Engaged Students

Providence invites students to be deeply involved in the process by which they become – in the words of the College’s Mission Statement – “responsible and productive citizens to serve in their own society and in the greater world community.” Students develop skills to live, learn, serve and lead through diverse experiences in the classroom, on the campus and out in the world...

Many Paths

• Providence students have a tradition of academic achievement: 40 percent of PC’s incoming freshmen ranked in the top 10 percent of their class, and 63 percent were in the top 20 percent of their class; the middle 50 percent for SAT scores is 520–630 for critical reading, 530–640 for math, and 540–650 for writing; the middle 50 percent for ACT scores is 23–28.

• Providence College provides both curricular and cocurricular service-learning outreach to the community. Through the Feinstein Institute for Public Service, Providence College students currently provide outreach to many different community organizations. Service learning has also been incorporated into academic disciplines, including education, military science, social work, and political science. In 1996, Providence College became the first institution to offer an undergraduate degree in public and community-service studies.

• Over two thousand Providence College students engage in a vast array of voluntary community-service activities each year through campus ministry and numerous other campus groups, including service in local affiliates of Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics, as well as visiting the elderly, cheering hospitalized children, and tutoring in Providence schools.

• Students also teach literacy and English as a second language to adults, work in area soup kitchens and with Meals on Wheels, prepare Thanksgiving food baskets, support HIV/AIDS ministries, beautify the neighborhood, work to improve race relations, protest domestic violence, and work to protect the environment.

• The study-abroad options are designed to augment the liberal arts perspective of Providence Collegeand are an integral component of the undergraduate academic experience197 year-long, semester-long and short-term study abroad programs are offered across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Central and South America, and Europe. Featured is the new Center for Theology & Religious Studies in Rome that includes a Providence College faculty resident director.The Washington, DC Semester Program combines academic study and experiential learning in a one-semester program spent at American University in Washington, DC. In any one of a dozen areas of study, the program consists of a two-course seminar that features academic professors and professional policy makers; a one-course research project served by the excellent libraries of Washington, DC; and practical work experience in a one-course, two-day-per-week internship. Internships range from positions at the Office of the Vice President of the United States to work with the director of the National Smithsonian Museums Network.

Great Teaching

Providence has a gifted faculty with a passion for teaching. Every class is taught by a faculty member; there are no graduate assistants. Students engage with teacher-mentors in small classes; participate in intense seminar discussions; and benefit from many out-of-class faculty-student interactions, including a nationally-recognized student advising program and diverse internship offerings...

A Timeless Education

• Teaching is the primary focus of Providence College faculty—the school does not have any teaching assistants or graduate students teaching classes. Providence College students engage in original research and scholarship projects with the faculty in fields ranging from political science to bioinformatics. The results are often published in academic journals or presented at national conferences.

• Providence College faculty members keep their office doors open, respond to e-mails late at night, and know details about their students’ lives. From discussions in the cafeteria to invitations for dinner in their homes, to advice about graduate programs and careers, professors reach out to students, inside and outside of class.

• Faculty mentorship often lasts for years, and can be seen in the hundreds of letters of recommendation faculty write each year to prestigious graduate and professional schools and prospective employers.

• The Center for Teaching Excellence was established in 1992 to advance the cause of college teaching. The life of the mind is enhanced through innovative programs and resources through which faculty colleagues and guest scholars explore important issues related to undergraduate teaching, research, publications, and scholarship. The office of academic affairs sponsors a wide range of programs and services to support faculty in teaching, research, and scholarship.

• The Development of Western Civilization Program, or Civ, is the cornerstone of the Providence College core curriculum. Students take the required two-year interdisciplinary program during their freshman and sophomore years.

• Western Civilization covers the areas of history, philosophy, literature, theology, and the fine arts from ancient Mesopotamia to modern times. It is team taught by four faculty members from each of these disciplines, who share their thoughts and perspective on the events, art, literature, philosophy, and religious ideals of the time. The program provides the foundation for undergraduate study and each student’s pursuit of one of the college’s forty-nine majors.

• The Liberal Arts Honors program offers students with exceptional academic achievement and initiative a more in-depth and rigorous version of the Providence College core curriculum. Students are required to take a minimum of six honors courses throughout their stay, with a capstone colloquium in the senior year.  Full, three quarter and one half tuition scholarships are awarded to students who are invited to study in the Liberal Arts Honors Program.

Academic Majors
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:  American Studies, Art (Studio), Art History, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics (Business), Economics (Quantitative), English - Creative Writing, English- Literature, French, Global Studies, History, Humanities, Italian, Mathematics, Music, Music Education (K-12), Philosophy, Physics- Applied, Political Science, Pre-Engineering (3+2 Combined Program), Psychology, Public & Community Service Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre Arts, Theology, Women's Studies. SCHOOL OF BUSINESS:  Accountancy, Finance, Management, Marketing.  SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES:  Health Policy & Management, Social Work, Elementary/Special Education, Secondary Education.

Vibrant Community

With over 100 clubs, organizations, and intramural sports, PC students have abundant opportunities to get involved, lead and serve. PC’s 19 highly competitive men’s and women’s NCAA Division I athletics teams boast a student fan base second to none. Spirituality, the arts, service to others – all have a place in campus life...

Vivid and Exhilarating

• Providence College’s 105-acre campus is located within two miles of the heart of Rhode Island’s capital city. The intimacy of the campus—with everything and everyone just a short walk away—enables students to enjoy a private, tranquil oasis for living and learning, with a vibrant city just minutes away.

• Providence is home to an engaging blend of arts, culture, entertainment, and shopping—a city that has been nationally recognized for its urban renaissance. One of America’s first cities, Providence is rich in history, culture, and tradition, and today enjoys a reputation as one of America’s most desirable cities. Students can ride the RIPTA buses or trolleys for free to any location in Rhode Island.

• In the last decade, the college has focused campus infrastructure improvements on enhancing its academic, residential, and spiritual facilities through the addition of buildings such as the Smith Center for the Arts, Suites Hall, St. Dominic Chapel, and the Concannon Fitness Center. On-campus living includes nine traditional halls, five apartment buildings, and a suite-style residence building.

• The Office of Student Activities Involvement Leadership—known as the SAIL Office—works closely with the Board of Programmers, the student organization that plans activities to meet the social, cultural, educational, and recreational interests of students. It also sponsors the college’s leadership program, provides support to over sixty recognized student organizations, and coordinates the New Student Orientation Program for all new students. SAIL manages McPhail’s entertainment facility, which is open seven days a week and hosts events throughout the academic year. In addition, the SAIL staff oversees operations in the newly  renovated Slavin Center, the College’s student union.

• Providence College also competes in nineteen Division I sports and supports student participation in intramural and club sports.

Successful Outcomes

One of the best measures of a liberal arts college is the way graduates choose to live their lives. PC has a proud history of graduates entering prestigious graduate schools and pursuing successful careers with well-known corporations and organizations nationwide. PC alumni also are committed to influencing their communities through leadership and service...

Measurable Success

• Typically, over 90 percent of graduates are employed or pursuing graduate studies within six months of graduation. Providence College has many successful alumni, including Arthur F. Ryan, CEO of the Prudential Insurance Company of America; Robert C. Gallo, MD, founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology; Senator Christopher Dodd and NBA Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, former coach of the New York Knicks.

• The college’s career services office actively helps students throughout their time at Providence to prepare for joining the workforce. Career services staff maintain a database of about seven hundred internships, coordinate career shadowing and networking programs, and conduct numerous workshops to prepare students for employment or graduate school.

• More than forty-nine thousand Providence College alumni extend the reach of the college community to every corner of the nation and to many countries throughout the world. The ongoing support and involvement of alumni is strong, and the donor participation rate is among the highest in the country.