New Mexico State University-Main Campus Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Amber

I can only provide information about the civil engineering department since that is where I spent about 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my time while at NMSU. The faculty and staff are nothing short of excellent. Everyone is friendly and knows everyone on a first name basis. Class is a small room setting where you are provided with time to ask questions and really take your learning experience to another level. Classmates know one another and help each other as much as they can. You become a small family with the students in your class. Classes are helpful for learning but there are opportunities that gear individuals for the real world which is a great tool for after graduation. There are also honors and activities that allow students and faculty to spend time outside of the classroom setting which helps build a better bond and learning experience. Studying and academics is a huge part of the engineering department as well as NMSU as a whole. They strive on helping out each student to achieve their goal and graduate from NMSU.

Robyn

My professors of small classes always remember my name and are very nice. In larger lecture classes, teachers don't remember my name, but they are always friendly if you visit them during their office hours. I never spend time with professors outside of class, but I know some students develop close relationships with their advisors and professors. As far as I have seen, professors here are fair and department heads will intervene on your behalf if they aren't. Most students don't participate in class much and are not very competitive. Some students study, but all the time I hear students saying stuff like how they were too wasted to study last night or something. It varies by the individual but NMSU is a party school. My favorite class ever would be journalism, and my least favorite would be tae kwon doe. I am currently a film major but am going to change to secondary education because film is not for me. The film department has lots of projects going on and the classes are interesting and well-taught. One film class I took, storyboarding with Rod McCall, was fascinating. We would watch movie clips and draw storyboards. There would be big class discussion as well. I learned a lot and found the class very unique. I recommend it for anyone wanting to major in film. As I have not started my education classes, I cannot say much about it, but from conversations with education majors, it is an easy yet well-taught curriculum. This university is definitely more oriented toward getting a job, and there are all sorts of career services, career fairs, and events for learning business etiquette, resumes, etc. The academic requirements are pretty reasonable I think, though I wonder why I need to take two lab sciences if I am going into something that does not require any science. However, for university credit requireds, you only need one math, three English, two lab sciences, two social sciences, and four semesters of a foreign language. The school offers German, japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French, Latin, and Navajo.

Jenna

If it is a small class then the professors know your name. The professors with smaller classes like to do team work and are interesting in your performance throughout school.

Brittany

My professors all know my name because I talk to them whenever I need help, especailly my dance professors to see if I'm doing alright in dance class. My favorite class will have to be Dance Appreciation. My teacher is really cool and actually teaches us a lot about dance. My least favorite class is my Ballet II class because I am not faund of ballet but I do love dance so I deal with what I have to do. I don't know if a lot of the students study here but I know I do a lot. The most unique class I have taken will have to be my dance studio management class because I have never taken a class to manage my own studio. My major is dance and I haven't been in it to long to say about the department but what I have seen is a lot of dancers passionate about what they do. I do not spend time with any of my professors outside of class unless it is for a meeting. The school's academic requirements are understandable because you have to get this GPA in order to get this scholarship. The education is geared towards your career and hopefully helping you to get that job of your dreams or to decide if you want that career.

Cynthia

Academics are pretty good at NMSU. Many professors will try to get to know you and learn your name. The department of Agriculture is probably the nicest college in the university because they will always do their best to help you. Chemistry is a tough class for any student at NMSU. Class participation and attendance is not always required. The most appealing aspect of NMSU is the Honors college. Students can take unique honors classes in all kinds of areas, and upon completion of 18 credits students graduate with honors.

Kelsey

The academics are awesome! The teachers encourage you to send them emails or meet them during their office hours if you don't understand something in the curriculum. They all want you to succeed in their class, and they're willing to help you as best as you can. Its an academic based school, so a lot of time goes into the academics.

Chloe

Academics at NMSU could use improvement, but there are some really great things about the education they provide. The professors, if you take the time to introduce yourself, do know your name and who you are. The higher the course level, the more they remember you. Students are constantly studying; the library and student union are always very busy. Class participation is very, very common and is on the rubric of most classes. The students that I know typically have intellectual conversations even when outside the classroom and not even on campus. The students that I know and study with are very competitive and love the adrenaline of competing with other students for good grades. However, like every university, there are students that are not as committed to their scholastic achievement and care very little about their grades. There are several unique courses offered on campus. The most unique that I have taken was called Math Appreciation. Although it doesn't sound very interesting, it was the most interesting class I have taken so far. We learned how to decipher codes used during World War 2 using mathematical formulas as well as learned how the math behind the voting system works. It was very unique and exceptionally interesting. I am a Marketing major, and I love it. In the School of Business, the Marketing department is a big one. There is a special program in the Marketing department for those interested in PGM (Professional Golf Management) that is very popular and brings students from all over the United States. I have made excellent relationships with my professors and are fortunate enough to be able to even spend time with them outside the classroom. Though this is not typical, it is very feasible. The academic requirements for admission to NMSU are lackluster and do need to be heightened. The learning that goes on at NMSU is really more geared toward getting a job than learning just for the sake of learning. There are several Career Fairs every year that allow students to seek opportunities for Internships and jobs during and post-undergraduate school.

Lydia

There are different types of classes here lecture, seminar, lab and language. There is no single blanket answer to describe classes at NMSU. Some classes require a lot of reading, others do not. Some make participation mandatory others it is not. Different types of students will study more or less that is a person commitment to learning. Different majors require different things from students not all majors are a like. Academics can be as hard or as easy as you want, thats pretty standard. Teachers are very friendly here and they will help students to succeed as much as they can.

Dan

Academics are great here! In almost every department I'm familiar with. I've spent two years in the government department and loved it.