Did You Know?

The university's principal components are the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, the Brandeis International Business School, and the Rabb School of Continuing Studies.

Overview

Brandeis University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher learning and research. Located in Waltham, Mass., it has 3,500 undergraduate students drawn from 50 states and more than 100 countries, and 2000 graduate students, and its faculty of 356 includes nationally and internationally recognized teachers, scholars and researchers.

Founded in 1948 by members of the American Jewish community, Brandeis brings to American higher education a unique cultural perspective reflecting Jewish traditions of scholarship and community service and the commitment to social justice personified by Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the distinguished Supreme Court justice for whom the university is named. While Brandeis maintains a special relationship with the Jewish community, it is not affiliated with any religious organization, it offers no theological instruction and it welcomes students and faculty of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Through a comprehensive curriculum and cocurricular activities, Brandeis presents students with a diverse array of issues and approaches to learning. The academic focus throughout is on the liberal arts and sciences and no professional training is conducted at the undergraduate level. Undergraduate courses are offered, however, in legal studies, education, business, film studies, premedical studies, health policy, journalism and other areas that help prepare students for later professional training. At the graduate level, Brandeis University offers professional programs in nonprofit management, international business and Jewish communal service, as well as graduate programs in the disciplines.

Brandeis is a member of the Association of American Universities, which represents the leading research institutions in North America, and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The research interests of the faculty span a wide range of disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and creative arts.

The university's principal components are the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, the Brandeis International Business School and the Rabb School of Continuing Studies.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the core of the university. With an undergraduate enrollment of more than 3,300, it combines the intimacy of a small college with the breadth and depth of a major research institution. A Brandeis education emphasizes core skills, knowledge and social justice, and the curriculum is designed for maximum flexibility, choice and interconnectedness. At its heart are programs that emphasize interdisciplinary and experiential learning. Core curricular components include courses that hone critical thinking, writing, oral communication, quantitative reasoning and foreign language skills. In addition, students select courses from 22 departments and 25 interdepartmental programs. They choose from among 43 majors and 465 minors and may also elect an independent interdisciplinary major. 

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, established in 1953, offers master's and doctoral programs in 30 fields and postbaccalaureate programs in computer science, mathematics, studio art, ancient Greek and Roman studies and premedical studies. Current enrollment is about 800. Graduate study offers students in-depth, broad-based scholarly exposure while providing professional and academic training in their chosen fields.

Founded in 1959, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management has a student body of approximately 450 students. The school offers a doctorate in social policy, a master of business administration in nonprofit management and a master of public policy with a variety of concentrations, including health; behavioral health; children, youth and families; aging; assets and inequalities; and sustainable development. The school also offers a master of arts in sustainable international development, a master of science in international health policy and management, and a master of arts in coexistence and conflict.

Graduates of the Ph.D. program pursue careers in teaching, research and high-level administration. Graduates of the M.B.A. program hold a variety of managerial positions in public, private and nonprofit organizations with a social mission.

Graduates of the M.P.P. program work as policy analysts, advocates and researchers. Graduates of the programs in sustainable development and coexistence and conflict hold positions in international agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and local development organizations throughout the world.

Faculty research focuses on major social policy and management issues surrounding the areas of children, youth, families, health, mental health, substance abuse, philanthropy, disabilities, aging and economic inequalities.

The Lown School, one of the most comprehensive centers for Judaic studies outside Israel, reflects Brandeis' special commitment to scholarship that illuminates issues of concern to the Jewish community, to scholars in religion and to students of the ancient and modern Near East. It is home to the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Hornstein: The Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis, the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies and the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry. It has spurred the creation of numerous centers and institutes that explore the modern Jewish experience. 

The Brandeis International Business School (IBS) was established in 1994. IBS provides a transformational educational experience to exceptional and culturally diverse students, enabling them to become principled leaders of global companies and public institutions throughout the world. The school's programs focus on international business, economics and finance. The school's research addresses various dimensions of interdependence, including currency markets; asset prices; patents and technology flows; international strategic alliances; trade policy; central banking; international branding and marketing; and multicultural communication. Through its vibrant centers and institutes, the school addresses issues pertaining to global business leadership, global finance, global entrepreneurship and the Asia-Pacific economy.

The Rabb School of Continuing Studies extends the traditional excellence of a Brandeis education to the greater community with opportunities for professional development and lifelong learning. Each year, more than 3,100 college and adult students participate in its credit and noncredit undergraduate and graduate programs. These are offered by the Division of Graduate Professional Studies (part-time evening and online graduate study), the Brandeis University Summer School and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Brandeis.

In addition to the schools of the university, Brandeis has more than 30 research institutes and centers that help define the unique identity of the university and make essential contributions to its academic life.

Recreational facilities include the Shapiro Campus Center, Usdan Student Center, the Sherman Student Center and the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, one of the largest of its kind in the region. The university has an active intramural and club program and fields intercollegiate teams in 8 men's and 9 women's sports. Brandeis is one of eight NCAA Division III schools that compete in the University Athletic Association.

Section 2B of Chapter 151C of the Massachusetts General Laws provides that:

"Any student [...] who is unable, because of his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirement on a particular day shall be [so] excused...and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination, study or work requirement which he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged...for making available to the said student such opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his availing himself of the provisions of this section."