The University of Scranton

Rights Reserved

The President and officers of The University of Scranton reserve the right to change the information, regulations, requirements and procedures announced in this catalog; to change the requirements for admission, graduation or degrees; to change the arrangement, scheduling, credit, or content of courses; and to change the fees listed in this catalog.

The University reserves the right to refuse to admit or readmit any student at any time should it be deemed necessary in the interest of the student or of the University to do so and to require the withdrawal of any student at any time who fails to give satisfactory evidence of academic ability, earnestness of purpose, or active cooperation in all requirements for acceptable scholarship.

Notice of Nondiscrimination Policy as to Students

The University of Scranton is committed to providing a safe and nondiscriminatory employment and educational environment. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other status protected by law. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of employment.

Inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination and sexual harassment and sexual misconduct policies may be directed to Elizabeth M. Garcia, Title IX Coordinator and Executive Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity 570-941-6645.

It is the personal responsibility of each student to acquire an active knowledge of all pertinent regulations set forth in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Within the various schools and colleges the only official interpretations or modifications of academic regulations are those which are made in writing by the dean of the school or college of which the student is a member, or such interpretations or modifications of academic regulations, as are approved by the appropriate dean in writing.

The Mission Statement of The University of Scranton

The University of Scranton is a Catholic and Jesuit university animated by the spiritual vision and the tradition of excellence characteristic of the Society of Jesus and those who share its way of proceeding. The University is a community dedicated to the freedom of inquiry and personal development fundamental to the growth in wisdom and integrity of all who share its life.

The Vision of The University of Scranton

The University of Scranton will be boldly driven by a shared commitment to excellence. We will provide a superior, transformational learning experience, preparing students who, in the words of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius Loyola, will “set the world on fire.”

Characteristics

As a Catholic and Jesuit university, The University of Scranton shares with all the fullness of the Catholic intellectual tradition, the distinctive worldview of the Christian Gospels, and the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola. The University educates men and women for others who are committed to the service of faith and promotion of justice. At the same time, the institution invites persons from other religious traditions and diverse backgrounds to share in our work and contribute to our mission.

The University of Scranton is a comprehensive university, offering degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts as well as in pre-professional and professional areas. The University provides educational opportunities and support programs that promote its mission, meet the needs and interests of traditional and non-traditional students, and serve the needs of the local region.

By offering undergraduate students a core curriculum in the Jesuit tradition based on the arts and sciences, the University adheres to its liberal arts tradition. The University communicates to students the importance of gathering, evaluating, disseminating and applying information using traditional and contemporary methods. Scranton provides learning experiences that reach beyond the fundamental acquisition of knowledge to include understanding interactions and syntheses through discussion, critical thinking and application. This dedication to educational process promotes a respect for knowledge and a lifelong commitment to learning, discernment and ethical decision making.

Scranton is more than a respected institution, but also a caring, nurturing community. Students, faculty and staff foster a spirit of caring – grounded in Jesuit tradition of cura personalis – that enables all members of our community to engage fully in our mission, according to their needs and interests. Our institution facilitates the personal growth and transformation of all members of the University community through a spirit of caring. This spirit of caring for the wider community is extended through acts of civic engagement and service. By demonstrating high standards and care for our physical environment, the University enhances its sense of community.

The University of Scranton is dedicated to being a dynamic institution, developing goals and aspirations by systematically reflecting on opportunities for and challenges to fulfilling our mission. We fulfill our institutional objectives through careful planning and management of resources in order to achieve our aspirations while remaining affordable to our students. The University also engages our community in purposefully monitoring progress toward the accomplishment of our mission and strategic plan.

History of the University

The University of Scranton was founded as Saint Thomas College by Bishop William G. O’Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, who had always hoped to provide an opportunity for higher education in the Lackawanna Valley. In August 1888, with few resources at hand, he blessed a single block of granite as a cornerstone for his new college, which would admit its first students four years later.

The college was staffed by diocesan priests and seminarians until 1896 and then, for one year, by the Xaverian Brothers. From 1897 until 1942 the school, which was renamed The University of Scranton in 1938, was administered for the Diocese by the Christian Brothers. In the late summer of 1942, at the invitation of Bishop William Hafey, 18 Jesuits, led by Rev. Coleman Nevils, S.J., the newly appointed president, arrived on campus to administer the University.

The Jesuits restructured and strengthened Scranton’s traditional and pre-professional programs with an emphasis on the liberal arts, which are the foundation for every program at a Jesuit university. This emphasis is intended to give students an appreciation for all disciplines as they develop specific subject knowledge.

The University has flourished under the Jesuits, growing from what was primarily commuter college with fewer than 1,000 students to a broadly regional, comprehensive university with a total enrollment of approximately 5,300 students in undergraduate, graduate and nontraditional programs.

In these early years of the 21st century, the University is building on its historical and educational heritage guided by its “Engaged, Integrated, Global” strategic plan for 2015-2020. This plan guides the University’s efforts in ever-improving the education and formation of students in the Catholic, Jesuit educational tradition through learning experiences that are transformative and reflective. Integrated teaching and learning opportunities across disciplines and programs emphasize understanding, discernment and action in a global context.

During the institution’s 125th anniversary year, in 2013-2014, the University community celebrated its proud past and promising future with a yearlong series of events and activities.

The University remains committed to enriching the quality and variety of its academic offerings. In addition, it continues to invest in its physical plant, opening a 118,000-square-foot campus center and 386-bed sophomore residence hall in 2008. In fall 2011, Scranton also welcomed two more facilities to the city’s skyline: the Loyola Science Center and an apartment and fitness complex on the 900 block of Mulberry Street.

The 200,000-square-foot science center is home to 22 class and seminar rooms, 34 laboratories and a multistory atrium. It is a fitting home to Scranton’s rich legacy of science education and serves as a center of collaborative learning for all members of the campus and community.

The apartment and fitness complex, which consists of the Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., Hall and Montrone Hall, stands directly across the street from the Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center and provides fitness space, a dining area and apartment-style units to accommodate 400 juniors and seniors.

In September 2015, the new Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall, which houses the departments of physical therapy, occupational therapy and exercise science and sport, was dedicated.

In July 2018, Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., who served as Scranton’s 24th president, began his second tenure at the University. He was inaugurated as president on September 21, 2018.

The University Seal

The principal colors of the shield are the traditional colors of the University, royal purple and white. On the purple field there is a horizontal silver bar containing, in purple, a star taken from the seal of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and from the seal of Saint Thomas College, predecessor of the University, and two stacks of wheat from the obverse of the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The upper half of the shield contains, in gold, two wolves grasping a cauldron suspended from a chain; they are taken from the coat of arms of the family of Saint Ignatius Loyola, and they identify the University as a Jesuit institution. Below the silver bar is a golden rising sun, symbolic of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the shining light of the Church and the Patron of the University.

Indicating the Diocese of Scranton and William Penn, founder of the Commonwealth, the black border of the shield reproduces the border of the shield of the Diocese and the silver hemispheres are taken from William Penn’s coat of arms.

The crest is a golden cross of the particular style known as Patonce. It symbolizes Christ, the goal and the norm of the University’s educational efforts, and it complements the motto, which the University has had since it was entrusted to the care of the Christian Brothers in 1899: Religio, Mores, Cultura.

The outer ring surrounding the seal includes the name and founding date of the University and reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Faculty

Over 300 faculty and administrators participate in the University’s educational enterprise. They hold degrees from 135 different universities in 30 countries on five continents. Cambridge and the University of London in England; Louvain and the Gregorian in Europe; the University of Calcutta in India; Sophia University in Japan; Soochow University in China; Berkeley, Yale, MIT, Notre Dame, Harvard and Georgetown in America – all are represented among the faculty.

By its nature and function, a university faculty constitutes the most cosmopolitan element in a community. Hindu and Muslim, Christian and Jew, ministers and rabbis – scholars and teachers all – are found on the University’s faculty.

The Jesuit tradition is carried on at the University not only by Jesuits engaged in teaching or administration, but also by the scores of faculty members who hold at least one degree from a Jesuit college or university.

As indicated in the Mission Statement, excellent teaching and scholarship are regarded as complementary at this institution. In 2016-2017 there were 600 scholarly works, including books and book chapters, articles in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, presentations and proceedings, and other creative works.

Faculty interests are extensive and include research and projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Air Force, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, The American Heart Association, as well as numerous private foundations and corporations.

Many faculty participate in international projects and faculty exchange programs with universities and hospitals around the world, bringing this global perspective into the classroom. Among the countries involved are Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Republic of Georgia, Mexico, China, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Uganda and Mozambique. Funding has been received from the USAID and the Department of State.

The University Directory  presents more detailed information about the faculty.

Student Diversity and Participation

As our faculty come from around the world, so do our students. Forty-nine states and 21 foreign countries are represented in the University’s student body, which totals more than 5,000. In turn, through the Fulbright and Study Abroad programs, University of Scranton students matriculate at such foreign universities as Oxford, Leuven, Madrid, Tubingen, Mainz, Oslo, Fribourg, Cologne, Salamanca, Lancaster, Berne, Strasbourg, the Sorbonne and University College, Dublin. This interchange of students contributes to the diversity and intellectual life of the University.

Much of the work in this university community is accomplished through student input. Considerable scientific research at Scranton is done by undergraduate students in the laboratories and in the field. With faculty assistance, the University newspaper and yearbook are edited and managed by students, and students publish articles and abstracts in national scholarly journals. Students work in the Public Relations and Admissions offices, computer center, as resident assistants in the dormitories, as research assistants and interns for deans and the registrar. Others serve with departmental chairpersons and faculty on the conferences which recommend to the deans changes in academic programs. Students also serve with other members of the University community on the various search committees that recommend candidates for principal administrative posts from deans to president.

Volunteer Activity

The Community Outreach Office is committed to advancing the Jesuit tradition of forming men and women for others. The programs sponsored by this office include food and clothing drives, domestic break trips, on-campus activities and local community service. Each element enables the students to express their faith in reflective service while responding to local and national needs.

The University of Scranton’s Community Outreach Office has a roster of approximately 2,700 students who perform well over 162,000 service hours each year. Since 1983, a total of 446 Scranton graduates have chosen to spend a year or more in full-time volunteer service immediately after graduation. Of these alumni, 233 have volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Additional information about The Community Outreach Office can be found in the Life on Campus  section of this catalog or at www.scranton.edu/volunteers.

Baccalaureate Source of Ph.D.s

Scranton’s achievement is also recognized in 8th edition of the Franklin and Marshall Report on the Baccalaureate Origins of Doctoral Recipients. The study ranks four-year, private, master’s-degree-granting institutions as the baccalaureate source of Ph.D.’s in all fields. The University ranked No. 15 for all science disciplines, No. 5 for life sciences and No. 2 for chemistry.

National Recognition

Scranton is counted among America’s finest universities, according to a range of national publications.

For 25 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guidebook has ranked the University among the “top 10 master’s universities in the North,” the survey’s largest and most competitive region. In the most recent edition, the University was also recognized for its “Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching” (No. 3) and among the “Most Innovative Schools” (No. 11). And in previous editions, the University was recognized for “Service Learning” and among the “Best Colleges for Veterans.”

For the past 17 years, The Princeton Review has included Scranton among its “Best Colleges.” Outstanding academics are the primary criteria for inclusion in the book, which lists only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges. In a recent edition, Scranton students praised the University’s support services available to students saying, “a tutoring center provides free tutoring for any students who may need it, and also provides work study positions for students who qualify to tutor.” Students also praised the University’s faculty, liberal arts curriculum, premed, occupational therapy and other science programs. In the past four years, The Princeton Review has recognized the University among the top 10 colleges for “Best Science Labs” and among the top 20 for: “Best Campus Food”; “Best College Dorms”; “Students Most Engaged in Community Service”; “Students Love These Colleges”; “Everyone Plays Intramural Sports”; and “Most Religious Students.”

Recently, U.S. News ranked Scranton among colleges on the “Great Schools, Great Prices” and “America’s Best Value Colleges” lists and The Economist ranked the University No. 22 in the nation for the impact a Scranton education has on the earnings of its graduates. Forbes magazine has ranked Scranton as one of America’s Top Colleges for value for 11 consecutive years. In 2016, Washington Monthly ranked Scranton No. 67 in its Best Bang for the Buck listing.

For 14 years, the University’s Kania School of Management has been included among The Princeton Review’s “Best Business Schools.” In its 2019 Best Graduate Schools guidebook, U.S. News & World Report ranked Scranton’s part-time MBA program No. 74 in the nation and its graduate program in nursing ranked No. 98.

Scranton is among just 361 colleges in the nation and one of only 24 colleges in Pennsylvania, to be named to the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement in 2015.  The University is also consistently named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In recognition of its work as a values-centered institution, the University is one of 100 American schools named to the John Templeton Foundation’s Honor Roll of Colleges That Encourage Character Development. 

The University ranked as the 25th “Healthiest” college in the United States, according to a 2016 listing posted on Greatist.com, an online source for health and fitness information. In a July 2011 article titled “The Friendliest Colleges,” published by The Huffington Post, Scranton was ranked among the eight most pleasant colleges in the country. The University of Scranton’s dining facilities and residence halls are among the best in the nation, according to a ranking by Business Insider.

Fulbrights and Other International Fellowships

The prestigious Fulbright is the U.S. government’s premier graduate scholarship for study, research and teaching in another country. For eleven of the past sixteen years, The Chronicle of Higher Education named The University of Scranton among the “top producers” of Fulbright awards for American students. Since 1972, 157 Scranton students have accepted prestigious international grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education (Fulbright) and International Rotary.


Our most recent Fulbright winner is Lauren Coggins, the recipient of a 2018-2019 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Mexico.  Lauren graduated with a double major in Secondary Education-Spanish and Hispanic Studies, and a concentration in Latin American Studies. She will spend the academic year teaching English at a university in Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Chiapas, Mexico.

Albena I. Gesheva, who was awarded a Fulbright Study/Research grant to Germany for the 2017-2018 academic year, spent the year studying the effect of light intensity on echolocation in tropical bats at the University of Ulm, Germany.  Albena, who graduated with a double major in Neuroscience and Philosophy, minors in Japanese and Biochemistry, and a concentration in Asian Studies, was a member of both the University Honors Program and the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program.

Five University graduates received Fulbrights for the 2016-2017 academic year. Two were awarded English Teaching Assistantships and three were awarded Study/Research grants. Sarah Fitch, was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia. Sarah graduated as a Strategic Communication major, with minors in Business and Business Leadership, and a concentration in Peace and Justice Studies. She also was a member of the Business Leadership Honors Program. Sarah spent 2017 teaching English at a middle school in rural Kedah, Malaysia. Our second Fulbright English Teaching Assistant for 2017, Olivia Gillespie, graduated as an English major, with minors in Spanish and theology/religious studies. On her Fulbright to Brazil, Olivia taught English to university students who were studying to become English teachers themselves. Aimee Miller, received a Fulbright Study/Research Scholarship in Public Health to China where she conducted research on Traditional Chinese Medicine at Wuhan University. Aimee received her BS in Neuroscience with a concentration in Asian Studies in 2012 and, following two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, completed her Masters in Health Administration at Scranton.. The fourth 2016-2017 Fulbrighter, Ivan Simpson-Kent, graduated with a double major in Neuroscience and Philosophy, a minor in Mathematics, and as a member of both the University Honors Program and the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. Ivan spent the year at the University of Regensburg in Germany studying the longevity/fecundity tradeoff in the ant species Cardiocondyla Obscurior. Finally, Veronica Sinotte, who graduated with a double major in Biology and Philosophy and as a member of both the University Honors Program and the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, took up her Study/Research Fulbright to Denmark at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Social Evolution. Veronica completed a two- year’s Masters in Biology in Copenhagen, focusing her research on the neuromechanisms that support disease.

Susan Trussler, Ph.D., of the Economics/Finance department is the University’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Additional information is available online at www.scranton.edu/fulbright. 

Awards from Institute of International Education Fulbright Program and International Rotary, 1990-2018.

Truman and Other National Scholarships

Scranton students excel in several national fellowship competitions, compiling a superb record of achievement in many areas in addition to their exceptional record in the Fulbright competition.

In 2017, Matthew Reynolds, Class of 2018, was named a Goldwater Scholar. Matt is an Honors Program biology and biophysics double major who is also completing minors in mathematics and computer science. He will complete a Ph.D. in biophysics at Rockefeller University.

In 2017, Stephen Gadomski, Class of 2015, who pursued a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award at the NIH and who will attend the Medical University in South Carolina to pursue an MD degree, accepted an offer into the NIH Oxcam Scholars Program to pursue a PhD degree in England at Oxford or Cambridge. 

Cara Anzulewicz, Class of 2018, a third-year neuroscience major with minors in English, Spanish, philosophy, and biochemistry, received the Gilman Scholarship and the Global Korean Scholarship, both of which supported her study at Sogang University in South Korea during Spring 2017.

In 2015, Christopher Kilner, the recipient of a Goldwater Scholarship in 2015, was one of twelve students selected as a George J. Mitchell Scholar. Christopher will study Biodiversity and Conservation at Trinity College Dublin during the 2016-2017 academic year and intends to pursue a J.D./Ph.D. program in Environmental Law and Conservation Biology.

 In 2014-2015, Christopher Kilner, a triple major in environmental science; biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; and philosophy and member of the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors program; was one of 260 students selected nationally as a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship. Robert Gadomski, a 2012 graduate who majored in neuroscience, received a National Health Service Corps Scholarship to support his study of medicine at Philadelphia college of Osteopathic Medicine.

In 2013, Vivienne Meljen received a National Health Service-Corps Scholarship to support her study of medicine at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

In 2012-2013, Vivienne Meljen, a biology major, was one of 62 students nationally to be named a Truman Scholar.  Vivienne, who also received a Congressional Hispanic Institute Scholarship and a United Health Foundation Internship, will attend medical school at Dartmouth University.

In 2011-2012, Bradley Wierbowski, a biochemistry, cell and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, was named a Goldwater Scholar, one of 282 scholars recognized nationally.  Bradley, who is also completing a second major in English literature, was the only student nationally to receive the Junior Scholarship from Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society.  Bradley is pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at Harvard University.

In 2010-2011, Sarah Neitz was one of 60 students in the United States to be named a Truman Scholar. Sarah is pursuing a triple major in Hispanic studies, international studies, and philosophy. Abbe Clark, a biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, received a Goldwater Scholarship, one of 274 students selected nationally.  Abbe is pursuing a Ph.D. in cell biology at Harvard University.  Carl Caceres, a philosophy and theology/religious studies double major, and captain of the Scranton Royals tennis team, received one of 29 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships awarded to male athletes playing Spring sports in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III; Christopher Stallone, a finance major and captain of the Scranton Royals baseball team, was also one of the select group of scholar athletes receiving a 2011 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.

In 2009-2010, Maria Gubbiotti became the eighth Scranton student to be named a Goldwater Scholar since 2002. Maria, a biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, is pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. program.

In 2008-2009, Coral Stredny, a two-year recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship, was named to the All-USA College Academic Third team for outstanding intellectual achievement and leadership. Melissa Wasilewski, a biomathematics and biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, received a Goldwater Scholarship, one of 278 students nationwide and the second Scranton student to be named a Goldwater Scholar as a sophomore. Melissa is pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. program.

In 2007-2008, Cynthia David, an Elementary Education major, received an Hispanic Scholarship Fund Award. Douglas Jones, an international studies, philosophy, and political science major, received an NSEP Boren Scholarship to support his study in Jordan. Deirdre Strehl, a political science major, received a Gilman Scholarship to help fund a term of study in Morocco.

In 2006-07, Coral Stredny, a biochemistry major, became the sixth Scranton student and the first sophomore to be awarded a Goldwater Scholarship. Two seniors were honored as NCAA Postgraduate Scholars: John Mercuri, a biology and philosophy major, was one of 29 male scholar-athletes recognized for a fall sport; John is using his scholarship for medical school. Taryn Mellody, a physical therapy major, was one of 29 female athletes recognized for a winter sport. Taryn is applying her NCAA scholarship toward graduate work in physical therapy. Cynthia David, named above, received a Gilman Scholarship to support study in Dakar, Senegal. Two alumni, Mark Bell and Nicole Sublette, were awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

In 2005-06, Tina Marie George, a biology and philosophy major, was among 20 students nationally selected by USA Today for its All-USA College Academic First Team. Ms. George was also awarded a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship, which covers expenses for her M.D. at Harvard and her M.P.H. at Yale. Han Li, a 2005 graduate, was named a National Science Foundation Graduate Research fellow. Vincent Solomeno, junior political science major, became Scranton’s seventh Truman Scholar, one of only 75 students selected in the country. Junior chemistry major Kristy Gogick was selected as a 2006 Goldwater Scholar. Daniel Foster, an environmental science and philosophy major, was named a Udall Scholar.

In 2004-05, Tina Marie George, named above, became Scranton’s sixth Truman Scholar. She also received a Udall Scholarship. Two students, Timothy Sechler, a chemistry major, and Karen McGuigan, a biochemistry major, were awarded Goldwater Scholarships. Han Li, a biochemistry and biomathematics major, was named to the second team of the 2005 USA Today All-USA Academic Team.

In 2003-04, Han Li, named above, received a Goldwater Scholarship. Sara Shoener, a biomathematics and philosophy major, and Christopher Corey, a biochemistry, biomathematics and biophysics major, were named to the first and third teams, respectively, of the 2004 USA Today All-USA Academic Team. Vanessa Cortes, an elementary education major, was selected as a Hispanic Scholarship Fund/Lilly Endowment Inc. Scholar.

Alumni Society

The Alumni Society of the University of Scranton exists to engage and foster a lifelong relationship between its alumni and their alma mater. Graduates join over 50,000 fellow alumni in serving as University ambassadors who promote the Jesuit Catholic mission of the University. The Alumni Society hosts regional programs and events throughout the country while encouraging networking, performing community service projects and recognizing student, faculty and alumni accomplishments. We look forward to your involvement with the Alumni Society as you go forth and set the world on fire. To learn more about your Alumni Society, visit www.scranton.edu/alumni. The Student Alumni Association is a student-run organization designed to foster a vital line of communication between students and the Alumni Society of The University of Scranton.  Its goal is to enhance the overall student experience and cultivate future leaders by strengthening their lifelong engagement and philanthropy with the University. The association plans programs and events that offer students the opportunity to network with alumni.