Villanova University Top Questions

What are the academics like at Villanova University?

Srihari

The academics at Villanova University are outstanding. Villanova ranks in the top ten and top twenty for both business and engineering. It also places a strong emphasis on liberal arts and sciences. The class sizes are small and personal allowing students to engage and interact with the professor and build personal relationships. Students have easy access to the professors and can obtain help easily. Villanova also provides multiple resources to help students struggling in their classes with various tutoring departments and learning centers.

Gina

The academics here are great! The class size is usually very small - 15 to 20 students and the professors are strict with attendance. They all get to know your names, your likes and dislikes, and are extremely available to help/ easy to relate to. Students at Villanova are very good when it comes to managing their time. Studying is a big part in coming here but does not consume one's life.

Jaqui

Academics here are phenomenal. Class sizes are never too big and, if you want to, you can easily build relationships with your professors. They encourage you to! Class participation is common but there is also something here the professors call the "Villanova Silence". This is when a professor asks a question that is either really hard or just super obvious and no one says a word. Students are usually very willing to help each other out with assignments and studying. I am a Communication major and the COMM department is fantastic. There are so many COMM specific clubs, activities, internships, and even study abroad opportunities to take advantage of and the professors and fellow COMM students are so friendly. The education and resources provided for you to use if you want to are geared towards making you the most knowledgable as you can be as well as helping you get internships and jobs during the year and after graduation. Villanova is more than just a bunch of classrooms.

Josephine

The professors at Villanova University are glad to help you whenever you need it; all professors have office hours outside of class and this gives the students an opportunity to schedule an appointment and talk about any problems they may have with their school work. There are also research opportunities, where you can work alongside professors on projects during the semester or over the summer. For instance, in the psychology department here at Villanova, there are many research labs pertaining to cognitive science or developmental psychology in infants.

Melissa

The class sizes in the business school are perfect. Your teachers definitely know your name, and most of them even know a lot of facts about you. Intermediate accounting was a challenge, but my teacher was still on campus at 10 PM at night and on her way out, saw my group working on the project due the next day, and took time to come over and give us some tips before she went home. Talk about teachers going out of their way to help!

Zilvinas

As you progress through your career at Nova, you'll discover whether you want the easy A or the intelectually stimulating class. You'll easily find both here. All the classes are under 30 students, and I regularly speak with professors I had years ago. They will remember you by name if you put in the effort. Depending on what your aspirations are, the students are among the most competitive in the country. Villanova has a pipeline to Wall Street. My favorite class thus far was Macro Economics, taught in London by an ex-investment banker. Professor was a boss (he was 75), class was 4 hours long, but we spent most of that time talking about scotch/cigar mixtures. Most unique class thus far has been Arabic. Take something that you'll never have a chance or reason to take later in life. My major is Finance and International Business. It's good. Most employers rate Nova students highly, so the education is geared at both getting a job, and learning. Learning is a biggie at an Augustinian institution.

Christine

The academics at Villanova are very strong. Class sizes tend to be around 30, and professors make it a priority to get to know their students. Professors are very accessible and are always willing to help. Students here are very competitive, which makes everyone work harder. Job placement rates are great, and we have a huge alumni network that is excellent for job connections.

Kathleen

My high school's motto was "Academic Excellence," and I'm proud to say that Villanova also holds up to that standard. Students are expected to do well and succeed, but never without the help of the faculty. Most of my classes are 10-15 students, so teachers get to know students well. My teachers are always willing to help me out and every teacher on campus has weekly scheduled office hours for students who are looking for extra help. I'm a communication major with a specialization in public relations and a minor in French. The communication department is really great - all of the faculty and staff are dedicated to helping any students. There are many clubs and organizations that help you with your job search. For example, I am on the executive board of the Public Relation Student Society of America on Villanova's campus, and we focus on networking to create connections between students and alumni to help in future job searches.

Charlie

Kids raised in cloistered parochial homes and suddenly given an abundance of freedom to indulge their whims. Sadly, some kids can't handle the freedom and wash out. The ones that make it are frazzled after four years of jumping through impossible hoops presented by a faculty that considers lecturing by rote and assigning hundreds of pages of reading each week as a suitable teaching strategy.

Alexandra

I'd say kids at Villanova are pretty balanced students. It's definitely assumed that everybody's getting their work done... you dont really hear of people that are just partying and skipping class non-stop... generally people are pretty determined to do well and those that avoid any and all work and just beer-pong and keg-stand their days and nights away aren't necessarily having the most fun. One of the things I love most about going to school at Nova is the fact that someone may have a 5-page paper due the next day and they may be through-the-roof stressed, but they'll still take an hour break to play guitar-hero or have a quick game of pool in Connelly, and know that by the end of the night (or by 4 in the morning), they'll have their essay proofed and printed. Academics is one of those 'at the back of your mind' things - it's a given that you're studying, and therefore no need to talk about or compete over grades, which I like. Having said that, because its of shared importance, if someone's struggling with an assignment or just can't quite understand where they went wrong in their Calc homework, there will always be someone sitting right next to them helping them get through it, and at exam time, nobody's too proud to lend their notes or help someone out with tutoring. Everyone seems to want everyone else to do well. It's a really healthy academic environment... and nobody really allows pressure to get cut-throat, because that would just get in the way of enjoying college. To paint a pretty picture, people can be seen chasing shots of vodka with starbucks double shots of espresso during finals week at 2 in the morning studying.