RIDER UNIVERSITY
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
The University
Founded in 1865, Rider University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian institution accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Rider has two campuses, one in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and one in Princeton, New Jersey.
Rider's four academic units include the College of Business Administration; the College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences; the College of Continuing Studies; and Westminster Choir College, located in Princeton, New Jersey.
More than 95 percent of Rider's full-time faculty members hold a doctorate or other appropriate advanced degree. Primarily a teaching institution, Rider University selects instructors who are committed to imparting the knowledge and skills of a particular discipline. Full professors teach at all levels. There are no teaching assistants in the classrooms or laboratories.
Rider University is located on a 328-acre campus that contains large open areas and thirty-eight modern buildings constructed within the past thirty years. Approximately 70 percent of the 3,100 undergraduates live in University residence halls or in fraternities or sororities on the campus. Entering students and returning students are guaranteed housing on the campus, provided that they meet the stated deadlines for submission of housing applications and deposits.
Rider participates in NCAA Division I in all of its intercollegiate sports. Women's sports are basketball, cross-country, field hockey, indoor track, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, indoor track, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and wrestling.
Location
Rider University is located in the suburban community of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, midway between Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey. It is approximately 35 miles northeast of Philadelphia and 65 miles southwest of New York City. The location combines the advantages of accessibility to the cultural and recreational facilities of major urban areas and to the peaceful surroundings of a suburban community.
Majors and Degrees
The College of Business Administration awards the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) degree in accounting, actuarial science, advertising, business administration, computer information systems, economics, finance, global business, human resource management, management and leadership, and marketing. The program is accredited by AACSB InternationalThe Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences (CLAES) awards the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in elementary education and secondary education and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in business education. Rider's education programs are recognized by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The CLAES also awards the B.A. degree in American studies, communications, economics, English, fine arts, French, German, global and multinational studies, history, journalism, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, Russian, sociology, and Spanish. It offers the B.S. degree in biochemistry, biology, biopsychology, chemistry, environmental sciences, geosciences, and marine sciences.
Preprofessional programs are available in allied health, dentistry, law, and medicine. Three out of four of Rider's premed graduates who apply to medical schools are accepted, as are 92 percent of students who apply to law schools.
Preparation for career success goes beyond the classroom at Rider. The Office of Career Placement and the Career Development Program help students prepare for their future with career counseling, resume writing, job search workshops, video interview sessions, and individualized counseling. Internships; on-campus recruiting by a wide variety of international, national, and regional companies; and an off-campus referral service helped more than 93 percent of Rider's graduates to successfully find employment or pursue advanced degree programs.
Academic Programs
Rider University operates on the semester system. Each College requires a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit for graduation; the last 30 semester hours of credit must be earned at Rider University. The College of Business Administration requires that a student earn at least 45 semester hours, including the last 30, at Rider University.
The Baccalaureate Honors Program is available to students in all programs. To be considered for the program, incoming freshmen must be in the top 10 percent of their high school class and have a combined SAT I score of 1150 or higher. Students currently enrolled in the University and transfer students must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average.
Rider University recognizes the Advanced Placement (AP) Program and offers credit and placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on most AP tests. Credit is awarded for the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests provided that the minimum required score is obtained. The minimum score varies according to the specific area covered by the examination.
Off-Campus Programs
Rider University offers semester-long and academic-year programs at a variety of international sites.
Academic Facilities
The Franklin F. Moore Library contains 353,000 volumes, arranged in open stacks, and more than 1,500 periodicals and technical journals, magazines, and business services. The library is automated and has a computerized catalog and circulation system. To complement its on-campus holdings, the library offers online database searches of holdings of other libraries.
Students have direct access to a fiber-optic campus network linking approximately 300 terminals located in the Computer Center, Library, academic buildings, and residence halls. Students may use computing laboratories with multimedia workstations and comprehensive software libraries. Local area networks connect to the campus network to help students develop class projects and presentations. Digital VAX computer clusters in the central Computer Center provide students with network access, extensive software offerings, and compilation resources. E-mail, bulletin boards, Internet access, and other campus computer services are available via the University network.
Other academic facilities include well-equipped science laboratories for biochemistry, biology, biopsychology, chemistry, environmental sciences, geology, physics, and psychology and two 400-seat theaters.
Costs
The total annual tuition charge for new students who began their studies in 200405 was $21,820. Mandatory fees included a student activity fee of $200 and a one-time orientation fee of $200. Room (standard 2 to a room) and board charges totaled $8400 for the academic year. It is estimated that books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation average $1900.
Financial Aid
Most financial aid is based upon demonstrated financial need. Students and their parents are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to March1 to be considered for financial assistance administered by Rider University. The University maintains a need-blind admission policy and attempts to meet the full financial need of all eligible applicants. Entering students are eligible for consideration for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study Program awards, Federal Perkins Loans, New Jersey Tuition Aid Grants, New Jersey Distinguished Scholar Scholarships, Rider University grants, Trustee Scholarships, Alumni Scholarships, and other forms of institutional aid. Rider University offers merit-based scholarships for qualified applicants. These scholarships are for up to full tuition and are renewable for up to four years of study if the student maintains the minimum grade point average specified by the Scholarship Committee. Rider also offers two full-tuition actors' scholarships and a $7500 technical support scholarship in theater.
Faculty
There are 226 full-time and 187 part-time faculty members. Ninety-five percent of the faculty hold a doctorate or terminal degree in their field. The same faculty teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses; graduate assistants do not teach classes at Rider University. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 13:1. Faculty members serve on student affairs committees and as faculty advisers to all student organizations.
Student Government
There is an active Student Government Association (SGA) on the campus. The SGA sponsors concerts, lectures, plays, and other events. All social rules and regulations are made, enforced, and adjudicated by students. Each class, each residence hall, the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Society, and commuting students are represented in the Student Government Association.
Admission Requirements
Students applying for admission to Rider University are expected to have completed a minimum of 16 acceptable college-preparatory units of study by the end of their senior year in high school. These 16 units must include 4 in English and 3 in mathematics, including algebra I, algebra II, and geometry. The oth
er 9 units should be selected from traditional academic areas, including history, mathematics, science, social studies, foreign languages, and literature. Business or vocational courses completed in high school are not considered college-preparatory units. Students are required to submit official SAT I or ACT results and two letters of recommendation in support of their application. Most successful applicants rank in the upper half of their high school senior class.
Rider University seeks a diverse student body and encourages applications from students from varied ethnic, economic, and geographic backgrounds. Campus interviews are strongly recommended but not required for most candidates. There is an active Student Ambassador Program on campus, which consists of faculty-recommended student volunteers from each major area. These student ambassadors host prospective students individually, taking them to class and to lunch and seeing that they meet faculty members and other students. This allows the prospective student to experience life at Rider University for a day.
Application and Information
Rider University works on a rolling admissions basis, but it encourages applications for the fall semester to be submitted by February15 if the student wishes to obtain housing on the campus. Applications for the spring semester should be submitted by December15. An early action option is available. Students must submit all necessary documentation by November15 and are notified of an admissions decision by December15. The application fee of $45 should be included with the application. Students are notified of the admissions decision in approximately three to four weeks, in accordance with the rolling admissions policy. Transfer applicants receive the same priority for admission, housing, and financial aid as freshman applicants.
Interested students are encouraged to contact:
Golf
