“…a community of learning and a community of faith.”
Quick facts:
· Enrollment: nearly 4000
· Private, four-year university
· Affiliation: Independent Lutheran
Degrees:
· 70 majors in five colleges; graduate division and law school
Mission Statement:
Valparaiso University, a community of learning dedicated to excellence and grounded in the Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom, and faith, prepares students to lead and serve in both church and society.
Freshman Studies (Valpo Core) and Academic Area Studies (Distribution requirements)
“The Goals of Education at Valparaiso
While appreciating the importance of preparing students for useful careers, Valparaiso University holds to the ideal that its students want an education which treats them first as human beings rather than simply as future wage earners. These students want to think clearly, to analyze facts and ideas, to draw sound conclusions from their reasoning and to express themselves clearly and creatively. They want to understand their cultural and religious heritage, developing a sensitivity to the culture and the viewpoints of others while at the same time finding for themselves firm values and standards by which to live and make judgments. They want to become humane and responsible citizens in an ever changing society and to participate effectively in their institutions and communities.
There is no simple formula for acquiring these abilities. Every degree program at Valparaiso aims to assist students to attain these goals by offering a course of studies in general education which provides students with a broad base of knowledge and abilities, as well as in a particular area which leads to the mastery of concepts and tools of a single field of study. Both components, general education and the major field of studies, develop abilities in the student which go far beyond mere career preparation and provide intellectual enrichment for a lifetime.”
The Valpo Core:
“This is Real. This is Valpo.”
Year One: The Valpo Core.
· Two-semester interdisciplinary course for new students.
· Your ticket to forging meaningful connections with your peers and professors.
· Exploration of your interests, yourself, the world, and spirituality.
“At Valparaiso University, we believe that each of us has been given gifts we are meant to develop and share with others through various forms of work. We can help you choose a major and a minor, and we can help you prepare for a career. Beyond that, we are dedicated to helping you prepare not just for your work but also for your whole life.”
| General Education Requirements |
Credits (taken from Bachelor of Arts specific provisions) | |
| Valpo Core |
||
| The Human Experience, two semesters |
10 |
|
| Academic Area Studies |
||
| Theology Literature and Fine Arts Philosophical and Historical Studies Studies in Social Analysis Studies in the Natural and Behavioral Sciences/Mathematics Global Cultures and Perspectives U.S. Cultural Diversity Foreign languages Physical Education |
6 6 3 6 12 3 3 Varies by college, 8 for BA 1 |
| Graduation Requirements Total Credits General Education Requirements Core/Gen Ed, percentage of total
|
124 58 46.77% |
| Upper level courses |
No information available, but there are many
options for pursuing either minor or double major. Lower level
courses do not generally count toward completion of the major. |