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UW holds high positions in international rankings, such as the Times Higher Education World University Ranking and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (also known as the Shanghai Ranking). Taking into account the total number of research universities that reaches 20 thousand, the University of Warsaw is among the top 3% of the world’s best universities. According to international rankings, it also is the best university in Poland and one of the leading ones in this region of Europe. Also, the University of Warsaw holds very good positions in comparative evaluations of the quality of education, in particular study programs, such as the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking and Eduniversal Best Masters and MBA Worldwide. 16 programs provided by UW have been listed in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017. 15 programs offered by UW have been listed in Eduniversal Best Masters & MBA Ranking 2017. The quality of education at the University of Warsaw is confirmed by the annual appraisals conducted by the university itself which show that the majority of students are satisfied with their selection of the university and the education program. The University’s strongest points are its prestige, development opportunities, the study environment. The quality of education is also confirmed by research conducted with the University’s graduates. The University of Warsaw conducts the largest research enterprise of its kind in Europe by monitoring the careers of former students. Results demonstrate that having a diploma from the University of Warsaw is a definite asset in the job market 94% of respondents have found employment after graduation. The leading concepts of the University’s activity are the unity of teaching and research, and the harmonious development of all branches of knowledge represented in its curriculum. The University employs 3,750 scholars, ¼ of whom hold professorial titles. Their scientific inquiry extends over 3,350 research topics students who they concurrently teach have the opportunity of joining in their research projects. The University’s research teams have won worldwide recognition in many areas of knowledge and have joined international research programs. The University of Warsaw community includes 4,400 foreigners: students, doctoral students, employees, and grantees of, among others, the Erasmus+ program. Concerning academic exchanges, the University of Warsaw stands out not only in Poland but also internationally, is one of the leaders of the European Commission ranking issued as part of its assessment of student exchange at over 3,000 institutions of higher education in entire Europe. The University of Warsaw is most popular among students from Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Turkey. The University is located in the capital of Poland, one of the most dynamically developing European cities. Warsaw is the center of political and economic life and has a lively social and cultural scene. It is steadily climbing the international rankings of the world’s most attractive urban areas: Top 50 of the City Brand Index, United Nations State of the World’s Cities report, best cities ranking and report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. In 2017 Warsaw took 15th place among the most sociable and friendly cities in the world (Business Insider, The 19 most sociable and friendly cities in the world, 2017). Warsaw has also – for the second time running – been named fDi’sPolish City of the Future (fDi Intelligence, Financial Times, Polish Cities of the Future 2017/18, 2017). According to QS Best Student Cities 2017, Warsaw took 52nd place among the best cities in the world. It receives a very high score in the affordability category – within the top five of the entire index – thanks to its combination of low living costs and reasonable tuition fees. The University’s historical Main Campus, located in the very heart of Warsaw, is renowned for its splendid architecture. Its imposing buildings, some going back to the 17th century, are one of the city’s main tourist attractions. The opening of the nearby University Library building, which took place at the very end of the millennium, marked a new chapter in the history of the University’s architecture. New buildings, completed in the following years, are modern, functional, and architecturally interesting. The Natural Sciences campus consists of imposing structures with state-of-the-art laboratories. The University of Warsaw recognizes as still valid its mission as a public utility institution formulated by its founders in 1816: “The University should not only maintain in the nation both learning and skills at the level they have already attained in the scholarly world, but also further develop and propagate them as well as apply their theory for the public good.” The University realizes its aim with the participation of the whole University community: its scholars, students, and staff. Since its establishment, our University’s community has written numerous glorious pages in its history. It has produced many outstanding scholars and created famous scientific schools. It actively resisted armed force, organizing clandestine classes when the University was not allowed to function openly. Our students and graduates have served Poland and the world. These proud annals are our continuing obligation. We must also remember what has been inglorious: submission to political pressure, religious and social discrimination, the expulsion of scholars and students. Let this be a living history lesson for us. The University of Warsaw belongs to the community of universities and accepts its universal aims, and its name is bound up with the capital of Poland. In response to the challenges arising from the transformation of our country, the new position of Poland in Europe and the world, and the education of a knowledge-based society, the University of Warsaw defines its mission as follows: The basis of the University’s activity is the unity of teaching and research. The University brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines. It is the place of a diversity of scientific research. Young researchers in direct contact with teachers develop their research awareness and improve their methodological skills. At the same time, the University propagates throughout society this multifaceted knowledge and these sophisticated skills. New communication technology allows this propagation to take place regionally, nationally, and worldwide. The University offers undergraduate and doctoral studies, organizes summer schools, postgraduate studies, and vocational courses, initiates interdisciplinary programs, and introduces new teaching techniques. The high level of scientific research, its connection with the education of students, and the diversity and attractiveness of our teaching will determine the position of the University in the country and the world, and so decide the University’s future. We seek to be the best Polish university and a leading university in Europe. We recognize our particular responsibility toward Central and Eastern Europe. The mission of the University within society is to guarantee access to knowledge and acquisition of skill to all who are entitled. Knowledge and education today decide a lot of people and entire nations. The University generates knowledge allowing us to know and understand the world around us. Skills acquired through study ensure high professional qualification and preparation for the proper fulfillment of public roles. The civic mission of the University is the formation of those elites who will in their activities serve the “Imperio rational” rather than the “ratione Imperii”. The University is a community of dialogue. The exchange of views, the clash of arguments, openness to new ideas and conceptions are bound up indissolubly here with respect for diversity and personal dignity. In this way, the University develops its capacity for cooperation regardless of political, ideological, or religious differences, and creates a model of public debate. The shaping of the civic attitudes of students is thereby combined with the development of their personalities. The cultural mission of the University is a synthesis of universal and local values. In the emerging conflict between globalism and regionalism, a special role is to be played by institutions that succeed in combining universal techniques of communication and knowledge of universal significance with the maintenance of respect for the historical and cultural identity of regions and states. The University where many disciplines are cultivated – from mathematical and natural sciences to social and humanistic sciences – is a place where such a symbiosis exists naturally. The University is also an institution, which assists the dialogue between the integrating societies of Western Europe and its Eastern neighbors. The mission of the University of Warsaw approved by the Senate shall bind all members of our academic community. It is a signpost for our activities and the basis for University programs. The University’s plans for development and the decisions of University authorities should be made concerning it. View full university

The University of Silesia in Katowice is one of the largest and most dynamically developing public universities in Poland. Founded in 1968, the University of Silesia quickly established a reputation as a vibrant academic institution and an important interdisciplinary research hub. With a tradition of launching new programs to best meet the needs of rapidly changing labor markets, the University of Silesia offers students a variety of programs and specialized fields of study. With outstanding research teams and well-equipped laboratories, we are an important player in the global research arena. We actively participate in European Commission initiatives focused both on educational and scientific development, and realize projects within the frame of programs such as Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020. The University of Silesia in Katowice gives its students a unique possibility to develop their interests, fulfill their passions and gain practical skills necessary in the constantly changing job market. Every academic year we offer over 70 programs and over 240 specializations, that are designed to help our students and alumni meet the challenges of changing reality and the labor market. We provide a stimulating learning environment where individual interests can be pursued and academic ambitions achieved. The University of Silesia serves almost 25,000 intramural and extramural students and it already has 250,000 proud alumni, among which there are outstanding personalities in many fields. Our community consists also of more than 2,000 teachers and researchers. The roots of the University of Silesia date back to 1928 when the Institute of Pedagogics was established in Katowice. The institute was later reformed to National Pedagogical University in 1950, however, the first preparations for the formation of what would later become the University of Silesia were taken just after the finish of the Second World War. In June 1962, a branch of Jagiellonian University was settled in Katowice, which concentrated, apart from humanities, on mathematics, physics, and law. Together with the National Pedagogical University, these are the foundations of what came to life in 1968 as the University of Silesia. And so on October 1, 1968, the University (comprising of four faculties) had its first academic year inaugurated, providing almost 6,000 students with twelve programs, such as philology, pedagogics, psychology, history, law, administration, mathematics, physics, chemistry, physical education, electrotechnics, and mechanics. Two years later, the branch of the University in Cieszyn was established, and in the following years (1974-1978) six new faculties were opened. We are currently teaching almost 25,000 students on over 70 programs and 240 specializations on bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. With almost 50 years of its tradition, the University of Silesia has gathered well over 250,000 alumni to this day and has its units located in 4 different cities. Having renown among international students, the University of Silesia makes its best efforts to provide them with a profound and satisfying learning experience supported not only with the sole transfer of knowledge but also by emphasizing students' personal development. The University of Silesia warmly welcomes international students and candidates willing to undertake studies in our institution either in Polish or in a foreign language. Our broad and diverse educational offer ensures us that we can develop specialists in almost every possible field of science - from arts and linguistics to molecular physics. "The University of Silesia, operating under the ethos of European scholarship, assumes that as a commu­nity of scholars and students bound up with mutual respect and trust it not only responds to the increasing educational needs by providing instruction at the best possible level and conducting research which respects the elementary right of academic freedom in the pursuit of Truth but also carries out a significant social mission consisting in encouraging self-development as well as the formation of creative attitudes and spiritual aspirations, whereby it helps shape the cultural image of the Region and Poland. Whilst being committed to both preserving and dissemi­nating knowledge which is a legacy of past generations, the University of Silesia also actively contributes to the cultural heritage of society through the pursuit of art and creative rese­arch, the interpretation of contemporary reality, and the analysis of the evolution of values which shape the immediate envi­ronment. Both the geographical and cultural situation of the University, at a junction of regions to every one of which History assigned a different course, yet which for centuries have developed their culture through interpenetration and dialogue, endows the University with a European dimension and enables it to define itself as a place whose identity is constituted not by its isolation, but by its readiness to wel­come the Other and Different." View full university

The University of Gdańsk is a dynamically developing institution of higher learning and one that combines respect for tradition with a commitment to the new. We offer a very wide range of academic subjects and an equally wide range of subjects that lead to professional qualifications in demand on the job market. An increasingly large proportion of students pursue their studies in state-of-the-art facilities on the University's Baltic Campus, which is one of the largest university complexes in northern Poland. The University of Gdańsk was founded on 20 March 1970. It was formed from an amalgamation of two institutions of higher education: the Higher Economics School in Sopot and the Higher Pedagogical School in Gdańsk. Later, it also included the Higher Teacher Training School. The precursor of the Higher Economics School in Sopot was the Higher School of Maritime Trade in Sopot, which opened in 1945 and was awarded its first degrees in 1947. Currently, the University of Gdańsk is the largest educational institution in the Pomerania region. We have eleven faculties with over thirty thousand students, doctoral students, and post-graduates, who are taught by one thousand seven hundred academic staff. In such fields of study as Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Oceanography, Quantum Physics, Pedagogy, Psychology, Law, and Economic Sciences, the University of Gdańsk is one of the best institutions in Poland. The members of the academic staff of the University of Gdańsk conduct scientific and scholarly research on a world-class level, not only creatively expanding the frontiers of knowledge but also serving the whole of the Pomerania region with their knowledge and experience, thus aiding its dynamic modern development. As an effect of the developing connections between scientific activity and economic practice at the University of Gdańsk, many expert opinions and opinions in the form of studies protected by copyright are being written. Because of the development and the activities of its academic staff, the University of Gdańsk has become an incubator for entrepreneurship in such areas as Biotechnology, Biology, and Chemistry. The University of Gdańsk cooperates with institutions of higher education in most countries in Europe and also with many countries around the world. Research and other activities are conducted within the framework of over one hundred international agreements with foreign partners. A series of University institutes and departments have obtained, or are in the process of obtaining, the prestigious status of centers of excellence, which is the European certificate and stamp of quality. The numerous foreign placements are undertaken by the University’s academic staff help them to offer students a modern and open education. University of Gdańsk scholars and scientists are recipients of Polish and international grants and prizes. They have received grants from - among a range of institutions - The National Centre for Research and Development, The National Science Centre, and The Foundation for Polish Science. Two have won the most important scientific prize in Poland, the so-called Polish Nobel Prize, the Foundation for Polish Science Prize, awarded for outstanding scientific achievements and discoveries. This prize was won in 2008 by Professor Ryszard Horodecki and in 2013 by Professor Marek Żukowski for their work in quantum physics. The University offers a wide range of forms of education. Some of these are interdisciplinary, and several can be undertaken in cooperation with other academic centers in Poland and abroad (including MOST and ERASMUS student exchanges). Our programs are directed to a wide range of potential students, irrespective of age, profession, place of residence, or previous education, following the principle of lifelong learning. The University of Gdańsk provides education in 75 fields of study, comprising 223 specializations, full-time and part-time studies, at the level of first or second cycle studies, or within comprehensive (long cycle) five-year master’s programs. Every year new fields of study are developed, and every effort is made to adapt our programs to the needs of the job market. The syllabuses in the majority of new fields have a general educational or practical orientation, and they are devised in cooperation with experts and those with practical experience in specific areas. In this, the University draws on the knowledge and experience of employers. The latest fields of study at the University of Gdańsk include Work and Business Psychology Mathematical Modelling and Data Analysis Aquaculture – Business and Technology European and International Business Law Chemical Business Diplomacy Eastern Studies Balkan Studies Theatre Studies Law in Administration and Economics Chinese Studies Iberian Studies Neurobiopsychology Language, Culture and Economy of Finland Application of Informatics in Business, and Taxes and Tax Advisory Services. The strategy adopted by the University of Gdańsk Senate in 2010, draws on the institution’s traditions, outlines its core values and mission, and sets out a vision of its development through to 2020. The University’s core values are the rational pursuance of truth through original scientific and scholarly research, a respect for the best models in world science and scholarship, modern education in the service of the development of civilization and society, mutual respect and trust, tolerance for diversity of views, and solidarity within the entire academic community. The University’s mission is to educate valued graduates who are provided with the broad and many-faceted knowledge, skills, and competencies essential in knowledge-based socio-economic life, and to make a lasting contribution to scientific and scholarly knowledge of the world and the solving of important contemporary problems. The next decade of the University’s development will see the creation of a new level of quality in education, in scientific-scholarly research, and cooperation with the community. Conscious of its potential, the University of Gdańsk strongly promotes bi- and multi-lateral initiatives in support of science and scholarship by scientific-scholarly centers and institutions in the Baltic Region. The expansion of research, the introduction of new fields of study that provide an opportunity for multi-facetted development, and further augmentation of the infrastructure for teaching and research will allow the University of Gdańsk to confirm its leadership position among tertiary-level institutions in Poland. View full university

The Rzeszow University of Technology is a state-funded academic university that makes up a part of the Polish national education and science system. The Rzeszow University of Technology offers its students a wide variety of programs and courses. It also undertakes research and scientific projects in the following specialized fields of the applied sciences: engineering, mathematics, physics, economics, as well as the chemical and biological sciences. Through its multilateral co-operation with entrepreneurial and industrial entities, the University carefully constructs and tailors its academic programs to offer students and graduates the most rewarding hands-on experience, benefitting the development of their professional careers on both a local and national level. The University’s approach to learning provides students with an education grounded in the common values of respect for their community, their state, and the principles of human rights. It teaches them the value of patriotism coupled with tolerance and the exercise of due diligence in carrying out their student responsibilities. In its activities, the University cultivates and realizes the humanistic and intellectual ideals advocated and followed by its patron. The University is named after Ignacy Łukasiewicz, who is remembered as the father of the modern era in the mining and oil industries and inventor of a paraffin lamp. He was an innovator who did most of his work in this region in the nineteenth century. When the University was established, different aviation traditions began to take shape with the training of its first aviators. Insignia and gowns were not worn at official ceremonies until 1972, but since that time, the Rector, deans, and Senate members attend an annual inauguration where doctoral nominations and the matriculation of students takes place, and they don regalia including handcrafted scepters and medallions produced by local artisans. Afterward, the students and lecturers go, as a solemn group, to Rzeszow Cathedral to attend mass. The statutes of the University officially introduce its symbol. The University initials (PRz) symbolise the name Politechnika Rzeszowska (the Rzeszow University of Technology). The Maltese Cross, which is the heraldic arms of Rzeszow, is incorporated into the initials. The background is blue. Since 1976, the I. Łukasiewicz Medal of Merit has been awarded to distinctive researchers. The ceremony of awarding outstanding people with an honorary doctor title, Honoris Causa, is also celebrated solemnly. In 1994, the University began to publish Gazeta Politechniki, The Polytechnic Gazette, which is a continuation of Wiadomości Rektorskie 1988-93. The magazine describes news about on-campus life and research awards, as well as general information to spread well-being. At Christmas, the student body, local diocese, special guests, and the Połoniny ensemble gather to share in Polish Christmas traditions where we break unleavened bread with each other and wish each other well, then share in Christmas cheer with caroling. In May of each year, the student body celebrates Juvenalia, a “celebration of youth”, and they are given the town keys by the mayor of Rzeszow for three days – when they symbolically rule the town. The students also have plenty of other traditional events at the beginning of the academic year and at mid-term. View full university

AGH University of Science and Technology is one of the best and most renowned modern Polish universities. For many years it has been ranked at the top of the list of institutions of higher education. AGH UST is a leading Polish university in modern technologies and belongs to a group of prestigious international educational centers. The AGH University of Science and Technology, established on 20th October 1919, until 1949 known as the Academy of Mining, founded after long-lasting endeavors which had started in 1782, the date when the Ore Commission was established, has been continuing the traditions of the Academy of Mining in Kielce (1816-1827), inaugurated by Stanisław Staszic. The university, being a technical school, serves science and industry through educating students, the developing of academic staff, as well as research and development. The university cherishes its traditions and educates students, to be honest, responsible people both at work and as members of the society, according to its motto: “Labore creates, labori et scientiae servio”. The history of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow dates back to 1912, when a group of outstanding engineers and mining activists, led by Jan Zarański, initiated the process of applying for consent to establish a school of higher education that would educate mining engineers in Krakow. The endeavors were successful, and in 1913 the Ministry of Public Work in Vienna appointed the Organizing Committee of the Mining Academy, chaired by Professor Józef Morozewicz. By force of a Supreme Order issued by Emperor Francis Joseph on 31st May 1913, the establishment of the Mining Academy in Krakow was approved. The outbreak of World War I prevented the Academy from beginning its activity in 1914. View full university

The University of Lahore has always been at the forefront of innovation and has played a proactive role in shaping and accelerating the modern-day Higher Education scene in Pakistan. The management of The University of Lahore decided to establish its campus at Gujrat with the state of the art infrastructure and amenities to fulfill the necessity of the local community keeping in view the need for market-oriented programs in the industrial triangle comprising districts of Gujranwala, Sialkot & Gujrat, and also to the peoples living in the adjacent districts, i.e Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Jhelum and Bhimber (AJK). The University of Lahore believes in delivering excellence in research and learning. Our ability to add to your academic and social skills will allow you to lead in your professional career. We aim to create high-quality graduates who are practically skilled to enter the world of work. The University of Lahore is recognized as the largest private sector university of Pakistan, and there is no better time to join the university when it is expanding internationally with campuses and networks being developed across the world. We believe in commercialization and entrepreneurship and have invested in the establishment of enterprises to ensure that our students gain hands-on experience that matters for graduating students. Our academic standards are high and we believe in encouraging independent thought driven by creativity and critical insight. You will experience our faculty that is one of the best in Pakistan and believe in research and expression in academic terms. The experience at a university for a student is not only driven by the excellence in academics and research but the entire experience of being involved in the projects that the university takes on, as well as the experiences that a student gains outside the classroom. We have extensive activities ranging from sports to cultural events, media and social events, etc that keep you engaged and entertained across the year. The University of Lahore has now expanded internationally with its first move to Uganda providing support to set up a medical school. We believe that internationalization is an important step towards ensuring that experiences are shared both academically and intellectually. We also have the largest international community in a private sector university with students from 15 different countries currently enrolled with us. We provide extensive support to our students including preparing for a career, mentoring, personal and financial support. Your success at The University of Lahore will be the measure of our success in delivering high-quality education. I look forward to welcoming you to The University of Lahore. View full university

Superior College Gujrat has built a true academic professional environment by showing strong commitment towards developing faculty, empowering students, and increasing overall educational standards. Gujrat is a big city, known for its population rate, agricultural land, and industrial production units. The city has extensive trade relations with metropolis Lahore and all other connected cities. With its increasing business ventures and expanding trade avenues, the people of Gujrat could not stay deprived of Superior quality of education anymore. That is why Superior College Gujrat has met a tremendous response from the masses of the locality. The students themselves chose Superior College as their first and utmost priority. Being provided with the sheer attention of teachers, students at Superior College Gujrat have achieved brilliant success and top positions in annual results. View full university

Building partnerships has been the cornerstone of the University of South Carolina Aiken since its inception in 1961. It was then that the Aiken community citizens voiced the need for a local institution of higher education. In a real demonstration of grassroots politics, the community rallied to show their support for a college founded in the area. A governing board was formed through state legislation, the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education, which continues to oversee the University's mission. Today, USC Aiken has ranked in the top three public baccalaureate colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report's guide "Best Colleges" for twenty-one consecutive years. More than 3,500 students attend the University, and approximately 500 students graduate each year. USC Aiken provides bachelor's and master's degrees in 50 programs of study while delivering many of a large university's offerings on a small, friendly campus with intimate class sizes and personal attention. The commitment to continuing partnerships is woven into the fabric of the campus' culture. The University of South Carolina Aiken is a comprehensive institution that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional disciplines. All programs of study are grounded in a strong liberal arts and sciences curriculum. Its commitment to transformative teaching distinguishes USC Aiken through high impact learning practices, undergraduate research, small classes, and individual attention. The University encourages excellence in research and creative pursuits. It prepares students for success by challenging them to think critically and creatively, to communicate effectively, to learn independently, and to acquire breadth and depth of interdisciplinary knowledge. USC Aiken attracts students from South Carolina, the United States, and the world to form a diverse community of individuals engaged in educational experiences and services necessary to pursue meaningful work in an enlightened, inclusive, and economically vibrant society. A progressive hub for innovation, collaboration, and creativity, USC Aiken contributes to the community by enriching the region's quality of life through various activities, including the visual and performing arts, intercollegiate athletics, continuing and distance education, educational outreach, and leadership. A trip to Aiken means getting outdoors, experiencing history, meandering through beautiful parks, and bustling shopping. As you explore Aiken, you will notice a thriving downtown that has much to offer. Aiken hosts world-class events and festivals, showcasing music, dance, outdoor concerts, food, history, and much more. In Aiken, there is always something new to discover. The University of South Carolina Aiken is a comprehensive liberal arts institution committed to active learning through excellence in teaching, faculty and student scholarship, research, creative activities, and service. We offer degrees in the arts and sciences and the professional disciplines of business, education, and nursing. All degrees are grounded in a liberal arts and sciences curriculum designed to provide students with the educational background necessary to succeed in any chosen field. At USC Aiken, we believe deep learning and understanding are enhanced when students can connect disciplines. All of our undergraduate programs and majors are grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. This means that students begin their college education by taking classes in many different subjects and building skills geared toward more than just training in one profession. Exciting discoveries often come from where disciplines overlap, and concepts and solutions from one field of study are applied to problems in another. By studying the liberal arts and sciences, students develop healthy critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Students steeped in the liberal arts and sciences gain more excellent mental flexibly, learn to think across multiple domains and communicate effectively. These are skills employers say they value most. In today's labor market, career paths are changing, and new career options are being created at a dizzying rate. Thus, those graduates who can draw from various skillsets to adapt to challenges and capitalize on opportunities will have the most significant advantage. A commitment to providing significant fields of study in conjunction with a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences is at the heart of a USC Aiken education. At USC Aiken, learning extends well beyond the classroom. Through undergraduate research projects, real-world experience, international study opportunities, and engaged learning practices, USC Aiken students explore, understand, and master their interest areas in depth. This is an educational approach that prepares students for a successful life, professional success, global understanding, and civic engagement. The University of South Carolina Aiken is a comprehensive liberal arts institution committed to active learning through excellence in teaching, faculty and student scholarship, research, creative activities, and service. We offer degrees in the arts and sciences and the professional disciplines of business, education, and nursing. All degrees are grounded in a liberal arts and sciences curriculum designed to provide students with the educational background necessary to succeed in any chosen field. At USC Aiken, we believe deep learning and understanding are enhanced when students can connect disciplines. All of our undergraduate programs and majors are grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. This means that students begin their college education by taking classes in many different subjects and building skills geared toward more than just training in one profession. Exciting discoveries often come from where disciplines overlap, and concepts and solutions from one field of study are applied to problems in another. By studying the liberal arts and sciences, students develop healthy critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Students steeped in the liberal arts and sciences gain more excellent mental flexibly, learn to think across multiple domains and communicate effectively. These are skills employers say they value most. In today's labor market, career paths are changing, and new career options are being created at a dizzying rate. Thus, those graduates who can draw from various skillsets to adapt to challenges and capitalize on opportunities will have the most significant advantage. A commitment to providing significant fields of study in conjunction with a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences is at the heart of a USC Aiken education. At USC Aiken, learning extends well beyond the classroom. Through undergraduate research projects, real-world experience, international study opportunities, and engaged learning practices, USC Aiken students explore, understand, and master their interest areas in depth. This is an educational approach that prepares students for a successful life, professional success, global understanding, and civic engagement. View full university

As the undergraduate college of our country's naval service, the Naval Academy prepares young men and women to become professional officers of competence, character, and compassion in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Naval Academy students are midshipmen on active duty in the U.S. Navy. They attend the AcademyAcademy for four years, graduating with a bachelor of science degrees and commissions as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Naval Academy graduates serve at least five years in the Navy or Marine Corps. "To develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have the potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government." It would be impossible to predict what four years at the Naval Academy would be like for you, but we can describe our philosophy, curriculum, and daily life. Only after you have experienced the exhausting rigors of Plebe Summer, and after you have faced the responsibility of leading other midshipmen. After you have thrown your hat into the air at graduation, will you know what the Naval Academy experience is all about. Make no mistake: the four years at Annapolis are challenging, tightly structured, and designed to push you well beyond your perceived limits. The Navy pays 100% of the tuition, room, and board, medical and dental care costs of Naval Academy midshipmen. This means ALL students who attend the Naval Academy do so on a full scholarship in return for five years of active duty service upon graduation. Additionally, you also enjoy regular active-duty benefits, including access to military commissaries and exchanges, commercial transportation and lodging discounts, and the ability to fly space-available in military aircraft around the world. Midshipmen pay is $1,087.80 monthly, from which laundry, barber, cobbler, activities fees, yearbook, and other service charges are deducted. Actual cash pay is $100 per month in your first year, which increases each year after that. The Midshipmen Stipend Budget Book will approximate what sorts of expenses to expect each month. The Naval Academy's combined academic, military and physical development programs demand much effort, requiring you to spend more time on campus than the typical civilian college student. However, midshipmen enjoy Christmas and summer vacations (leave) plus shorter periods off (liberty). Free time to be away from the AcademyAcademy is based in large part on assigned military responsibilities, performance in academic and military endeavors, and class seniority. All midshipmen generally are granted leave during these periods: Thanksgiving leaves. End-of-semester leave. Mid-term leave during the spring semester. A short liberty period at the end of the spring semester and before Commissioning Week. Three weeks of summer vacation. During semesters of the academic year, off-campus privileges fall into two categories: town liberty and weekend liberty. Weekend liberty permits you to take an overnight away from the AcademyAcademy during the weekend, returning before the Sunday evening meal. You are not eligible for weekend liberty if you are assigned a military duty/watch (rotated responsibilities) or have serious difficulty in academics, conduct, or military performance. Town liberty curfews differ according to seniority. Generally, town and weekend liberty is authorized for midshipmen as follows: Plebes have town liberty on Saturdays (noon to midnight) and yard liberty within the Naval Academy complex on Sundays. Town liberty is granted for upper-class midshipmen following class weekends. A limited number of overnight weekends are granted to upper-class midshipmen based upon class. Restrictions apply to your use of motor vehicles as a midshipman. This is necessary because parking space is minimal at the AcademyAcademy and in Annapolis. Also, you have limited time off in the first years to make use of a private vehicle. These are the current rules: Third Class midshipmen and plebes are not permitted to operate motor vehicles except when authorized leave, such as during Christmas vacation. Second Class midshipmen may have a car but must maintain and operate it beyond Academy grounds. First Class midshipmen may drive a car in Annapolis and on the Naval Academy. No midshipman is allowed to maintain or operate a motorcycle. As a future naval officer, you are expected not to abuse alcohol and to shun illegal drugs entirely. Plebes, regardless of age, are not allowed to consume alcoholic beverages. As an upper-class midshipman, you may drink if you are the minimum legal age for drinking (21 in Maryland). If you choose to drink alcohol, the Naval Academy will provide social occasions where responsible use of alcohol is permitted, such as at an official reception. The use of illegal drugs is strictly forbidden and results in expulsion from the AcademyAcademy. As a midshipman, you are subject to random drug testing through urinalysis, consistent with Navy-wide policies and procedures. Almost everything you need as a midshipman is available on the Academy grounds. There is a bookstore, uniform and tailor shop, cobbler shop, snack bar, barber/beauty shop, post office, and recreation rooms. We also provide the following services: The entire brigade eats at one time in a 55,000-square-foot dining area or wardroom, King Hall. Companies sit together, and food is served family-style during the week. Other meals are served buffet style. King Hall offers a wide variety of healthy choices to ensure midshipmen have the proper sustenance for their high metabolisms. All of the food for the 12,000 meals served daily is prepared by our food service staff in the kitchens adjacent to King Hall. Modern facilities for medical treatment are conveniently located at the Naval Academy. Besides routine medical treatment, orthopedics/sports medicine, podiatry, physical therapy, preventive medicine, and optometry services are available—specialists in gynecology, dermatology, neurology, cardiology, and urology schedule visits to the AcademyAcademy. Consultation and treatment, including inpatient care, in all primary medical and surgical specialties, are available at several military treatment facilities, such as Bethesda and Walter Reed Medical Hospitals. Most emergency conditions are handled at nearby Anne Arundel Medical Center, a fully accredited civilian facility in Annapolis. Comprehensive oral health care is provided by the Dental Clinic conveniently located in Bancroft Hall. The professional staff provides a full range of dental hygiene and general dentistry treatment. The specialties of Oral Surgery, Orthodontics (limited), Endodontics, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics are also available. If required, emergency dental treatment is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by an on-call USNA Dental Clinic Dentist. A wide variety of training, educational and clinical services are provided to promote and enhance the adjustment, well-being, and professional development of midshipmen, including confidential individual and group counseling. The Office of Legal Counsel is available to assist midshipmen with personal and military legal questions. Regular seminars offer information on savings, loans, insurance programs, investment opportunities, and tax returns. Individual financial counseling is available from a Navy Supply Corps officer who serves as midshipmen financial advisor. When the founders of the United States Naval Academy were looking for a suitable location, it was reported that then-Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft decided to move the naval school to "the healthy and secluded" location of Annapolis in order to rescue midshipmen from "the temptations and distractions that necessarily connect with a large and populous city." The Philadelphia Naval Asylum School was its predecessor. Four of the original seven faculty members came from Philadelphia. Other small naval schools in New York City, Norfolk, Va., and Boston, Mass. also existed in the early days of the United States. The United States Navy was born during the American Revolution when the need for a naval force to match the Royal Navy became clear. However, during the period immediately following the Revolution, the Continental Navy was demobilized in 1785 by an economy-minded Congress. The dormancy of American seapower lasted a decade barely. In 1794, President George Washington persuaded Congress to authorize a new naval force to combat the growing menace of piracy on the high seas. The first vessels of the new U.S. Navy were launched in 1797, among them were the United States, the Constellation, and the Constitution. In 1825, President John Quincy Adams urged Congress to establish a Naval Academy "for the formation of scientific and accomplished officers." His proposal, however, was not acted upon until 20 years later. View full university