FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT
The University
Founded in 1942, Fairfield University is a comprehensive Jesuit university. There are approximately 3,400 undergraduate full-time students attending Fairfield, with a total University enrollment of 5,200. The University has students from more than thirty-four states and thirty-seven countries. Students may choose from thirty-three undergraduate majors in four colleges and can later pursue graduate degrees in five schools. Fairfield is nationally recognized for providing a high-quality, personalized education rooted in the Catholic Jesuit tradition. Major academic divisions are the College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the School of Nursing, the School of Engineering, the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions, and the School of Continuing Education.
Fairfield University also offers master's degree programs in American studies, business administration, finance, management of technology, mathematics, nursing, and software engineering.
Location
The University is located in Fairfield, Connecticut, a suburban community of 56,000, an hour from New York City and 5 minutes from Long Island Sound. The 200-acre campus, created from three private estates, retains a gracious, tranquil atmosphere with many wooded areas, lawns, gardens, pleasant walks, and broad views of Long Island Sound. Located in America's academic corridor, the short expanse from New York City to Boston that contains the world's largest concentration of colleges and universities, Fairfield provides access to hundreds of cultural, social, and intellectual programs on campus and at other institutions of higher learning.
Majors and Degrees
Fairfield's College of Arts and Sciences, the oldest and largest of Fairfield's six schools, offers the Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in American studies, communication, economics, English, history, international studies, modern languages and literatures (French, German, Spanish), philosophy, politics, psychology, religious studies, sociology/anthropology, and visual and performing arts (art history, music, studio art, theater). Students may also submit a curriculum proposal for a self-directed major allowing greater flexibility. The Bachelor of Science degree majors include biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, physics, and psychology.
The Charles F. Dolan School of Business awards the Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, finance, information systems/operations management, international studies, management, and marketing. Internships are available to qualified students and are an integral part of the business program.
The School of Nursing is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Connecticut State Board of Nurse Examiners, and the State of Connecticut Department of Higher Education. The four-year program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing.
The School of Engineering offers undergraduate degrees in computer, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering. The undergraduate program can be completed in four years at Fairfield or in a 3-2 program where students complete three years at Fairfield University, followed by two years of engineering studies in one of Fairfield's partner institutions, Columbia University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Connecticut, or the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Fairfield offers a preprofessional program in law. Students in the program are free to select any major of interest to them. The prelaw adviser assists students in course selection and preparation for law school.
The Health Professions Preparation Program (HP3) encompasses all Fairfield students, regardless of major, who are interested in a postgraduate health sciences profession requiring a graduate degree to practice. In addition to medicine, these include allied health fields, dentistry, health administration, optometry, osteopathy, podiatry, public health, and veterinary medicine.
Students may select interdisciplinary minor areas of study in applied ethics; Asian studies; biochemistry; black studies; business law, regulation, and ethics; classical studies; education with certification at the secondary level in English, history/social studies, mathematics, and modern or classical languages; environmental science; environmental studies; international studies; Irish studies; Italian studies; Judaic studies; Latin American and Caribbean studies; marine science; new media film, TV, and radio; peace and justice; Russian and East European studies; visual and performing arts; and women's studies.
Academic Programs
The academic year consists of two semesters and a summer session. To graduate, students earn a minimum of 120 credits and complete at least forty 3- or 4-credit courses. The curriculum consists of courses that fall into the required categories of core curriculum, major, and electives, plus the optional categories of second major, minor, and concentration. With an emphasis on a liberal arts education, the curriculum has a primary objective: the development of the creative intellectual potential of its students within a religious context. The 60-credit core curriculum consists of a designated number of courses in foreign languages, the humanities, mathematics, philosophy, religious studies, sciences, and social sciences.
Faculty
The faculty consists of 207 full-time members. There are no teaching assistants or graduate students who do teaching. The faculty members hold degrees from more than seventy-five American and European colleges and universities, and 93 percent of them hold the highest degree in their discipline. Many have had practical experience in various careers and professions before becoming teachers. Fairfield University's faculty members are very student focused and enjoy the opportunity to mentor students regarding academic progress or personal opportunities. The student-faculty ratio is 13:1, and the average class size is 24 students. Academic, vocational, and personal counseling is readily available.
Off-Campus Programs
Students who wish to spend a year or semester abroad as part of their undergraduate education have a number of possibilities open to them. In addition to some ninety study-abroad program options, Fairfield has three direct overseas affiliates: Scuola Lorenzo de'Medici (Florence, Italy), Harlaxton College (Grantham, England), and Herzen Institute (St. Petersburg, Russia).
Academic Facilities
The DiMenna-Nyselius Library is newly expanded and renovated. Students have open access to more than 300,000 volumes in addition to a reference department offering interlibrary loan, online and CD-ROM bibliographic search services, and access to the Internet. The library's media department contains DVDs, CDs, and video and audiocassettes. The Weil Caf and 32-seat computer lab are accessible for 24-hour study. A major renovation to the Bannow Science Center was completed in spring 2002. The center now includes a 48,000-square-foot addition, new introductory labs, a computer-based academic resource center, and labs for faculty-student collaborative research.
At Fairfield, housing is guaranteed for all four years for incoming freshmen. Housing options expand each year, enabling students to select more independent living arrangements to accompany their personal and intellectual growth during their time on campus. First-year students typically live in one of eight residence halls, most in doubles, some in singles or triples. Sophomores may move to suite-style residence halls. Juniors may reside in town-house accommodations or the new apartment village. Seniors may elect any of the above options or choose to live off-campus. Town-house and apartment village residents do their own cooking and cleaning and pay their own electric and utility bills. All rooms have fiber-optic connection to e-mail, the library online catalog, electronic course bulletin boards, the Internet, the World Wide Web, and courseware on the central University computer. In addition, every room is wired for cable TV.
Costs
Tuition and fees at Fairfield for 200405 were $27,930; room and board were $9270 and fees were $485. Books and supplies cost approximately $500 per semester. Costs are subject to change.
Financial Aid
Fairfield University administers a comprehensive financial aid program offering assistance on the basis of need and merit, with funds derived from University, state and federal government, and private student-aid programs. Need-based funds are distributed based on a thorough analysis of a family's ability to pay for educational expenses. Merit-based awards are made to academically talented students as entering freshmen. About 70 percent of all freshmen receive some form of financial assistance. In order to apply for financial aid, students must complete the PROFILE and FAFSA forms.
Student Government
Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) is the official undergraduate student government, and every student is a member. The student government is divided into four branches: executive, judicial, legislative, and programming. Each branch works individually and collectively to improve the quality of life for all students at the University. Students choose from more than ninety different clubs and activities. A 40,000-square-foot addition to the Barone Campus Center was completed in September 2001, allowing all student activities to be housed together in one location along with the bookstore, dining hall, mailroom, and late-night diner.
Admission Requirements
Fairfield is open to qualified men and women regardless of sex, race, color, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or handicap. Admission to the University is highly selective and is based upon high school academic record, test scores (SAT I or ACT), recommendations, and accomplishments. The admission process, however, is not a simple review of test scores and grades, but a deliberate consideration of how a student's individual strengths, accomplishments, and character will enrich community life at Fairfield. An applicant must present 4 units of English, 24 units of a foreign language, 34 units of math, 34 units of laboratory science, and 3 units of history/social science.
Transfer applicants may apply for either the fall or spring term. To be considered, a student must be in good standing at their present college and have earned at least 15 credits with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (2.8 for the Dolan School of Business).
Application and Information
Fairfield University uses the Common Application form as its own application. Students may also submit their applications online through the Fairfield University Web site. To be considered for admission, the University must receive the application, a $55 application fee, transcripts, and supporting documents. Admission deadlines are November 15 for early decision, December 1 for merit scholarship, and January 15 for regular decision. Deadlines for transfer students are November 15 for spring admission and June 1 for fall admission.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting:
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