University of Mary Washington Top Questions

UMW prides itself in its academics. All students strive for their very best performance, taking upto 18 credits every semester, making the dean's list, taking on multiple majors and studying in the library on Saturdays. This may seem overwhelming but when your teachers are as passionate about their students as they are their work any less would seem unfit. On average class sizes are 25 and student teacher ratios are 18:1. This makes it incredibly easy to get to know not only the rest of your classmates but your teachers as well. I've had great relationships with the majority of my professors in and outside of the classroom, as I've been known to bump into them at school plays and at the grocery.

Academically, UMW is a very good school. The classes are challenging by anyone's standards, and this is reinforced by the fact that we are ranked #2 in academics in Virginia, above UVA and behind only William & Mary. The one problem is that the name "University of Mary Washington" doesn't carry nearly as much weight as the course load would suggest. Even in Virginia where it is a relatively well know college, it doesn't carry nearly the same weight as UVA or even V-Tech. Registration for classes is a pain and poorly run, as are many things run by the administration. There are a lot of good teachers who are willing to work with you outside of class and are very understanding, though of course there are some who just plain suck. Most everything is 3 credits except for labs which are 4 (though there is a lot more work than one more measly credit), and transferring credits from other colleges even in Virginia is anything but easy.

Academics are pretty important at UMW, but it's not a super stressful environment. We have a couple quiet places on campus (the library and a 24-hour study room), but neither of those are ever full unless it comes close to exam time. One of the reasons I chose to go here is because the classes are smaller, and because your teachers will get to know you. They might not the first year or so, because that's when you're doing all your general classes in a bigger class room, but as soon as you hit sophomore year and above - basically, once you've kind of figured out what field you're going to major in - your professors will begin to recognize and talk to you. And what you'll notice is that not only do they talk to you, but they actually care! We have some of the best professors here, people who really care about their subject.

it's a tough school. I hear a lot about how much stress people feel they are under, and thats not necessarily bad. you know youre getting a good education here. its a small school so youre a lot more accountable as far as class attendance goes.

Strong academics. Students get out what they put in. Can be frustrating when slackers do reasonably well. Some students go only to easy classes and skip alot finding easy professors, I look forward to being their boss one day because they wasted a good opportunity to get ready for the real world. No TA is good. Professors are usually top notch, particularly in Political Science. General Education requirement is hard but will benefit you in the long run. Students aren't very competitive and many are not book worms.

UMW academics is fine. I wish it pushed the envelope a little more, with better class offerings -- though wait, this past semester I took Perspectives on Sexuality and the History of Popular Culture -- those are actually pretty cool when I think about it. And another semester I took History of Jazz. My favorite class was American Forms and Values which examined material culture and what ideas and values our materials hold in our society. It was taught by Doug Sanford in the Historic Preservation department -- very interesting guy. I also took Psychology of Sexuality (different from Perspectives on Sexuality) which was an awesome class taught by the wildly popular and brilliant Steve Hampton from the psych dept. I think I liked classes in psychology, sociology, and history better than those in my major of historic preservation. Probably because preservation is boring and the dept is wildly understaffed.

Uh yes, all of my professors know my name. I am a French major and I'm in the Elementary Education program. I have been to my advisor's house several times for dinner parties and to watch foreign films with other students. I am often engaged in intellectual conversations outside of class. Class participation is usually a pretty large percentage of your grade in many classes and students are competitive to a certain degree. The most unique class I've taken was a Francophone literature class, which is an upper-level French course, taught in French, where we read about 10 novels from around the French speaking world. Very cool class, but a lot of work. The French department is small, but pretty sizeable for what it is. The Education program is much bigger and has a great 5 year master's program for Elementary Education. The program requires you to do so many practicum hours (in the classroom) throughout your undergraduate studies, but then you spend the whole 5th year student teaching and taking grad classes. The academic requirements are rigorous, but help maintain our high standards of excellence. Many schools require 2 semesters or less of a language, we require 4. We are also required to take so many speaking and writing intrensive courses, which in the long run really prepare us for whatever we may be faced with in life. UMW's education is very geared towards getting a job. There are many internship opportunities and classes that help you receive specific certificates. I took a business French class just for kicks and it helped me create a resume, learn interview tactics, and business meeting etiquette (all in French of course). The Educ. dept. puts you in schools all over Fredericksburg, getting your name out there and ready for a first job.

For the most part, professors will know your name if you make your presence known. Class sizes range anywhere from 11 to 80 students. Despite what tour guides may tell you, there are 5 lecture halls on campus. Your general education classes will likely have anywhere from 30 to 80 students while special interest classes will likely be closer to 20. The school offers classes ranging from "Anarchism and Queer Theory" to "Dramatic Literature and Performance Studies". If you're interested in an obscure discipline, there's likely to be a professor willing to teach a class on it.

I loved all my classes and the professors were awesome.

Academically, it's right below UVA, just by a notch, and about on par with William and Mary. However, it does not have nearly the prestige, which is very unfortunate, because it's an incredible learning environment. (doesn't mean you can't have fun. I do)