Undergraduate School
Center for International Studies
The Center for International Studies has primary responsibility for providing leadership in the development, management, and direction of international programs that are consistent with the Catholic, Dominican, liberal arts education at Providence College; providing opportunities for learning in an international environment that promotes academic excellence and intellectual rigor; and enhancing the reputation of Providence College both within the United States and abroad. In addition, the center oversees and coordinates programs and services for international students studying at the College. A dean of international studies provides leadership for the center. The dean of international studies reports to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and serves as a member of the Academic Affairs Council.
For more information on the Center for International Studies, call the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs at (401) 865-2195.
Individualized Studies Program
Students in good academic standing who wish to pursue a course of study not defined in any of the College’s established majors have the option to develop an individualized studies major. To develop such a major, which is usually interdisciplinary in nature, a student must submit a proposal no later than the end of the sophomore year, then proceed through a series of steps outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.
For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at (401) 865-2495.
Johnson C. Smith Exchange Program
Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., offers a campus exchange opportunity with Providence College for first-semester juniors. The program, which is open to students of all races and ethnic backgrounds, is intended to broaden the academic and social experience of PC students by allowing them to attend an historic, Southern, liberal arts university with a predominantly black student population. The program is open to all PC students who have achieved a 3.0 or higher GPA in the semester prior to application.
For more information or for a program catalog, contact Dr. Edward Twyman, dean of the Balfour Center for Multicultural Affairs, at (401) 865-1525 or etwyman@providence.edu, or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs on the PC Web site.
Liberal Arts Honors Program
The Liberal Arts Honors Program enables a select group of academically talented students to pursue courses from the Core Curriculum broadly and in great depth. Taught by some of the most experienced faculty on campus, the program includes honors seminars, colloquia, and independent study. Students who complete six semester courses from an approved list of Core Curriculum courses and who maintain no lower than a 3.25 GPA overall and in their honors courses graduate with an honors certificate. Recent honors graduates have been accepted into Ph.D., J.D., or M.D. programs at Princeton University, Yale University, Harvard University, Oxford University, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, Boston College, and Brown University.
For more information, contact Dr. Stephen J. Lynch, director of the Liberal Arts Honors Program, at (401) 865-2233 or at sjlynch@providence.edu. To obtain detailed information, go to Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > Liberal Arts Honors on the PC Web site.
Military Science (ROTC)
In cooperation with the United States Army Cadet Command’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), Providence College includes military science as part of its elective curriculum.
The curriculum is divided into two parts: the Basic Leadership Program for freshmen and sophomores and the Advanced Leadership Program for juniors and seniors. Students may enroll in the Basic Leadership Program without any obligation to serve in the military. Those students who commit and contract to the Advanced Leadership Program are eligible to pursue commissions as second lieutenants in the United States Army.
For more information, contact the Department of Military Science at (401) 865-2471 or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > Military Science/ROTC on the PC Web site.
Academic scholarships are available to qualified freshmen and sophomores. These scholarships provide up to $20,000 per year for tuition, $900 per year for books and supplies, and a $250-$400 per school month stipend. All students contracted into the Advanced Leadership Program (juniors and seniors) receive up to $400 per school month as a stipend.
For more information on ROTC scholarships, go to Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > Military Science/ROTC on the PC Web site.
Organization for Tropical Studies
The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a non-profit consortium that includes 63 universities and research institutions from the United States, Latin America, and Australia, in collaboration with the Universidad de Costa Rica. The main interest of the OTS is to strengthen education and research in tropical biology. Founded in 1963, the organization provides leadership in education, research, and the responsible use of natural resources in the tropics. To address this mission, the OTS conducts undergraduate and graduate education, facilitates research, participates in tropical forest conservation, maintains three biological stations in Costa Rica (La Selva, Palo Verde, and Las Cruces), and conducts environmental education programs.
Administered by Duke University, the OTS offers semester and summer programs for undergraduate students interested in field biology. All three OTS field stations in Costa Rica are utilized, as well as other Costa Rican sites, thereby allowing direct study of a wide range of tropical ecosystems and habitats. Graduates of an OTS undergraduate program will be well prepared for advanced studies in tropical biology and resource management.
For more information, contact Dr. Elisabeth Arévalo, associate professor of biology, at (401) 865-2158 or at earevalo@providence.edu, or visit the OTS undergraduate Web site at: www.ots.duke.edu/en/education/undergraduate.shtml.
Pre-Law Program
The Pre-Law Program at Providence College, directed by a practicing attorney, consists of a combination of career counseling, pre-law advising, and admissions guidance. Although there is no established pre-law curriculum, law schools approved by the American Bar Association put a premium on strong analytical skills; persuasive, clear, and concise writing and speaking abilities; and logical reasoning. Therefore, the Pre-Law Program encourages students to obtain a broad liberal arts education through Providence College’s Core Curriculum.
In addition, the pre-law advisor may suggest additional courses in logic, philosophy, mathematics, and science to further develop analytical thinking as well as a course in business to clarify basic types of business transactions. In addition to personal advisement, the pre-law advisor conducts group and panel discussions and workshops and makes available a wide variety of career-related materials to students.
For further information, contact Gail A. Dyer, J.D., assistant general counsel, special lecturer in law, and pre-law advisor, at (401) 865-2463 or at gdyer@providence.edu, or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > Law on the PC Web site.
Premedical Sciences Program
The Premedical Sciences Program helps students prepare for careers in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, physical therapy, physician assistant, and other allied health professions. Because each of these professions requires specific preparation, students work closely with the advisor for the health professions to plan a suitable program of study. This involves selecting an appropriate major, taking required courses, and participating in internships and volunteer service in the health professions.
While there is no “premed” major, most premedical science students complete a B.S. degree in biology, a B.A. degree in chemistry, premedical/dental option, or a B.S. in biochemistry. A student also may complete the premedical course work in combination with a liberal arts major.
For more information, contact Dr. Carol B. Crafts, associate dean of undergraduate studies and advisor for the health professions, at (401) 865-2438 or at ccrafts@providence.edu, or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > Premedical Sciences on the PC Web site.
- Brown Medical School Early Identification Program (EIP)
The Early Identification Program (EIP), a cooperative venture between Brown Medical School and Providence College, increases opportunities for a career in medicine for Rhode Island residents. The program entitles Providence College undergraduates who are enrolled in the Premedical Sciences Program and who are residents of Rhode Island to seek early decision admission to the medical school’s program in medicine. Formal acceptance to the Brown Medical School is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress and disciplinary standing at Providence College. Rhode Island residents who are sophomores are eligible to apply. Students who are interested should notify the advisor for the health professions prior to the beginning of their third semester.
For more information, contact Dr. Carol B. Crafts, associate dean of undergraduate studies and advisor for the health professions, at (401) 865-2438 or at ccrafts@providence.edu, or go to bms.brown.edu/admissions/routes.html and click on Early Identification Program.
Public and Community Service Studies
Providence College’s Feinstein Institute for Public Service offers a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in public and community service studies. This interdisciplinary program prepares students to become builders of human communities and responsible citizens of a democratic society. The institute’s educational vision is built upon the Dominican tradition, which calls upon all persons to bear witness to the human and social dimensions of their religious faith.
The institute’s service-learning model integrates community service experiences with course work while meeting actual community needs. As part of their educational experience, students perform significant volunteer work each year. Course work involves a systematic and rigorous study of community, service, democracy, compassion, public ethics, social justice, social change, and leadership. Students develop concentrations of three courses focusing on tracks such as not-for-profit management, humanities, social science/policy analysis, or environmental problems.
For more information, contact Dr. Raymond L. Sickinger, director of the Feinstein Institute for Public Service, at (401) 865-2190 or at rsicking@providence.edu, or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Areas of Study on the PC Web site.
Washington Semester Program
The Washington Semester Program combines academic study and experiential learning in a one-semester program at American University in Washington, D.C. Students choose one of nine areas of study and are responsible for a two-course seminar, a one-course research project, and a two-day-per-week internship. Internship opportunities range from working in the Office of the Vice President of the United States to the office of the director of the National Smithsonian Museums Network. Admission to the program is available to four Providence College students per year on a competitive basis.
For more information, call Dr. Mark S. Hyde, PC faculty director of the Washington Semester Program, at (401) 865-2627; click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > Washington, DC Semester on the PC Web site; or go to the program’s Web site at www.washingtonsemester.com.
3+2 Engineering Plan
Providence College’s 3+2 Engineering Plan combines engineering studies with a thorough liberal arts education. Students spend three years in a pre-engineering curriculum that blends the humanities, sciences, and mathematics to give them the fundamental, problem-solving background required of professional engineers. Students spend their final two years studying an engineering concentration of their choice at an affiliate university.
Concentrations are available in aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, mechanical-industrial, mechanical-nuclear, and metallurgical engineering. Special areas of study are available in environmental, biomedical, computer engineering, systems science and engineering, and other multidisciplinary engineering fields.
At the completion of the five-year program, the successful candidate receives two degrees: a B.S. individualized program degree in mathematics, chemistry, and physics from Providence College and a B.S. in an engineering concentration from the associated university.
A 4+2 plan is also available with candidates spending four years at Providence College and two at an affiliate university. This plan also results in a B.S. in engineering.
For more information, contact Dr. Lynne M. Lawson, chair of the Department of Engineering/Physics/Systems, at (401) 865-1251 or at llawson@providence.edu, or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > 3+2 Engineering on the PC Web site.
3+4 Optometry Program
The Department of Biology offers a combined degree program with the New England College of Optometry (NEWENCO) that permits students to complete their B.A. or B.S. in biology and their doctor of optometry (O.D.) degree in seven, rather than eight, years. This combined degree program is designed for the highly motivated, academically strong student, especially in mathematics and science, who wishes to earn the O.D. degree. The first three years at Providence College offer a blend of liberal arts and the biological sciences, which prepares students for professional study. The next four years at NEWENCO provide the course work required to complete the bachelor’s degree at Providence College and the professional training required to earn the O.D. degree.
For more information, contact Dr. Carol B. Crafts, associate dean of undergraduate studies and advisor for the health professions, at (401) 865-2438 or at ccrafts@providence.edu, or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > 3+4 Optometry on the PC Web site.
4+1 B.A./M.B.A. or B.S./M.B.A.
The 4+1 B.A./M.B.A. or B.S./M.B.A. Program allows a Providence College student to receive the master of business administration (M.B.A.) degree by completing only one additional year of study after graduation. The program is available to all undergraduate students. Those interested in the program should apply for admission during the fall semester of their junior year. Admission is granted to those students who meet the established M.B.A. graduate admissions criteria. To be eligible for the program, a student must be in good academic standing, must have met established M.B.A. graduate admissions criteria, and must complete a series of prerequisite undergraduate business courses.
For more information, contact the M.B.A. Program office at 401-865-2333 or click on Academics > Undergraduate Studies > Special Programs > 4+1 BS/BA/MBA on the PC Web site.