Requirements
CUA welcomes applications from men and women of character, intelligence, and motivation, regardless of race, creed, sex, ethnic background, or physical disability. CUA is most interested in students best qualified to profit from opportunities offered. For that reason, a selective admission policy is practiced. Successful candidates demonstrate achievement both in a challenging secondary school curriculum and on the standardized college entrance examinations.
Application and Information
Applicants for the Early Decision Program must apply by November15 and are notified by mid-December. Regular decisions are made shortly after the February1 deadline. Candidates for freshman admission must submit CUA's secondary school report, high school transcripts, letter of recommendation, scores on the SAT or ACT, and a $55 application fee.
CUA accepts transfer applicants each semester. Transfer candidates should request applications for transfer admission from the Office of Admissions. In ad5dition to the high school records and SAT or ACT scores, transfer students must furnish a transcript from the school the student is attending (a minimum 2.8 GPA is recommended). Transfer applicants are notified of their status on a rolling basis.
