Baylor University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Rosemary

Academics at Baylor are awesome. The teachers are passionate about their subjects and are (mostly) willing to help you whenever you need it! The classes are challenging, but I've always appreciated it because it motivates you to really study and learn what you need to know for your classes. Baylor also has a ton of help for anyone who is struggling in their classes or doesn't know what they want to do for their future.

michael

Challenging but educational

Britain

I know all the professors in my department on a first name basis and they all know my name. Classes are just challenging enough to stimulate mental growth and there are plenty of places to study. There is a ton of coffee spots and lounge areas. The education is very practical.

Melinda

I'm in the business school, and I am loving it! The professors here are really there to help the students.

Azeem

Almost all professors know me by name. My favorite classes have been in the Philosophy department, Psychology and Neuroscience department, and honors classes for the BIC (Baylor Interdisciplinary Core). Class participation is common and you will find the libraries crowded. If you join the BIC, yes, intellectual conversations outside of class are a given. Students are both competitive and cooperative. The most unique class I have taken is Social Philosophy. It is a senior level course that I am taking as a Sophomore and reading Rawls and Sandel has been an incredible enough. If you are looking for an intellectual challenge, I cannot recommend the BIC program enough. I spend a great deal of time outside of class with my professors. It is not mandatory though, but if you enjoy it, I would certainly recommend spending time with professors. It's a great deal of fun. The academic requirements are very flexible depending on the program you decide to pursue. The education is geared toward learning for its own sake, with an emphasis on finding one's calling. Yet, there are many students present whose only objective is to get a degree so they can get a job.

Kyle

Baylor is very academically focused. I am a business student at the Hankamer School of Business and they take academics very seriously. I like to equate being in the business school to general life - if you want to succeed like crazy, there are opportunities to do so & if you want to just coast get a degree, you can probably do that too. I am rarely caught NOT talking about a new company idea, economics, etc. Students are very friendly about the material, but are equally capable of turning it all off and just having a relaxing evening.

Claire

In general, professors care about you. They make an effort to not only know your name but learn something about you. Some classes have lots of student participation, in others professors just like to lecture. Class size is usually pretty small but there are some that are bigger freshmen year or for university requirements such as religion. Oh yah, you are required to take two semester of religion classes and attend chapel for two semesters. But don't strike out Baylor just because they make you take religion. Its actually an extremely interesting class where you learn not only about Christianity but other religions as well. Plus, for most students they are an easy GPA booster. Please don't think Baylor will be an easy ride. I don't know as much about other majors, but I am a Biology major and find many classes to be extremely challenging. I know I have learned a lot and feel like my professors have prepared me for my future career.

Brianna

The academics at this school are excellent. I have had a few unpleasant experiences regarding unfair professors, but overall, I have enjoyed my learning experience here. Class sizes are small and professors tend to always know your name. The workload is tough (depending on your major) and you can expect to spend a lot of time outside of class studying. Baylor tells you that you should set aside two hours of study for every credit hour you take, but I would bump it up to three hours. Attendance in class is required, but I actually enjoy that aspect because it motivates me to attend and I end up learning a lot more because of that. One thing that I feel is lacking is a liberal arts perspective. When I first toured Baylor, they made it seem like this school was very focused on learning for its own sake, but, after 2 years here, I have realized that the liberal arts education is weak. We spend 12 hours on chapel and religion when I would rather be taking an humanities course. However, that is what you sign up for when you go to a Christian University. Additionally, I feel as if Baylor students are not as intellectually-minded as most private school students. There is a large focus on the fraternity and sorority scene, and having an intellectual debate or discussion outside of class is rare. One thing that I do appreciate is that Baylor is very good about preparing you for the workforce, and the free career counseling services are excellent. After three sessions, I figured out a plan of action to help my dreams come true.

Zachary

It only takes a very minimal amount of effort to have professors know your name here, because most classes are under 30 students. Study habits range the full gamut, though my impression is that most students generally try and be good, productive students and work for their grades. In the Engineering department, many students live in the same dorm and spend time outside of class studying and hanging out together. In general, most academic courses are fairly rigorous - this is not an easy school, but it is a rewarding education.

Britain

I know all the professors in my department on a first name basis and they all know my name. Classes are just challenging enough to stimulate mental growth and there are plenty of places to study. There is a ton of coffee spots and lounge areas. The education is very practical. The only major problem I have with this school (It is a Baptist university) are the required religious classes. You have to attend chapel, where the school spends an entire year making students listen to speakers preach morality, Jesus, and "Godliness". Not necessarily in a good way. I wanted to rip many of the speakers a new one and the christian music they play all the time was awful. Everyone is made to stand up and sing along. It really feels like a cult sometimes. You are kicked out and have to make it up if you are not attentive and promptly on time. If you miss 6 or 7 you have to retake it the following semester. It's ridiculous. It was one of the most terrible experiences I have had here. Along with chapel you are made to take two other religious classes, basically to read the bible and feed the Christian mentality.

Alexandra

Academics at Baylor are excellent. Most students take classes very seriously, and so do the professors. My favorite class I have taken was Intro to Psychology during my freshman year, and it led me to realize that my passion is psychology. My professor was so wonderful and helpful, and although I have only taken one class with him and it was nearly 3 years ago, we are still in contact and I speak with him often. I know that many students have these sort of relationships with their professors. Baylor is not by any means an easy school. Classes are tough and you have to work hard to get good grades.

Alexandra

Academics at Baylor are excellent. Most students take classes very seriously, and so do the professors. My favorite class I have taken was Intro to Psychology during my freshman year, and it led me to realize that my passion is psychology. My professor was so wonderful and helpful, and although I have only taken one class with him and it was nearly 3 years ago, we are still in contact and I speak with him often. I know that many students have these sort of relationships with their professors. Baylor is not by any means an easy school. Classes are tough and you have to work hard to get good grades.

Kelly

Baylor is very unique. The professors really take the time to help you out. There is a lot of class discussions that take place. All of my professors know me by name. I feel really comfortable going to talk to them in their offices. Baylor provides lots of opportunities to expand my learning outside of the classroom, as well. They have many guest speakers and events that provide you with outside perspectives. You will be prepared for the "real world" when you graduate.

Leah

In general, I would say that academics are failry challenging at Baylor. If you are a science major prepare to study each day and be required to learn both in and out of the classroom. Class size is small which makes personal relationships with professors feasible, but they require a lot of you. In my personal experience, they often have greater expectations for you because Baylor is known as having a challenging curriculum, and they will state that they expect more than other universities. In addition to this, most classes will expect you to participate as part of your grade and depending on your major as well.

Patrick

Baylor academics are among the top in the nation, many polls ranking Baylor in the Top 10 for Business, Top 25 for Biology, and any other of the 170(?) different majors offered here. The teacher to student ratio is pretty low, I'd say the average in my class is about what it was in high school, around 19 per class, which is nice because the professors know you by name, and in fact in my Latin class, our professor knows everyone by name and makes jokes and nicknames for everyone and makes the class much more relaxing and on a more personal level. The Baylor students are some of the brightest in the nation, obviously we have intellectual conversations outside of the classroom. Literally, today at lunch I had a conversation with three other students, who I did not know, about the current economic crisis. The students here are very involved and very interested in the topics they study, and possibly even more so than what they do not study they take up interest in, since they don't hear about it in their classes (for example, I'm a Neuroscience major, but I love discussing politics with others).

Jody

The professors are what make this school so unique. Every professor I have knows my name, and I have built great relationships with many of them. Being from out of state, it was important for me to find people here to "take me under" their wings. I have a professor friend who drives me to and from the airport when I fly home, and she fixes dinner for me every week. The class sizes are small, and you can really easily get to know people.

Morgan

Academics at Baylor are pretty good. We have several great programs. I just changed my major (for the second time) to the Baylor Business Fellows major, which is a pretty cool opportunity where you can blend courses within and without the business school and not have to take a lot of the basic requirements like political science, English, human performance, etc. So now I'll be double-majoring in Finance and Economics with a minor in Statistics. The cool thing about Baylor is that there are a lot of programs to meet individual needs. If you're a motivated student and want more scope in your education than one major, Business Fellows or University Scholars can allow for a more specialized education. Classes are pretty small so professors usually know a lot of names, especially as you get into more specialized classes. I really enjoyed several of my classes, like Great Texts, which has small class size and in-depth discussion that really broadens your mind. I also enjoyed my math classes, and even a computer science course that I thought I would hate. This is a private Baptist University, so are required to take two semesters of chapel and two semesters of religion. Chapel could be pretty interesting, but it could also be deathly boring. As far as religion goes, if you get a good teacher, it'll be interesting. I liked my scriptures class, but usually wanted to gouge my eyes out during my heritage class. In every class, there would always be the students that were super parcipitative and those that would sit in the back and avoid ever speaking. Unfortunately, intellectual conversations outside of class are generally rare. Students are usually pretty bright, although there are some that obviously got in because of connections and money, but there isn't much competition between students, even in the Honors classes. Teachers usually seem very knowledgeable and are helpful most of the time, though there are a few teachers that leave students with a bad taste in their mouths. Overall, I'd say a Baylor education is a great one, especially if you put in hard work. It's a great school to go to for a successful professional career.

Natalie

Of course there are those classes that you don't like, but I have enjoyed most of my classes because of the professors and the people in them. I am just now getting into classes that are specifically for my major, but some of my favorites that weren't made for my major are: Sociology with Dohougherty, American History since 1750 with Keith, and Christian Heritage with Tatum. I just got into the Sports, Sponsorship, and Sales program which I am soo excited about and definitely encourage anyone to check out. It's a really amazing program and sets you up with really cool opportunities. Even if you just want to have an awesome class to take, you should take Pro Selling I with Lehnus.

Melissa

The classes are fairly small so that students can get the one on one help that they need. Teachers are fairly nice and willing to get to know their students. A large variety of classes are offered.

Cody

One thing I like about baylor is that the classes are challenging and that the professors actually take time to help you in fact most of my professors knew my name by the second day of class. You get to actively participate in your education whether that be interacting in class or studying with friends which trust me you'll spend a lot of time if you want to make the best grade possible. My advice don't slack because trust me the temptation to do so is great.

Sandy

Academcs, personally, revolve around the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, a set of classes that give a well-rounded and liberal arts education. All of these courses have a large group setting along with a small group setting. So, while we have some lecture classes, there are many times when we have class discussions with our individual professors. As for my major classes, I've yet to take one, but my minor classes for Sign Interp, are fairly small and generally don't have many students. The Sign Language dept at Baylor isn't large by any means, but they are well-equipped and personable. From friends I've heard the science courses are fairly large, and while some professors are willing to work with you, others are not, but that's at any college. Language classes in general are not large, which is good in order to keep the student's engaged.

Rory

Professors are ok for the most part except for science profs. They expect you to be able to take tests that are made for grad students. They have expectations that are way too high for undergraduates and they suck at teaching.

Maggie

My major isn't exactly common at colleges around America, but the neuroscience department at Baylor seems awesome. I just finished my first year there so I've only had one neuroscience class, but it was team-taught by 4 professors and absolutely fascinating. Even the lab was fun and you can take it on your own time. There's also two extracirricular clubs, Nu Rho Sci (neuroscience honor society) and the Baylor Neuroscience Society, which is open to everyone interested in neuroscience, regardless of major. Although my class was large enough where I wouldn't recognize most of them, it wasn't intimidating at all. I was completely comfortable raising my hand and asking a question during class, going up after, or emailing the professor and they're equally helpful every time. I love it so far and can't wait for some more.

Jake

Classes are generally difficult. It's an academically rigorous school, and if you graduate, you've definitely earned it. Students spend a lot of time studying, for the most part, but there's also a lot of free time. Classes vary on interaction- there's 3,000 students in one class of Chapel, but you may have an upper-level class with seven other people. Education at Baylor is really what you make of it. If you just follow a degree plan and do the minimum amount of effort to pass, you'll graduate and most likely get a job out of school. If you really devote yourself to it, though, you can learn simply for purposes of self-edification. Most Baylor students learn to find a comfortable middle ground between those two options.

lisa

My professors all know me. In the engineering department many professors come to our ultimate frisbee tournaments and our dessert nights in the dorm. Students of all majors frequently talk about academics outside of class. The atmosphere is diverse among departments- engineering is hard but everyone is so helpful, pre-med is very competitive all the time, business is fast-paced, leaving lots of room for extracurriculars and developing your resume.

Ricky

It's really tough, but there is plenty of help if you look for it! The professors are very friendly!

AJB

Some professors are AMAZING, they know who you are, the care about your life and what things might be going on with you. But just like anything, there are the bad ones. The profs that think that JUST because they are profs that are are automatically almighty and powerful and dont give a hoot what you think. Baylor is about learning for its own sake i think. There are 'job fairs' every now and again, but Baylor isnt really known for one department over another... nothing stands out academically to me.

Morgan

Academics at Baylor are pretty good, I've gotten a good deal of learning in my classes. There are some required classes that aren't exactly the most relevant things, such as Chapel and the Religion courses, but they can be pretty interesting so it isn't too bad. Baylor students are, for the most part, pretty driven students and students can be competitive, especially within honors. There are usually several students in a class that are pretty participative. The libraries are usually pretty full, students take their studies seriously. Education at Baylor is good for preparing students for what lies ahead after college, getting jobs, and also they make sure that their students will be ethical members of the business world.

Amy

overall professors are warm and always have open doors to help. i found a handful of the professors i had to be hard-hearted and not very helpful but other than that, i built relationships with several of my professors and even sought career advice from a few upon graduation. students are not too competitive, unless you make yourself that way. i never felt expected to make a certain gpa but went at my own pace. come classes are extremely easy, such as p.e. credits, and others in your specific major are the right amount of challenge.

Anna

I did not realize how much I would have to study before coming, but I am so glad that I was as challenged as I was. The classes are difficult, but the students are willing to help you study, and there are several places to find tutoring. I have had no trouble finding help or speaking with people about future plans. There are tons of opportunities for me after I graduate and all of my professors have been willing to help to whatever extent they can.

Michelle

Some professors know my name, mainly because I have gone to visit them outside of class. It's really important to visit your professors and get your name on their mind so that they know who you are, which allows them to be more willing to help you out. It depends on the student how often they study. I have friends who prefer to go out every weekend then take it slow and stay in to focus on classes. I have other friends who prefer to spend many hours studying in the library. It depends on how focused you are in school and how much studying time you need for your class. Class participation is common in language classes where its important for you to be comfortable with the language. In most of my other classes, such as math or science, class participation is seldom. Students at Baylor are very competitive. Everyone is competing for a job or a spot at a medical school. I do not spend time with professors outside of class, but if you want to have lunch or sit down with them, they are willing to schedule time with you.

Brittany

I will give it to academics at Baylor though. For the most part, I love my teachers. If you go in and talk to them, you can tell they truly do care for the students. But at the same time, there are teachers that do not care at all whether or not you are failing their class. The class sizes vary from 10 to 200 people. It depends what school you are in and what types of General Education classes you are signing up for. Chapel is not as bad as everyone says it is. It was the only time I got to see my friends in class, so that was fun. Religion is horrible. Baylor should not require those classes. Waste of my time. Those classes did not help me pursue my faith more, but instead, I ended up dreading those classes and resenting learning about my religion. The Writing Center is amazing. It is free and they help you edit your papers. I would stay at Baylor solely for the Writing Center. Also, OALA helps special students, and I am truly grateful for their services. The human performance requirements are so stupid. If students want to be active, then they will be. This is not supposed to be high school, so do not try to seperate the jocks from the nerds. Oh, and if people tell you that your professors invite you over for dinner, do not believe them. I have never heard of that ACTUALLY happening.

Steve

Professors really get to know you. I can't think of one class i've taken where the professor didn't call me by name by the end of the semester. (Granted, I take the time to meet in office hours, which I highly recommend you do). The library is great for studying, as is the SUB, which is more casual. The professors really try to teach you what you 'need' to know, not just mindless information.

Andy

Some professors are geniuses and make you feel retarded every time you speak in class, some are idiots that give tests over material we haven't covered, and some are foreign, so you can't understand a word they say. Whatever the case is, I doubt you'll be satisfied.

Danielle

The classes and professors here are probably one of the best things about Baylor. It's a big enough school that you get a wide range of classes to choose from, but small enough that even in your intro classes, professors will often know you or at least recognize your face. As you start taking more and more major-specific classes, you'll come to really respect the passion and knowledge that Baylor professors possess. There are the few inevitable tenured profs that are too brilliant for their own good and expect you to know everything about the subject because they wrote the book (seriously), but wouldn't you rather have that than profs who don't know what they're talking about? A good handful of my classes have been taught by the type of professor that cares more about your life experiences than the class curriculum, which is really cool. They'll pay no attention to the syllabus and talk more about your thoughts on revolution or the afterlife or religious pluralism or foreign culture or any number of subjects more applicable to life than is the textbook. Those are the classes I enjoyed most.

James

My classes are what keep me here. I have connected with a lot of really great educators who have taught me so much about their respective subjects as well as myself.

Liz

Class size at Baylor is really good; except for a few introduction to business or science classes, most do not exceed 30-50. Being in the Honors College, I have few classes that exceed 20. I have loved my upper level classes, but the introduction courses in any area are usually pointless and more of a hassle than anything else. I have taken mostly History and Literature courses, and the professors are wonderful. They are really interested in their subject and in your education.

Austin

Academics at Baylor is a tough subject, because every major is different. For example, I am a biology/pre-med major, and this year my easiest class was Political Science. However, I heard some business majors in my class talking about how difficult they thought the tests were. I have found, at least in the pool of science majors, academics are very competitive. However, most students would never show their anguish when someone else out performed them. Many students have intellectual conversations outside of class. You just have to find another student who is on the same level as you are, which is not difficult to do. Every class with thirty or less students I have had, the professors make sure they know every one's name and face, which is nice. In other larger classes, if you make an effort to get to know the professor, they will always make sure to get to know you. If you want to see a professor outside of class it is almost always easy to do, because Baylor makes certain all professors give a large chunk of their hours to be available to help students. My least favorite class has to be freshman semester biology. The class average was in the 50s. Beware of this type of weed-out class for every major.

Ali

I touched on that above.

Andrea

I enjoyed my classes at Baylor for the most part. I do not enjoy the busy work of writing papers and filling in work sheets, but for the most part I have enjoyed these classes.

Paige

I'm a music major, so I spend most of my time in music classes and rehearsals. I do love what I do, but it is a great challenge. Lots of people don't realize how hard it is to be a music major. On top of all your classes and normal studies you have hours of rehearsals, performances, and practice sessions.

Dylan

Beware of Baylors Pre-Med program, thousands of people start out here each year as pre-med, and many don't even last a full semester. The professors really try to weed out those who arent cut out for it, and in the end the only ones left are those with GPA's above 3.8. The problem is there are just too many pre-med students, so the school is forced to pick out only those at the top of their classes, which unfortunately gets rid of some of the really good ones. I have found that the professors in the science building generally have such large classes that there is never any interaction between the students and the professors, except for those who sit in the front row. So basically, there just too many students in these classes, to most professors, students in their classes are just a number on a piece of paper. I started out pre-med, but only lasted one semester. I am now a business major, and I have found that the professors in the business school are a lot more organized, and show a lot more compassion towards their students. The dean of the business school, Blaine McCormick is a wonderful guy, and he will help out any student in any way he can, he actually cares, and helps students to succeed.

Alex

academics are pretty great, small class sizes are awesome. I feel like I get out of it so much more and its easier to be on a more personal level with your teachers.

Rachel

Due to the class size, about half of my professors not only know my name and major, but also my hobbies, where I work, and we'll just sit and dicuss movies during lab time. 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} attendance is required in all Baylor classes, and you certainly won't get out of Baylor without a handful of student participation classes. The large freshman science courses (biology, chemistry) are definitely "weed-out" courses, but things get easier and you work your way into upper-level course work. Students range from the honors students who will debate international relations in Russia over lunch, to those who don't know who's running for U.S. President this fall. While the Forensic department is falling out from under us at the moment, there are still some really great professors. Caution to the wise though, honors is a lot of reading, with tough grading profs, and the only good thing it seems to do for you is early registration.

bianca

Almost all of my professors know me by nme. my favorite class is psychology. For the mot part, studying depends on the difficulty of the course.

Lindsay

I feel lik ei am getting a really good education at Baylor. The classes are hard, but most professors really care about you as a person. They want to help and they want to get to know you.

Alex

Academics at Baylor are top notch. I think that at a lot of public schools, you pay for a diploma, but at Baylor, you pay for an education. The teachers actually teach, the students actually learn. Baylor makes it a point to have small class sizes so you really feel like you can contribute in the class and be an active participant. Many of the professors enjoy getting to know their students and are readily available to help you at any time. I've had professors even put their cell phone number on the syllabus. Professors often times enjoy opening up their homes to students. I've been to professors homes many times - once for a dessert party, once for a dinner, and one professor had us over to her house for our final exam and cooked us pancakes! The professors really make an effort to make the learning experience a positive one while still getting the job done.

Jeff

the professors are great

Jeff

The current professors that I have to know my name, I even had professor come up to me and say hi when they saw me at one of the local malls. So far the best class that I have taken is Classical Mythology. Just the course was fun and the other activites were a blast, the professor also made the course very exciting. The least favorite class that I have taken is my foreign language (french). Student that I have become friends with and know study about maybe 3 to 4 hours some days. Class participation is required for some courses offered at Baylor. So I would say that class participation is some what common. Some students do, I have over heard and been engaged in some very intellectual conversations at the local coffee house (Common Grounds). Baylor academic requirements are a bit regrious, but oridanary students that what to college can graduate from Baylor. Baylor believes that "intellectual understading is a tapestry, interwoven through faith, personal relationships, a supportive environment, character development, learning that endures, individual relfection and the search for excellence."

Hannah

The professors at Baylor are great. Though it`s always intimidating talking to teachers outside of class, most Baylor professors really are interested in students and are more than willing to help. I`m in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core or "BIC". It is such a unique program and is much more interesting than your standard core requirements. Around 200 students are accepted each year and those students all take the same classes at the same time. The classes replace general studies classes such as English and Religion. Some days the class will meet in large group and all 200 students will hear the same lecture and other days students break out into small groups of 10 to 15 and have discussion mediated by a BIC professor. This means you get to hear lectures from approximately 10 different professors who are all in different departments of the University. It`s not for everyone, but I have enjoyed it so far.