California Institute of Technology, USA

California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private, coeducational research university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. Caltech maintains a strong emphasis on the natural sciences and engineering. Caltech also operates and manages the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), an autonomous-space-flight complex that oversees the design and operation of most of NASA's space-probes. Caltech is a small school, with only about 2100 students, but is ranked in the top 10 universities worldwide by metrics such as citation index, Nobel Prizes, and general university rankings.

History

Caltech began as a vocational school founded in Pasadena in 1891 by local businessman and politician Amos G. Throop. The school was known successively as Throop University, Throop Polytechnic Institute, and Throop College of Technology, before acquiring its current name in 1921. Caltech and the Polytechnic School, a private, college-preparatory academy across the street, were part of the same institution until 1907.

Astronomer George Ellery Hale played an important role in Caltech's early development, helping to mold the school into a major scientific institution. Hale joined Throop's board of trustees after coming to Pasadena in 1907 as the first director of the Mount Wilson Observatory. At a time when scientific research in the United States was still in its infancy, Hale saw an opportunity to create in Pasadena an institution for serious research and education in engineering and the natural sciences. Hale succeeded in attracting private gifts of land and money that were used to build well-equipped, modern laboratory facilities. He then convinced two of the leading American scientists of the time, physical chemist Arthur Amos Noyes and experimental physicist Robert Andrews Millikan, to join Caltech's faculty and assist in establishing the college as a center for science and technology.




In 1917 Hale hired architect Bertram Goodhue to produce a master plan for the 22-acre (89,000 m²) campus. Goodhue conceived the overall layout of the campus and designed the physics building, Dabney Hall, and several other structures, in which he sought to be consistent with the local climate, the character of the school, and Hale's educational philosophy. Goodhue's designs for Caltech were also influenced by the traditional Spanish mission architecture of Southern California.

Caltech remains, to this day, a small and highly focused university, with approximately 900 undergraduates, 1300 graduate students, and over 1000 faculty members (including 293 professors, 104 emeritus professors, 66 permanent research faculty, 87 visiting faculty, and over 500 postdoctoral scholars). A private institution, Caltech is governed by its Board of Trustees.


As of 2006, Caltech has 31 Nobel laureates to its name. This figure includes 17 alumni, 14 non-alumni professors, and 4 professors who were also alumni (Carl D. Anderson, Linus Pauling, William A. Fowler, and Edward B. Lewis). The number of awards is 32, because Pauling received prizes in both Chemistry and Peace. With fewer than 25,000 alumni in total, nearly one in a thousand have received the Nobel Prize — a ratio unmatched by any other university. Five faculty and alumni have received a Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, while 47 have been awarded the U.S. National Medal of Science, and 10 have received the National Medal of Technology.Other distinguished researchers have been affiliated with Caltech as postdoctoral scholars (e.g., Barbara McClintock, James D. Watson, and Sheldon Glashow) or visiting professors (e.g., Albert Einstein and Edward Witten).

The Spitzer Science Center (SSC), located on the Caltech campus, is the data analysis and community support center for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
The SSC, part of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), works in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Academics

Caltech is divided into six divisions, each of which offer several degree programs, plus a number of interdisciplinary programs. The six divisions are:
Division of Biology
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Division of Engineering and Applied Science
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Division of Humanities and Social Sciences
Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy

California Institute of Technology ranked 7th in the 2007 THES-QS World University ranking

California Institute of Technology ranked 5th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
California Institute of Technology ranked 10th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

California Institute of Technology ranked 9th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

Brown University, USA

Brown University

Brown University

History

Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1764 as the College of Rhode Island, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in New England and the seventh-oldest in the United States. It is a member of the Ivy League. Pembroke College, Brown University's all women's college, merged with The College, in 1971.

Brown was the first college in the nation to accept students regardless of religious affiliations. The school also has the oldest undergraduate engineering program in the Ivy League (1847) and once had the only History of Mathematics department in the world (housed in the same building as Egyptology).

The Brown "New Curriculum," instituted in 1969, eliminates distribution requirements and mandatory A/B/C grades (allowing any course to be taken on a "satisfactory/no credit" basis). Moreover, there are no pluses (+) or minuses (-) in the grading system.

Since 2001, Brown's current and 18th president has been Ruth J. Simmons, the first African American president and second female president of an Ivy League institution, as well as the first permanent female president of Brown.

The school colors are seal brown, cardinal red, and white. Brown's mascot is the bearand the sports teams are called the Brown Bears. The costumed bear mascot named "Bruno" makes appearances at athletic games. The use of a bear as the University's mascot dates back to 1904. People associated with the University are known as Brunonians or, in informal tone or jocularity, Brownies.

Admission to Brown is extremely competitive, with an overall admissions rate of 13.8% for the class of 2010. The class of 2011 has an admittance rate of 13.5%. The regular decision acceptance rate for the Class of 2010 was 12.6%, and the regular decision acceptance rate of the Class of 2011 was 12.3%.Brown does not accept the Common Application.

More than one-third of the members of the Class of 2010 scored above 750 on the verbal or math sections of the SAT I: Reasoning Test Approximately 15 percent of the students in the Class of 2010 graduated number one or number two in their high school classes. Students come from all 50 states, as well as 65 countries.

Brown's financial aid program awards approximately $70 million each year in the form of scholarships, jobs, and loans. Over 50% of students receive some form of financial aid.

In the 2008 U.S. News & World Report college rankings, Brown ranked fourteenth in the nation among "National Universities" (tied with Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University), and the lowest of the eight Ivy League universities. Over a decade ago, in 1995, US News & World Report ranked Brown second in excellence in undergraduate teaching.

According to a study entitled "Revealed Preference Ranking," (date needed), Brown ranks seventh in the country when students are choosing which of the schools to which they are admitted to attend. Brown ranks fifth when the Revealed Preference Ranking method focuses on students interested in humanities and social studies and lower in the sciences and mathematics. A notable fact is that Brown ranks ahead of all the Ivy League schools other than Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

According to a 2007 Princeton Review survey of colleges, Brown is the fourth most selective college in America, and Brown's students are the happiest.

92 to 95% of Brown students are admitted to one of their top three law school choices, similar to all other Ivy League schools. As with the other Ivies, for business schools the figure is nearly 100%. Finally, Brown consistently ranks in the top 5 colleges in the country in terms of the percentage of students accepted into medical school.

Academics

The College

The College offers two different baccalaureate degrees: bachelor of arts (A.B.) and bachelor of science (Sc.B.) in various types of Major and Minor.

Founded in 1764, The College is the oldest school of Brown University. Nearly 6,000 undergraduate students are currently enrolled in the university, and approximately 80 concentrations are offered. The most popular concentrations are Biology, History, and International Relations. Brown is one of the few schools in the United States with a major in Egyptology available and the only school in the world with a History of Math major. Undergraduates can also design an independent concentration if the existing standard programs do not fit their interests.

Graduate School

Established in 1887, The Graduate School currently houses over 1,500 students studying over 50 disciplines. Eight different master's degrees are offered as well as Ph.D. degrees in over 40 subjects ranging from Applied Mathematics to Public Policy.

Alpert Medical School

The University's medical program started in 1811, but the school was suspended by President Wayland in 1827 after the program's faculty declined to live on campus (a new requirement under Wayland). In 1975, the first M.D. degrees from the new Program in Medicine were awarded to a graduating class of 58 students. In 1991, the school was officially renamed the Brown University School of Medicine, then renamed once more to Brown Medical School in October 2000.

In January 2007, self-made entrepreneur Warren Alpert donated $100 million to Brown Medical School on behalf of the Warren Alpert Foundation, tying Sidney Frank for the largest single monetary contribution ever made to the University. In recognition of the gift, the faculty of Brown University approved changing the name of the Brown Medical School to The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It is currently ranked 31st among U.S. medical schools in research and 23rd in primary care according to US News and World Report. Admissions to Alpert is one of the most competitive in the nation, with only less than 2% of those applying through the Standard Route accepted in 2008 (5,902 applications for 94 spots).

The medical school is known for its eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), which was started in 1984 and is one of the most selective programs in the nation. Each year, approximately 60 high school students matriculate into the PLME out of an applicant pool of about 1,600. Since 1976, the Early Identification Program (EIP) has encouraged Rhode Island residents to pursue careers in medicine by recruiting sophomores from Providence College, Rhode Island College, the University of Rhode Island, and Tougaloo College. In 2004, the school once again began to accept applications from premedical students at other colleges and universities via AMCAS like most other medical schools. The medical school also offers combined degree programs leading to the M.D./Ph.D., M.D./M.P.H. and M.D./M.P.P. degrees.

Brown University ranked 32nd in the 2007 THES-QS World University ranking

Brown University ranked 27th in the 2008 THES-QS World University ranking
Brown University ranked 31st in the 2009 THES-QS World University ranking
Brown University ranked 39th in the 2010 QS World University ranking

Brandeis University, USA

Brandeis University is a private research university with a liberal arts focus,located in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, nine miles (14 km) west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2009, it was ranked by the U.S. News and World Report as the number 31 national university in the United States.Forbes listed Brandeis University as number 30 among all national universities and liberal arts colleges combined and among the top 15 national research universities in 2009.

Brandeis was founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian coeducational institution on the site of the former Middlesex University. The university is named for the first Jewish Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Louis Dembitz Brandeis (1856–1941).

The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, founded in 1959, is noteworthy for its graduate programs in social policy, social work, and international development

Brandeis sponsors the Wien International Scholarship for international undergraduate students.
History
Founded in 1948, Brandeis University is named for the late Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the distinguished associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, and reflects the ideals of academic excellence and social justice he personified. Coeducational classes began on the site of the former Middlesex University in Waltham, Massachusetts, with 107 students and 13 faculty members. 

Guided for 20 years by its founding president, Abram L. Sachar, Brandeis grew quickly, establishing itself as an important national and international center for teaching and research. In 1962, only 14 years after the university's founding, Phi Beta Kappa accreditation was conferred. Under each succeeding president, the university continued to grow in breadth and stature, while maintaining the very human scale of its educational environment and its solid liberal arts focus.

In 1985, Brandeis was elected to membership in the Association of American Universities, which represents the 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada.


Academics and Schools
The schools of the University include:
The College of Arts and Sciences
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Rabb School of Summer and Continuing Studies
Brandeis International Business School

The College of Arts and Sciences comprises 24 departments and 22 interdepartmental programs, which offer 41 majors and 46 minors.

The Brandeis University Press, a member of the University Press of New England, publishes books in a variety of scholarly and general interest fields.

The Goldfarb Library at Brandeis has more than 1.2 million books and 60,000 e-journals.

Brandeis University ranked 185th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

Boston University, USA

Boston University (BU) is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Although chartered by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1869, Boston University traces its roots to the establishment of the Newbury Biblical Institute in Newbury, Vermont in 1839. The University organized formal Centennial observances both in 1939 and 1969.

History

"Boston University began as a Methodist seminary in 1839 in Vermont. The school was transferred to New Hampshire in 1847 and to Boston in 1867. It is now internationally recognized as a top institution of learning and research. Our faculty includes Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows, leading scientists, prize-winning authors, and many more valued scholars. Throughout its history, Boston University has stayed true to its founding mission of providing an excellent education and helping students become valuable members of society. Our most famous and respected alumnus, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., exemplifies the spirit of community and innovation that pervades our campus"

With more than 3,000 faculty members and nearly 30,000 students, Boston University is the fourth-largest private university in the United States of America and the city's fourth-largest employer. The University offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through 18 schools and colleges and operates two urban campuses. The main campus is situated along the Charles River in Boston's Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood, where it is bisected by the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Boston University Medical Campus is in Boston's South End neighborhood.

The University's main Charles River Campus follows Commonwealth Avenue and the Green Line, beginning near Kenmore Square and continuing for over a mile and a half to its end near the border of Boston's Allston neighborhood. The Boston University Bridge over the Charles River into Cambridge represents the dividing line between Main Campus, where most schools and classroom buildings are concentrated, and West Campus, home to several athletic facilities and playing fields, the large West Campus dorm, and the new John Hancock Student Village complex.

As a result of its continual expansion, the Charles River campus contains an array of architecturally diverse buildings. The College of Arts and Science, Marsh Chapel (site of the Marsh Chapel Experiment), and the School of Theology buildings are the university's most recognizable and were built in the late-1930s and 1940s in collegiate gothic style. A sizable amount of the campus is traditional Boston brownstone, especially at Bay State Road and South Campus where BU has acquired almost every townhouse those areas offer. The buildings are primarily dormitories but many also serve as various institutes as well as department offices. From the 1960s-1980s many contemporary buildings were constructed including the Mugar Library, BU Law School and Warren Towers, all of which were built in the brutalist style of architecture, drawing mixed opinions.

The Metcalf Science Center for Science and Engineering, constructed in 1983, might more accurately be described as Structural Expressionism. Morse Auditorium, adjacent, stands in stark architectrual contrast, as it was constructed as a Jewish temple. The most recent additions to BU's campus are the Photonics Center, Life Science and Engineering Building, The Student Village (which includes the FitRec Center and Agganis Arena), and the School of Management. All these buildings were built in brick, a few with a substantial amount of brownstone and have been praised for successfully combining elements of old Boston (brownstone, brick, and federal architecture) with contemporary elements.

Academics

Colleges and schools at Boston University include:
College of Fine Arts (CFA)
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS)
College of Communication (COM)
College of Engineering (ENG)
College of General Studies (CGS)
College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent College) (SAR)
School of Education (SED)
Division of Extended Education
School of Hospitality Administration (SHA)
School of Law (LAW)
School of Management (SMG)
Metropolitan College (MET)
Boston University Brussels (BUB)
Boston University Science and Engineering Program (SEP)
School of Social Work (SSW)
School of Theology (STH)
University Professors Program (UNI) (will graduate its final class in 2011)
School of Medicine (MED)
Division of Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS)
Goldman School of Dental Medicine (SDM)
School of Public Health (SPH)

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks Boston University 57th among national universities. Boston University was also ranked 20th among U.S. law schools, 34th among medical schools, and 41st among business schools. The Biomedical Engineering Graduate and Undergraduate Programs are ranked #7 and #8 respectively in the nation and rising by U.S. News and World Report. The undergraduate program is also the sixth largest ABET-accredited program in the nation.

The Financial Times ranks Boston University's MBA program as the #45 U.S. School for Career Progress.

Business Week ranks Boston University's MBA program #15, and its undergraduate business program #37.


"The Professional Ranking of World Universities" conducted by the Ecole des mines de Paris, ranks Boston University the 34th best school in the world and 15th best in the U.S. for the professional future of its alumni.

Newsweek (International Edition), in its August 2006 list of the Top 100 Global Universities, ranked Boston University the 35th best university in the United States, and 65th best in the world.

The Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks Boston University 47th best overall university, and 45th best undergraduate university in the United States (two schools ranked above BU are graduate schools only; UCSF and Rockefeller), as well as 81st best in the world, on its list of the Top 500 universities in the world.

The Center for Measuring University Performance ranks Boston University among the top 50 research universities in the country.

The Wall Street Journal ranks Boston University's MBA program 41st nationally and the Information Technology department is ranked 10th in the world for academic excellence (September 2005).

Forbes ranks Boston University's MBA program 46th among domestic MBA programs (August 2005). They also ranked Boston University as the 25th most Entrepreneurial college in America.

The School of Management is ranked among the top 25 programs in the US by Entrepreneur magazine (April 2005)

The Times Higher Education Supplement ranks Boston University the 19th best university in the United States, and the 47th best university in the world, in its 2007 list of the Top 200 universities in the world.


Boston University ranked 47th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

Boston University ranked 46th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
Boston University ranked 54th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking
Boston University ranked 64th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

Arizona University, USA

The University of Arizona is the leading public research university in the American Southwest. The UA produces more than $530 million in annual research and is the state's only member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. This is a diverse community of people who thrive on innovation and collaboration. Our world-class faculty create discoveries that improve the human condition and fuel the state's economy. Our research enterprise provides undergraduate students with opportunities for hands-on experiences that can be found in few universities in the world. As the state's land-grant university, our research and resources enrich communities around the state and around the world.

The University of Arizona offers a wide variety of academic programs, many of which are among the nation's best. Students can choose from more than 150 undergraduate and more than 200 graduate degree programs offered through 18 colleges and 12 schools on three campuses.




History




The University of Arizona was approved by the Arizona Territory's Thieving Thirteenth Legislature in 1885. The city of Tucson had hoped to receive the appropriation for the territory's mental hospital, which carried a $100,00 allocation instead of the $25,000 allotted to the territory's only university (the antecedent to Arizona State University was also chartered in 1885, but it was created as Arizona's normal school, and not a university). Tucson's contingent of legislators was delayed in reaching Prescott due to flooding on the Salt River and by the time they arrived back-room deals allocating the most desirable territorial institutions had already been made. Tucson was largely disappointed at receiving what was viewed as an inferior prize. With no parties willing to step forth and provide land for the new institution, the citizens of Tucson prepared to return the money to the Territorial Legislature until two gamblers and a saloon keeper decided to donate the land necessary to build the school. Classes met for the first time in 1891 with 32 students in Old Main, the first building constructed on campus, and still in use to this day.

Because there were no high schools in Arizona Territory, the University maintained separate preparatory classes for the first 23 years of operation.


Colleges:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Engaged in teaching, research, and outreach in many fields within environment and natural resources; family, youth and community; human nutrition, food safety, health; marketing, trade and economics; animal systems; and plant systems.


College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB).


College of Education
Prepares students for careers as elementary and secondary school teachers, and non-teaching, entry-level human services positions in social services agencies, programs for the disabled, and group homes.


College of Engineering
Plays a pivotal role in providing the research, technology, and engineering expertise necessary for growth and diversity in the economy. Graduates of the college are the entrepreneurs developing high-tech companies, creating jobs, and improving our quality of life.


College of Fine Arts
Offers programs to prepare students for careers in the performing, visual and media arts. Opportunities range from performing and production to teaching, exhibition, administration and technology.


College of Humanities
Through the study of language, literature, and culture, programs in Humanities emphasize the importance of critical, creative, thinking and writing. Students prepare for careers in education, public service, international business and the foreign service.


College of Law
A nationally prominent law school with a rigorous academic program that prepares lawyers for leadership and service throughout the nation and world.


College of Medicine
While providing knowledge and skills basic to the practice of medicine, the College of Medicine inculcates students with fundamental attitudes of compassionate patient care and a spirit and desire for lifelong independent learning and scholarship.


College of Nursing
Prepares students for the nursing profession and graduate school. The UA College of Nursing is nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, and affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Western Institute of Nursing.


College of Optical Sciences
Our BS, MS, and PhD programs focus on providing students with a broad education in all areas of optics and on educating students with practical experience and competitive technical skills.


Outreach College
Coordinates distance learning, correspondence, continuing education, Evening & Weekend Campus, and programs for children and seniors.


College of Pharmacy
Offers Pharm D,M.A. and PhD degrees. A member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education.


College of Science
Conducts programs which span the biological, mathematical, and physical sciences. Emphases are on teaching a fundamental understanding of scientific knowledge, discovering new knowledge, and applying that knowledge to solving problems.


College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Focuses on the understanding of human beings, the groups they form, and the societies and cultures they create. SBS provides research and a diverse interdisciplinary education for students.


Eller College of Management
Delivers business and leadership education through undergraduate and graduate programs emphasizing innovation, integrity, and cutting-edge research balanced with experiential learning.


Graduate College
The administrative unit that oversees all of the graduate programs offered at the UA.


Honors College
Fosters an enduring spirit of inquiry and discovery by providing academic opportunities, such as Honors courses, research experiences, and intellectual dialogues, for artistically and academically talented students.


Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Focuses on health promotion, prevention of disease, and public health education. Research programs involve health promotion in border communities, smoking prevention and cessation, women's health, substance abuse among youth and environmental hazards along the Arizona/Mexico border.


UA South
UA South is located about 75 miles southeast of Tucson in Sierra Vista. UA South offers upper division programs to allow students from Arizona community colleges to complete a degree.


University College
Academic home for "undecided" or "exploratory" students at the UA. Providing academic advising services as well as help and resources for students exploring majors.

Schools


Architecture
Known for an interest in desert architecture and an emphasis on integrating environmental analysis into building design.


Art
Provides programs designed to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for professional careers in studio art, graphic design and illustration, art history, and art education.

Dance
Prepares students for careers as performers, choreographers, movement specialists and teachers and develops scholarly foundations for specialized and advanced degree work.


Family and Consumer Sciences
Offers programs for careers in retailing, family studies, and family and consumer sciences education. Its close ties with the community ensure that programs reflect the changing needs of society


Information Resources & Library Science
Provides opportunities to prepare for a meaningful career in the library and information professions in the 21st Century.


Landscape Architecture
A graduate professional degree program which emphasizes landscape and human ecology, socio-cultural and behavioral factors, landscape aesthetics, and artistic principles in a variety of design, planning, and management scenarios.


Media Arts
Offers pre-professional and professional education at the undergraduate level with Bachelor of Arts programs in Aesthetics and Criticism, and Producing, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Production.


Music
Offers a wide variety of degree programs and musical experiences, and presents over three hundred concerts and recitals each year.


Public Administration and Policy
Prepares students for managerial and administrative positions in local, state or federal government agencies and nonprofit agencies.


Theatre Arts
Provides undergraduate and graduate education in professional degree programs and liberal arts in such disciplines as Musical Theatre, Production (Acting, Design), Theatre Studies and Theatre Education.


School of Natural Resources
Provides instruction, research and extension/outreach in a range of disciplines related to the conservation and management of these renewable natural resources.

University of Arizona Ranked 134th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking


University of Arizona Ranked 146th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking


University of Arizona Ranked 166th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking


University of Arizona Ranked 160th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking