An Overview of Academics at the University of Scranton

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Joe DiBenedetto and Alexander Oddo in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info. 

 

What’s Covered:

• Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Scranton
• Majors and Minors at Scranton
• Academic Advising at Scranton
• Research and Professional Opportunities at Scranton

 

 

Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Scranton

 

At the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the average class size is 20 students, and the maximum is 35. This low student-to-faculty ratio ensures that students at Scranton never have to worry about being in an overwhelming lecture hall with a professor who doesn’t know their name or where their fellow students in the classroom don’t look familiar. 

 

It is common at Scranton for students to have the same professors for multiple different courses during their four years. This enables the students to understand a professor’s teaching style better and build strong relationships with them. Scranton professors also serve as mentors to students.

 

Majors and Minors at Scranton

 

The University of Scranton offers students 69 majors and 50 minors to choose from, in areas like business, helping professions, the sciences, humanities, and liberal arts. Notably, Scranton has some of the best science labs in the nation, which is especially attractive to students interested in studying any of the general sciences or research-heavy majors. 

 

Students at Scranton are encouraged to follow their passions and mix and match different majors and minors. If you come to the school knowing that you want to study something specific but another interest pops up during your four years, you are more than encouraged to add that as another major or minor if it’s possible within your schedule.

 

Students at the University of Scranton are also encouraged to try out different subjects that they are interested in majoring or minoring in, making it a welcoming place for undecided students. There are many different resources offered to undeclared students during their first year to help guide them in deciding on a major, including the mentorship of professors and academic advisors.

 

Academic Advising at Scranton

 

No matter what major you’re a part of or even if you are undecided, you’ll have an academic advisor at Scranton. Academic advisors help students develop into the professional people that they hope to become. Students meet at least once a semester with their academic advisor to ensure that their schedule for the following semester consists of the right courses needed for their degree. 

 

The University of Scranton has three different academic advising centers for its students. The College of Arts and Sciences academic advising works with students interested in the sciences, humanities, and liberal arts. Students pursuing majors such as biochemistry, physics, criminal justice, history, or psychology work with this academic advising center. 

 

The Kania School of Management’s academic advising center works with students interested in the business world. Students studying subjects such as marketing, management, finance, accounting, or business analytics are part of the Kania School of Management Academic Advising Center. 

 

The last academic advising center is for the Panuska College of Professional Studies. It serves students studying counseling and human services, education, health administration, human resources, kinesiology, or nursing.

 

Research and Professional Opportunities at Scranton

 

Scranton offers various faculty-student research programs and makes getting involved in research easy for students. Conducting research is possible for students in the sciences and those in other disciplines. It is common for students to reach out to professors about their research and then have the opportunity to conduct research with them during a semester or all four years. Scranton students can get an enhanced perspective on a certain topic and an opportunity to connect one-on-one with a professor.

 

In addition to the research opportunities offered at Scranton, students can participate in internships and experiential learning. These are typically specific to the discipline that a student is studying. For example, if you are a student in the Kania School of Management, you will likely receive support from Scranton in finding business internships.