Lehigh University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Connor

The general consensus for academics at Lehigh is that courses are difficult and require plenty of time in and out of class to get a good grade. Certainly there are classes that require little time and classes that require an intense amount of time, and this depends on what major students are and the classes they enroll in. I am in the college of Arts & Sciences, which is known to most students on campus as "The College of Arts & Crafts." Depending on your major, this may or may not hold true. For example, I am majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and am striving to fulfill my major requirements and apply to medical school. Lehigh has definitely shown me her tough side, as I have spent numerous hours focusing on chemistry and biology lectures (not to mention the three hour labs twice a week) as well as other electives and required courses. The grades can certainly be achieved for the sciences if students are willing to dedicate their time. Most of the professors who teach the various science courses at Lehigh are very reputable and are available to students that need help. Unless you are in a small class (30 students or less), have spoken to your professor after class, or your professor has an exceptional memory for names (as my organic chemistry professor does for all of his 250 students), most professors will not know your name. Although this may seem unfavorable for some students, it can be a great thing, as it allows students to go to class, focus, and not worry about being called on by name. This can help some students excel in class and beat the grading curve, since there is a great amount of competitive students at Lehigh. No matter what type of class a student is in, the individual will take away some sort of information from it. I cannot count how many times one of my friends has asked me how a certain physiological process works in our body or why humans express certain cognitive behaviors. These questions are right up my alley with my major, but there is no doubt that any student in any major would not be well equipped to answer questions about subject matter from an inquisitive peer. Lehigh offers each student this opportunity which allows students to express their intellectual abilities past the pages of a text book and apply it to real world conversations and situations.

Niomi

The academics at my school are very competitive. The only issue is that the Engineering and Business schools are alotted way more resources than the school of Arts and Sciences. It may appear that the school offers a fair amount of opportunity for all, but it really doesn't unless you are doing your own footwork. That is the one critique I have on the academics that I wish would change. Other than that the professors are extremely helpful and really do take an interest in your success. There are many opportunities to network and get jobs, there is ample study space all around campus and they definitely provide nourishment for all neccessary late night academic endeavors.

Tyler

Academics can be challenging, and many would consider them difficult. Freshman classes are typically large, but the professors are great. TA's are either hit or miss, but usually the professor can teach you what you need to know anyways. If you are having trouble, office hours with the professor or your TA are available and you can always make an appointment if you cannot make it to their allotted office hours.

Eve

Work hard, play hard. Lehigh is the definition of that. The libraries will be packed come midterms and finals, and most kids work hard all semester, but they always have time to party. The professors usually know your name, which is really nice. I've had pretty good professors so far, but I did have one who pretty much didn't know how to teach. Luckily, this is a rarity.

Jody

The academics have been great for the most part. Professors care about the students and are willing to meet if you attend their office hours. In terms of intellectual conversation, there are a ton of INTELLIGENT people at Lehigh but not too many INTELLECTUALS. People here are smart but typically just do their work and do it well, so they can party later. The classes (at least in the finance/economics dept) really do prepare you for the real world, and many future NYC finance employees graduate every year. You not only need to learn the stuff, but learn how to apply it to the real world.

Seth

Other than the big freshmen lectures the professors learn your name. It's normal to see people studying in the library and study lounges until two in the morning. It's cool that you can have intelligent conversations on almost everything with almost everybody. Students are always ready to help each other when it comes to homework and projects.

Jared

The academics are terrific. Teachers are engaging and challenging. The accounting department was recently ranked number 1 in the nation by BusinessWeek and all the other majors and departments are strong as well. Teachers like class participation no matter how many people are in the class.

Sarah

Linderman Library is a great quiet place to study. Finals and 4 o'clock exam times see the libraries fully packed, so if you plan to study during those times, get there early. The libraries stay open 24 hours, and it's common to see students studying at 3AM, 4AM, right through to the morning. Professors are good, but recently students have complained of foreign professors with thick accents being difficult to understand.

Mike

You will get a great education at Lehigh no matter what you decide to study. I received a degree from both the Business school and the Engineering school and I can honestly say that these are two top notch schools. The professors are amazing. And although I did not take many classes in the Arts and Sciences, my friends who did were all very complementary about the education they received and the professors they had. Professors will know your name in many of your classes, especially once you are further in your college career and your classes become more focused. Their is a good deal of competition at Lehigh, but it never gets out of control or overbearing. Also, I can certainly say that the education is geared at getting a job.

Logan

go to class, study, talk to the teachers or ur f'ed

adb204

Lehigh offers a wide variety of classes and you can always find classes that you want to take. Some majors (especially engineering) leave little room for students to pick their own elective courses, but other programs allow enough elective credits to minor or major in a second area. Most intro. courses are large and professors do not know the students in their class. By junior and senior year, most classes have no more than 30 students and professors know each person in the class. Attending office hours is encouraged and usually very helpful as most professors want to see their students succeed. Most students study a lot and everyone is competitive when it comes to grades, GPAs, and internship/job offers.

Jessica

most professors know my name either because I had small classes or went to ask questions during office hours, my favorite class was english because my professor had me write in a completely different way then in high school that was engaging and really made me analyze what I was reading, class participation varies there are students who are very involved in class and those who would rather be sleeping, students do have intellectual conversations outside of class especially politics and the economy, I think the academic requirementrs are worthwhile even though a lot of students get frustrated with them

Kevin

The first year you will be lucky to find a teacher who knows your name and speaks good English; however, the higher up you go you will find some extremely smart people who are excellent teachers. There are always a few who have overstayed there welcome but I'm sure that's the same anywhere.

tony

All the professors have AMAZING resume's. Some of them are really weird, but as you get to upper level courses, you really develop healthy relationships with your professor (that is if you care. Its the students initiative). In my experience, students arent very competitive. We help each other out. Some students are though, you can never get around that. I am an engineer. And Lehigh has been pouring money into their business and accounting program so I am not very happy about that. But it is still a great program. They have a lot of resources available to engineers. It is one of the top research facilities in the nation for Nueroscience, material science, and we do a lot of emissions testing for general motors. I would recommend this school to a chemical engineer. The education at lehigh is definitely geared towards getting a job. You learn to deal with the nonsense of the working world (writing research papers, learning to sell your ideas etc...)

Matt

Professors will generally know who you are and I've become very good friends with my professors. Meeting them for lunch and relating on a personal level is very common for many. There are many intellectual conversations outside of class and the students are EXTREMELY competitive and the work is hard and demanding. The Work Hard Play Hard mantra is completely accurate. Business School and Engineering is top notch, "Arts and Crafts" school as it is referred to is not as prestigious. Accounting and Finance recruiting on campus is stellar. Nearly all students in those two majors will have jobs well before graduation. Marketing recruiting leaves some to be desired.

Parker

Small classes with lots of interaction between students and professors.... know your name for the most part, especially if you are within your major and also if you participate I'm a math major and cant wait to be done with it...hahah if you really like to do math think of another major where your number crunching skills and logical thinking can be applied. That is unless you really are interested in theory. My advice is take a lot of classes is different departments thats how I found out i was good at computer science and can apply all of my math knowledge to that.

Michelle

Being a chemical engineer, theres about 30-40 people in all of my classes. We are all very close and the professors in the department know everyones name. It is a really great group. Everyone helps eachother, it is amazing the things I can learn...and teach my classmates. I really enjoy the academic side at Lehigh. Everyone is really motivated but they don't stress too much and there isn't any competitiveness, everyone helps and suppots everyone else. Although we work hard, we know how to relax and have fun on the weekends.

Mike

One of my professors went so far as to take pictures of the class so that he could study them just so he would be able to place our faces to our name.

Stephen

Its east to stand out because most people don't stick their necks out to get notice academically. Distribution requirement are a snap to fulfill. The bad thing about lehigh is the amount of time your with a TA and not a professor. Overall though, A degree from lehigh is a valuable thing.

John

Since most freshman classes are large lectures, you shouldn't really expect a professor to know your name, unless of course you go and talk to them outside of class for help (which is common). All professors and Teaching Assistants are required to have office hours, which students can stop by. Also Lehigh has a tutoring center as well if you are struggling with anything, so there is help if you need it. It is suggested that for every credit hour you get in class, you spend 2 hours studying outside of class. I could never study for that long, but I've known people who do study a lot. Honestly, the hardest part about college is managing your own time. No one is calling the shots for what your schedule looks like but you now, so it's a new responsibility, but once you got that down, things get easy. As I've said before, some professors are awful at teaching, but some are amazing, so if you know someone whose had a certain professor, or who has taken the class, ask them about it. You just need to know where to look. Of course opinions can vary.

Zach

Academics are very good at Lehigh. I know all of my professors and recitation teachers' names. My favorite class thus far has been intro to global studies and intro to sociology. My least favorite class was English second semester which focused on slavery and hip hop, and my freshman seminar - excursions in mathematics. With the exception of my seminar the biggest reasons I liked or disliked a class would be because of the professor. Class participation is common in certain classes, English, math, recitations, but not big lecture type classes like my intro classes. I feel there is a lack of intellectual curiosity outside of the classroom, but this may because of the people I surround myself with. There are few political discussions, few discussions about what students are doing in their classes and what they enjoy and want to pursue. This is an issue for me. Students are not too competitive, but if I were an engineer or had declared a major I may find a great deal of competition within certain classes. The most unique class I've taken is global studies. I have had little experience in the classroom being that I just finished freshman year, but this class had assignments that were applicable to the real world like policy papers or "white papers" and discussion of current events. I have spent time with professors outside of class, but the bigger classes with recitations I spend time with the recitation teachers instead. The academic requirements seem reasonable for a general degree, but as a business student the requirements seem like they are too much. Engineers too have their four years laid out for them. Education can be whatever students choose to take from it. There are many students who learn for learnings sake and are only looking to get a great job out school. There are also other students who enjoy learning and are not looking years into the future. However, I have found much more of the former and that may change as I get older.

Lauren

I love the class size at Lehigh. The intro classes can get a little too big, like 150 or 200 people, but these large classes all have recitations where you're broken down into groups of about 20. The normal class size I've experienced is around 20 people. The professors are all helpful and most of my professors know me by name. If I do encounter a professor that isn't helpful or I feel that I can't approach (this has happened once before) I'll just go and talk to another professor in the department. My favorite class: Architectural History 001, intro level course, but the professor made me want to switch to architecture after taking this class. My least favorite class: Biology... because apparently my and biology don't mix.

Jaclyn

If you did well in high school than expect to be challenged and have your self confidence killed at lehigh. Political Science department is wonderful--small classes Math/Science teachers do not care about their students.. it is impossible to do well

Tim

Every professor I have had was extremely intelligent within his or her discipline. I really enjoyed almost every class I've taken so far, regardless of difficulty or type. The students are competitive, but I they are also very willing to help you figure out what you're doing. An education at Lehigh (especially within the engineering and business colleges) is extremely career oriented. From the very first semester students will learn the skills they need to exceed in their professional careers. As far as the Art's and Sciences college goes, you're education will be as meaningful as you want it to be. It all depends on how seriously you take your classes, and which classes you choose.

Tate

small classes with dedicated teachers Mgt 186 - supply chain operation management was awesome so was art 2 (ren to present) least favorite class - history 2 it just sucked study time - 4+ hours a day recommended participation is not only expected it helps! intellectual conversations out of class are everyday - turn off the tv and you would be amazed at what your friends think about students are competitive but also work well together and are always willing to help a fellow student - no one has ever intentionally screwed me over to get a better grade unique class - nothing unique per say but i remember every teacher and class supply chain mgt is a newer major, we have a great staff, 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} placement, and fun classes my advisor is awesome and i just go into his office to chat sometimes academic requirements are strict and well rounded - business school needs an ethics class not just taught in other classses lehigh's education is geared to teach you how to problem solve. they make you think for your self and how to be capable of tackling any problem you may encounter whether it be job related or personal

Jordan

Academics at Lehigh are tough, but you just have to keep your priorities straight and know when is the proper time for work and play. Students tend to study a lot during the day and use the nights to relax. The class sizes vary anywhere from introductory 200 person lectures or more in-depth 15 person classes. Professor's are always willing to help, you just have to seek their help.

Julie

My classes have been overall pretty great. Two things are important: First, study something you like, not something your parents want, or your roommate does, or that has an easy reputation. If you are learning about something interesting it makes life 150{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} better. Secondly: check out who your professor is. While I have had some amazing professors at Lehigh, a few do suck. Generally the student population knows who they are and you can avoid them. Classes are alot of work but very managable and profs and T.A.'s are always willing to help you out. There are also free tutoring services offered. Some entry level classes are big, but as an Arts and Sciences student, I've had most classes with less than 30 people: some have had around 10! Students study alot and the libraries are packed during midterms and finals but school work does not dominate your life. You have time to pursue other interests too. One of my favorite parts about college is that I'm in an intellectual atmosphere all the time. My friends and I have very different interests and study different things but like to talk about current issues or have theoretical debates. It's so exciting! Alot of extracurricular organizations are academically based as well: the Society of Women Engineers, the club that builds race cars, the language clubs. Political Science and history departments are underrated but awesome! I love the profs, they get to know you and are providing me with an excellent education.

Brett

I feel like the professor try to balance getting to know you personally and getting as much information to you as possible. Most of my professors have used name placards so the more you participate the more likely they are to know your name. Almost every professor has some kind of class participation score in order to make sure that people show up and do their work. The classes do vary greatly between colleges. Engineering has larger classes first year but average class size is smaller than the other two. Most unique class I took this year was Grimms Fairy Tales:Folklore, Femminism and Film. It was a really nice break from the rest of my business classes. Lehigh also offers some interesting programs that allow double majoring or other unique opportunities such as their Global Citizenship program. Students take and altered English course in their freshman year and then get to go abroad for about ten days (we went to India) and then come back and have and English class to reflect on the trip. In addition, they have a few other classes to elect to take and at graduation are given a certificate saying that they have been striving to become global citizens.

Celeste

I am one of few female engineers, this makes me stand out in my engineering classes and my professors seem to always know my name and are always willing to help me. I am pretty sure this goes for everyone in the engineering school, but I do realize it is a bit different for my case. My favorite classes so far were my two design foundation classes where we got to work hands on 2D and 3D projects. The problem with these classes was the fact that nothing was given to us in the regard of supplies, which equated to cost quite a lot of money. I felt that the teachers really made an effort to not only understand each student's skills and talents, but also their personalities pertaining to their strengths and weaknesses. The second trouble of this class was that I had to wait to take it because it filled up so quickly because of the lack of faculty members in this department. I think, as a student who has just finished their sophomore year, that Lehigh has geared me to understand the basics of my majors. I assume the career aspect will come when I am closer to graduation.

Zack

Academics are difficult, but it is worth it if you put in effort. Business classes are only worth 3 credits, so you end up having to take 5 classes every semester as opposed to the Arts and Science college where all the classes are worth 4 credits. The arts and science kids are not really taken seriously by the rest of the students because engineers and business students have it way harder. Engineers have it especially difficult. I had a lot of friends my freshman year that were engineers, and they are still my friends, but I just never see them because they are constantly working or studying.

Julie

When you get to Lehigh you will be in mostly larger lecture introductory courses, but then as you move onto higher level courses the classes get smaller and much more personal. Professors are always very willing to help; they want you to be doing well in their course. Office hours are always very helpful--take advantage of them. What is also good is that you have a lot of flexibility with your major. You can do whatever you want at Lehigh. They have many integrated programs between schools, and they make it easy for you to switch schools if you change your mind about what you're interested in.

Nico

Most of my professors know my name... I actually love my major and i love all classes eventhough they r a little hard. Me and my friends always do discuss things outside of class, we always study together and prepare for exams together.. students study really hard, especially during exams, but that doesn't mean that students dont enjoy the Lehigh's life, the fun life and the beautiful campus..

Jessica

Academics at Lehigh are definitely very important. Depending on the size of your classes, the professors usually know your name, but they also usually want to take it one step further and actually get to know you on a personal level. I know that I have one professor, in particular, who has gone above and beyond to push me to excel in his classes and really find out what I want to do with my life. He really cares about his students. He even has a Facebook because he thinks it will eliminate the weird barrier between students and professors. I call most of my professors by their first names and can definitely go to them for help on anything. Students at Lehigh study a great deal...at finals time. It depends on the person, some people go crazy studying throughout the semester, while others rarely show up to class, let alone prepare for exams. I think when it comes down to it, studying is a choice and most Lehigh students choose to do it when necessary. I'm a double major in Art with a concentration in Photography and Design Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design. I'm also working on a minor in Theater. These departments tend to be very relaxed. They focus on new ideas from students and generally rely on students to take the initiative with their own work. I love the art and design classes, but the studios are 3 hours, twice a week, which is a long time to focus. In general, its easy for students in these departments to find a professor to talk to about the future and career plans. I feel like even though Art and Design are not necessarily money making jobs, Lehigh strives to provide us with a general foundation and then will work to help us get a job as we graduate. I will say that I think the administration puts a lot of money in their engineering and business programs and neglects the art and design departments. I think that they focus a lot of their attention on these major programs, but a lot more could happen if they put more money into the College of Arts and Science.

Brittany

Class size is really good. You can choose classes that will be more personable or you can choose lecture size classes. The professors for the most part are great. You'll always get a few boring ones but they are extremely smart. Students spend a TON of time in Linderman Library. Students are very competitive for grades because every student has always been on the top in high school. My major is Finance and Accounting and both programs are well known and prestigious. The accountin program just got ranked #1 in the nation in a national ranking based on students. I think Lehigh requires the perfect amount of liberal arts studies. Freshman year you can get most of your requirements out of the way. Lehigh's academics are tough but SO worth the effort.

Alex

Professors at Lehigh have been teaching for a very long time in most cases. This is both a good and bad thing. After teaching the same classes for 30 years, they're bored of it and don't really care at all. I imagine this is the case with most schools. In my senior year, i can only remember two classes where the teacher made learning the material a serious, and unnecessary, challenge whereas I've heard stories from other schools where whole departments are in this condition.

Mike

Lehigh has great academics, and work hard towards not only preparing their students for careers, but providing them with great jobs. One of my professors went so far as to take pictures of the entire classroom so he would be able to study everyone's faces so that he could memorize our names.

Nick

The academics are quite fantastic. Depending on the professor, he/she will know your name the first day of class or by the second month (especially if it is a big class); however, most teachers I have had no my name within two weeks. They dont remember your name only when you don't make an effort to do well. The great thing about Lehigh's academics is that they some many excellent programs that are quite recognized. I know engineers who are getting business degrees or Premed kids who are getting degrees in Comp. Science. Personally I am double majoring in Chemistry (Premed) and Classical Civilization. Yes, it is a wierd combination, but Lehigh's extensive catalog allows me to do that. By no means am I saying it has the catalog like Rutgers or Penn State has, but it is quite extensive for the size of the school. Additionally I do not know if this is a problem just with Lehigh or with all colleges, but the credit is a bit messed up. For example this past semester I did not more work in a 3 credit class as in my other 3 4 credit classes combined.

Darryl

As with anything, you get out of it what you put in. Most of my teachers know me by name although I never made it a point to introduce myself. Most people study during the day and on Sunday. Intellectual discussion is not too rare outside of class although it tends to be in asking how something works or engaging in silly tangents to real stuff.

Toby

Classes are on the whole, very respectable. Large lecture style classes are filled with cheating and lack of attendance, and small classes contain a fairly nice mix of one-on-one teacher/student involvement and are very good on the whole.

Kristen

Academics are superb at the school, our accounting department just got rated number one in the nation! The classes are generally around 30 students, unless your a freshmen or sophmore and taking intro level classes, but even so you have small recitations. Depending on the size of the class, attendance may or may not be taken for participation points and the professor may or may not know you personally. Ive had some really great experiences with professors in the business school and some bad ones, but that's going to happen everywhere. As I said, the students are deffinitely intelligent and there's lots of competition and diffcult courses. Being a business student, you get to know a lot of the people in the business school becasue there are so many required courses. The base of courses is definitely geared towards getting a job, especially if your an accounting or finance major. Overall the academics are definitely challenging but manageable, and you'll always find lots of people in either of the two libraries, before, between or after drinking!

Christie

Lehigh's business school is well-known, which is nice for me. Too many classes overlap. I never got to know professors like I wanted to.

Jen

The academics at Lehigh are very challenging. Most professors know each of their students by name and class participation is very common. I think the education at Lehigh, especially in the Business School, is geared directly towards getting a job.

Emily

Lehigh's faculty is a diverse group of people. The professors definitely know what they're talking about. Some are tougher than others; a lot of it depends on the subject matter. Many are willing to work with you outside of class and will do anything they can to make sure you're understanding the material. Then there are some whose policies are so strict, they won't even let you make up a test if your mother dies (God forbid!). The teaching methods are rather widespread. I've only been here for one year, but so far my favorite class has been Editing. I'm a journalism major and I couldn't be happier. In editing, we learn the rules of writing, such as grammar and punctuation, how to avoid cliches, and how to find the little errors that could ruin a story. Reading that, you'd probably think it sounds repressively dull. But I have so much fun, it's ridiculous. That's a fun thing about college; you begin to discover who you really are. Me? I'm a bonafide geek, and I'm proud of it! Students are studying all the time here. Even in the dining hall, people have their homework with them. It's because everyone is very serious about their education, much of which is quite difficult. It depends on your major how much you will have to do. With my major, I'm lucky enough to have just enough work to keep me on my toes without depriving me of my health and sanity. My roommate is in engineering, and it seems as if she never stops working, though she assures me it's not that bad. The journalism department here is fantastic. I'm sure I speak for everyone in my major when I say we are lucky to have such a great program. Most if not all of the professors are or were practicing journalists, so they have invaluable firsthand experience. They are all easy to approach and are more than happy to help students out, especially the ones who apply themselves. They're great at advice, too. I feel like I'm being genuinely prepared for life after college.

Shelby

Some professors know your name, not most. Favorite classes are smaller ones, least favorite are the huge psych lectures. Students spend time in the library throughout the day and only in small classes is there really participation. Students are semi-competitive and the most unique class I took was stage lighting. The psych department is very large and a popular major. I don't spend time with professors out of the classroom and I think Lehigh has fair academic requirements that can be filled by a variety of classes.

Steph

Most professors do not know my name. Students study very frequently. Class participation in small classes is very common but is unheard of in big lectures. Lehigh students rarely have intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique class I've taken is my real estate class. I never spend time with teachers outside of class. Lehigh's academic requirements are very rigorous. Education at Lehigh is mixed between geared toward getting and job and learning for its own sake.

Jamie

Academics are good. Most of my professors are ouustanding and know my name. Students for the most part study very hard, but take no time to breath in between doing work and partying. Job placement is incredible after Lehigh. Students are especially competitive in Business and Engineering.

Kelly

Professors typically know your name in the smaller classes. In the introduction courses there are typically 200+ students enrolled, so it's considerably more difficult for professors to learn your name. Professors are generally approachable, however, it would be nice if more TAs were better versed in English. A lot of the math courses have these brilliant international graduate students TA-ing the course but it's close to impossible to understand them. Also, forget the administration, with the exception of the Deans and Transportation Services, it's impossible to get in touch with them. The department chairs and various Deans, however, are much easier to meet with and are often very helpful.

Brooke

Professors do know students really well. Something I find really good about Lehigh professors is their constant communication with students. Emailing, blackboard, and sometimes even calling professors is not unordinary. Lehigh seems to be focused mostly on getting their students a successful job upon graduation, but it seems that's the reason most students go to such a well respected college anyway.

Matt

Education is more geared towards learning than getting a job. Professors will know you if you make an effort or if you're in a small enoiugh class.

Paul

Some professors know my name, it depends on the professor really. Favorite class would be anything in the business school, least favorite would be any pre-med related class which requires endless amounts of memorizing. Students study a good amount, sometimes i feel like they do a little more than some of my friends from back home at state schools. Class participation is usually 5-10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your final grade in alot of classes. Intellectual conversations? sure, probably nothing like what goes on at iveys. Students are too competitive sometimes. Most unusual class was probably english first semester, my teacher was crazy (not everyone will have that same experience) My major is undecided, however I have taken classes from almost every category (with the exception of the engineering school). For the most part, business classes are the easiest, however pertain to your career beyond college more than pre-med classes. I have spent time with one professor outside of class for extra help. They are usually available a couple days a week if a student needs them. The academic requirements are fine, class difficulty is not Lehigh is geared toward getting a job. Their LUCIE program (alumni offering students jobs) is one of the reasons I came to this school.