The Undergraduate Program
Princeton University is a private, coeducational university located in Princeton, New Jersey, midway between New York City and Philadelphia. The 500-acre central campus is residential, and all buildings are within easy walking distance of one another. Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton now has an undergraduate population of approximately 4,850 students working toward the bachelor of arts (A.B.) or bachelor of science in engineering (B.S.E.) degree. With its outstanding financial aid program, which provides grants rather than loans—which do not have to be repaid—the University ensures that a Princeton education is affordable to qualified students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Students come from all 50 states and from more than 95 countries. The University plans to increase the size of its undergraduate student body to 5,200 students by the 2012–13 academic year. A single full-time faculty of 850 teaches both graduate and undergraduate students.
While the undergraduate college is central to Princeton University, it is a distinct entity within it. Nearly all undergraduates are in residence on the campus, and housing is guaranteed for all four years. The six residential colleges provide a vast array of educational and social activities. In living and dining arrangements, extracurricular activities, and daily social life, undergraduates make up a single student body regardless of degree candidacy or program of study. With many lectures, classes, and laboratories in common, undergraduates enjoy a shared academic experience, whether they are concentrating in literature, natural sciences, public affairs, or engineering.
The A.B. Degree
Programs of study in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences lead to the degree of bachelor of arts. Students select a concentration from the following academic departments:
Anthropology
Architecture
Art and Archaeology
Astrophysical Sciences
Chemistry
Classics
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
East Asian Studies
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Economics
English
French and Italian
Geosciences
German
History
Mathematics
Molecular Biology
Music
Near Eastern Studies
Philosophy
Physics
Politics
Psychology
Religion
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Sociology
Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Cultures
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The B.S.E. Degree
Programs of study in the School of Engineering and Applied Science lead to the degree of bachelor of science in engineering. Students select a concentration from the following academic departments:
Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Operations Research and Financial Engineering
Certificate Programs
In addition to their departmental concentration, students may earn a certificate by completing the requirements in one or more of the following programs:
African American Studies
African Studies
American Studies
Applications of Computing
Applied and Computational Mathematics
Architecture and Engineering
Biophysics
Contemporary European Politics and Society
Creative Writing
East Asian Studies
Engineering and Management Systems
Engineering Biology
Engineering Physics
Environmental Studies
European Cultural Studies
Finance
Geological Engineering
Global Health and Health Policy
Hellenic Studies
Judaic Studies
Language and Culture
Latin American Studies
Linguistics
Materials Science and Engineering
Medieval Studies
Musical Performance
Near Eastern Studies
Neuroscience
Quantitative and Computational Biology
Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Russian and Eurasian Studies
South Asian Studies
Sustainable Energy
Teacher Preparation
Theater and Dance
Translation and Intercultural Communication
Urban Studies
Visual Arts
Women and Gender, Study of
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Students may also take courses offered by the Program in Humanistic Studies, which does not grant certificates.
While methods of instruction vary widely, all areas of the academic program emphasize individual responsibility and the free interchange of ideas. This emphasis is demonstrated most notably in the wide use of preceptorials and seminars, in the provision of independent study for all upperclass students and qualified underclass students, and in the availability of a series of special programs to meet a range of individual interests. The undergraduate college encourages the student to be an independent seeker of information, and to assume responsibility for gaining both knowledge and judgment that will strengthen later contributions to society.
Undergraduate regulations, academic and social, are relatively few. They represent the expectation of appropriate behavior on the part of all students and require a reasonable standard of performance in scholarly achievement.