FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY
MADISON, NEW JERSEY
The University
Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) is a center of academic excellence dedicated to the creation of world citizens through global education. It comprises two strategically located and uniquely different campuses in northern New Jerseythe College at Florham in Madison and the Metropolitan Campus in Teaneckoffering both undergraduate and graduate programs. Building on its long history of international outreach and its proximity to New York City, the University provides students with the multidisciplinary, intercultural, and ethical understandings necessary to participate, lead, and prosper in the global marketplace of ideas, commerce, and culture. Fairleigh Dickinson is the first university in the nation to require that all undergraduates complete as least one distance learning course a year as part of their educational requirements.
Location
Fairleigh Dickinson University's two campuses in northern New Jersey provide undergraduates with the choice of distinctively different living and learning environments.
The University's College at Florham, located on a former Vanderbilt-Twombly estate in suburban Madison (Morris County) about 45 minutes from New York City, offers undergraduates a classic experience for the contemporary world in a smaller college setting. Its focus is on providing outstanding on-campus and residential living opportunities, hands-on learning experiences, strong graduate and professional school preparation, and customized educational optionsall framed by a global perspective.
The University's Metropolitan Campus for professional and international studies, located in the dynamic New YorkNew Jersey corridor less than 10 miles from New York City in Teaneck (Bergen County), features a university atmosphere with an international perspective, attracting students from the U.S. and around the world. Undergraduates have access to the resources of a major graduate center, and nearby New York City is an integral part of their learning experience. Accelerated bachelor's/master's options are among its many professional preparation programs.
Both campuses offer students a distinctive living and learning environment and a wide range of academic choices within an intimate university setting. Residence halls and off-campus housing are available on both campuses. There are nearly 100 active academic, social, political, and professional student organizations; sororities and fraternities; and sports at the varsity, intramural, club, and intercampus levels. Lectures, seminars, concerts, performances, and special events are also an intrinsic part of University life.
The University also owns and operates an overseas campusWroxton Collegein Oxfordshire, England.
Majors and Degrees
Bachelor of Arts degrees are offered in art, communication, communication studies, creative writing, criminal justice, economics, electronic filmmaking and digital video design, English language and literature, fine arts, French language and literature, history, humanities, interdisciplinary studies, international studies, literature, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, Spanish language and literature, and theater arts.
Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in accounting; allied health technologies; biochemistry; biology; business management; chemistry; civil engineering technology; clinical laboratory sciences; computer science; construction engineering technology; electrical engineering; electrical engineering technology; entrepreneurial studies; environmental science; finance; hotel, restaurant, and tourism management; information technology; marine biology; marketing; mathematics; mechanical engineering technology; medical technology; nursing (including a one-year accelerated program); radiologic technology; and science.
The QUEST five-year teacher certification program allows students to earn a bachelor's degree in a field of their choosing in the liberal arts or sciences as well as dual teacher certification in one or two high-demand specifications and a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree. Preprofessional studies are offered in chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, and veterinary medicine.
In addition, the University offers many other combined/accelerated degree programs, which enable students to earn both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in just five years in such fields as accounting, biology, business administration, civil engineering or construction technology/systems science, communication/corporate and organizational communication, computer science, computer science/computer engineering, criminal justice/public administration, electrical engineering, electrical engineering/computer engineering, environmental science/systems science, hotel and restaurant management/hospitality management, political science/psychology, psychology, and public administration.
An Associate in Arts degree in liberal arts is also offered.
Academic Programs
Candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science must complete a minimum of 128 credit-hours of course work, maintain a minimum 2.0 CGPR (individual colleges have minimum CGPRs for course work within their majors), and complete the University Core Curriculuma sequence of four courses designed to provide all FDU undergraduates with a solid foundation in the liberal arts, sciences, and humanities. The core provides students with a common base of knowledge; improves skills in communications and analysis; promotes understanding of individual, societal, and international perspectives; and inculcates an appreciation for the interrelationship among bodies of knowledge. Candidates for the B.A. must take 30 to 44 credits in the major, 40 to 63 credits in distribution requirements (19 to 23 credits in foundation courses, 15 to 30 credits in humanities and social and behavioral sciences, and 6 to 10 credits in laboratory science), and the University Core; the remainder of credits may be taken as free electives. Candidates for the B.S. degree must complete 54 to 60 credits in the major and the University Core; the remaining credits are taken in foundation and free elective courses. The undergraduate program includes all courses needed to meet graduate and professional school requirements.
The University offers a variety of specialized honors programs and a cooperative education program, and many departments have internships and work-experience programs. More than forty undergraduate concentrations have been developed to enhance a student's majorincluding addictive behaviors, biochemistry, biological illustration, computer animation, international relations, journalism, and public relations. Mature adult students may participate in the SUCCESS program of personalized learning that leads to the B.A. in humanities. An all-online degree-completion program is also available for adult learners.
Through the University's Regional Center for College Students with Learning Disabilities, students can receive academic support within the regular college curriculum (enrollment is selective and limited). The Freshmen Intensive Studies program is designed to assist a limited number of promising students who require focused support as they begin their college careers. The University also offers English Language Centers (a division of Berlitz, Inc.) on both campuses as a service to international students.
Off-Campus Programs
The University strongly encourages all students to incorporate an international learning experience into their education. For example, students can spend a semester or year at Wroxton College, the historic British campus located 70 miles from London that Fairleigh Dickinson has owned and operated since 1965. A variety of other international experiences are also available based on student interests and career goals. The University's requirements in distance learning further expand students' international learning experiences, enabling them to study with its virtual faculty of scholars and professionals around the world.
Domestic learning experiences available to students include the well-known Semester in Washington. In addition, the marine biology curriculum includes laboratory field experiences at Samana Station, the University's own marine biology research and learning facility in the Tambora Beach resort in the Dominican Republic.
Academic Facilities
The University maintains comprehensive libraries on each campus as well as a business reference library on the Teaneck campus. The libraries have combined holdings of 470,000 volumes and subscriptions to 2,585 periodicals. Each library provides computer search services and access to subject CD-ROMs to augment in-house print resources. The University is a participating member of the Online Computer Library Center and maintains a University-wide online catalog to facilitate intracampus library loans. Each library has a number of distinguished special collections on subjects such as the Columbia film archives, the Kahn Memorial Collection on the History of Photography, and the Harry Chesler Collection of comic art, graphic satire, and illustration.
Students have access to nearly 2,000 minicomputers and microcomputers on campus as well as to programming languages and software. In addition, there are state-of-the-art computer graphics laboratories for the production of professional-quality, computer-generated art. Computer, software, and Internet training is offered through the campus computer centers. Resident students with their own computers can link to the campus computer network from their rooms. Student e-mail and Internet access accounts are also offered to all students. Many of the buildings throughout the University offer wireless computer access.
Costs
Educational costs (including the estimated cost of residence and meals) for 200405 for the College at Florham were $22,876 for tuition, $1145 for fees, $5098 for residence (based on standard double occupancy), and $3510 for meals (based on an eleven-meal plan plus a $300 flex plan). For the Metropolitan Campus, costs included $21,224 for tuition, $1145 for fees, $5546 for residence (based on standard double occupancy), and $3510 for meals (based on an eleven-meal plan plus a $300 flex plan).
Financial Aid
More than $23 million in financial aid is awarded annually, including a generous program offering annually renewable academic scholarships ranging from $5000 to $18,000 for academically outstanding students. To be considered for financial aid, students should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Fairleigh Dickinson's University Financial Aid Application. Applications for aid should be filed by February15 for priority consideration. Applications filed after this date are processed subject to availability of funds.
Faculty
There are 289 full-time and 691 part-time faculty members at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Of the full-time faculty members, nearly 80 percent hold a doctorate or the highest terminal degree in their field. The student-faculty ratio is 15:1 at the Metropolitan Campus and 16:1 at the College at Florham. All courses are taught by faculty members, not graduate assistants. Members of the faculty and administration participate in advising students as well as in planned activities that concern the student body as a whole. All first-year students are assigned faculty mentors to help develop class schedules and assess students' academic progress.
Student Government
Each campus has a student council that acts as the governing body to enforce student regulations and to plan social club activities. The student council serves as a liaison with the faculty and administration of both the campus and the University. It offers students' opinions as an aid in developing University curricular and extracurricular policies. The University Senate, which formulates University policies, includes voting representatives from the student body.
Admission Requirements
The University recommends at least 16 units of full-credit work from an accredited secondary school, including 4 years of English, 2 years of history, 1 year of a laboratory science, 2 years of college-preparatory mathematics, 5 to 7 elective units (4 should be academic), and 2 or 3 years of a foreign language. Additional science and mathematics units are required for some majors. The criteria that are used for University-wide admission are the high school record, SATor ACT scores, and counselor recommendations. SAT Subject Test scores are used for placement only. Foreign Language Subject Test scores may be submitted by those applicants who intend to continue study of the language they took in high school. The Mathematics Level I or II Subject Test may be taken by prospective chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering majors. The SATmay be taken as early as Julypreceding the senior year and as late as Marchof the senior year, but the Novemberor Decembertest dates are preferred. Campus visits are strongly recommended. Interviews may be required in select cases.
Application and Information
Students must submit a completed and signed application form, a secondary school record form listing all courses and grades, SATor ACT scores, and a nonrefundable $40 application fee (which can be waived in cases of hardship). Freshmen and transfer students are admitted in September and January and during summer sessions. Applicants for regular admission are reviewed on a rolling basis and are notified after receipt of all credentials. Information on filing an online application can be found by visiting the University's Web site.
For application forms, financial aid information, and other materials, students should contact:
Golf
