University of Delaware Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Will

I am in the honors program, and it is a competitive program offering fantastic academic resources and rigorous classes.

Katherine

Many of the classes I have are large lectures and the professor does not know your name, but there are the ocassional few classes that the professor makes an effort to know who you are. However, for the most part, the students are on their own to take the initiative to do well. Office hours are offered but many times they are inconvenient or not helpful. Some students work hard towards doing well in class while others tend to slack off and skip class. On exam days though, the class is usally the most full because everyone comes to class. There are many resources to help with academics as long as students are willing to look for help if they need it.

Brian

Academics at the University of Delaware are rigorous, but as at most other schools, time management is the key to success. By doing so you should not have a hard time with work here as long as you put in the effort. I personally am a double major in Econ & Finance and have great relationships with all of my teachers regardless of the class sizes.

Lilia

I've never met a class I didn't like, or a class that was overwhelmingly challenging. Professors by no means want to hang out with you outside of class and most classes are pretty big (I'd say the average is about 65 students). There are TAs for big classes, but I've never heard of this being an issue. Although it's a big school and there aren't many personal relationships between students and professors, I've had a lot of professors who were enthusiastic about writing letters of recommendation and frequently reminding us that they were there to help us with our future careers. General classes tend to be dull and a bit discouraging for the intellectually curious, but once you get into higher classes or further into your major (sophomore or junior year) students are a lot more engaged in class discussion. No one is looked down on for being a "nerd" if they study a lot. Academically, UD varies a lot by professor; I've had professors who turn a huge lecture into a roundtable discussion and others who have a 30 student class and blandly read off of powerpoint slides.

Erica

What you get out of academics at UD is completely up to you. If you really want to learn and do well, you will. If you want your professors to know your name, they will. If you want to make friends who love politics as much as you do, you will. Because the school is so diverse in its population, what you gain academically, and in all other aspects of your experience at UD, is up to you.

Max

If you want a professor to know your name you can make it happen. First year students will find themselves in a class with 300 students so unless you go constantly to the teachers office hours the teacher will never know who you are. My favorite class was computer science for engineers and my least favorite class was chemistry103. I did much better in chemistry but my teacher made computer science much more interesting to learn. Students study according to their major. Im an engineer so I study everyday for a couple of hours at least. In general students take there grades very seriously. Students are not competitive between each other but they aren't between each other willing to help one another. The most unique class has been computer science. Its learning a new language but in a completely different aspect. Im a civil engineer. My advisor is really helpful as well as the department as a whole. They are there to help you get through every class, they do try and get you the degree you want. People do get weeded out though. I have gone to several of my teachers office hours for extra help. They love helping, its there job. They will never turn you away, but instead encourage you to go regardless of your understanding of the material. The school has requirements that force you to learn things outside of your major. I think its great so you can have a greater global education than only from one specific school such as the engineering school. The education is definitely geared towards being able to get out in the real world and get a job. There are constant internship opportunities for anyone that is interested. Opportunities to build up your resume are there for anyone who wants to take advantage of the schools resources.

Jennifer

Here at UD throughout your academic career, you will go through a variety of class sizes. The general 101 classes tend to have upwards of 150 students and in those cases, it is very uncommon for a professor to know your name. On the other hand, as you start taking your major classes, the class size becomes smaller and professors do learn your name in those instances. Even in big classes though, class participation is welcome and expected. The professors want an interactive learning environment and in truth, it makes the class more fun. The professors are more than willing to offer help to students and have office hours frequently for extra help. The education at this school is definitely geared towards learning for its own sake rather than specifically towards gearing for a career field. The professors are passionate about their subjects and inspire passion in their students as well. My favorite class was MUSC101 because my professor was so quirky and interesting. He really made the material enjoyable and I laughed every class!

Danielle

The school is very strong in the sciences. I meet a lot of engineering and majors. Psychology and business are also pretty popular. If you take a smaller class, you're professor will know your name, especially if you participate. In most classes, if you put in the effort, you'll have a better relationship with your professor. My favorite classes so far have been my communication classes, which is my major. I loved Theories in Mass Communication. It was a very large lecture - about 200. The professor was really engaging and interesting, and very helpful in office hours. I took an honors English class which focused on Southern Crimes. I wrote my research paper about how barbershops were cultural gathering places in the 1800s. It was a small class that involved a lot of participation. My professor was helpful in office hours and my writing definitely improved. I don't think our campus is very academic in the sense that students don't have a lot of intellectual conversation outside of class. We're all very concerned with our grades and managing our work and extracurriculars. I do think people are very concerned about resumes and their future jobs, more than just learning for the sake of learning. Especially because in the first year/year and a half many students are taking breadth requirement classes they don't care about. I think students are competitive depending on the major, but I don't feel a strong sense of competition on campus. Even engineers, who are in a competitive field, often do their work together.

Ross

The academics at Delaware are very good. The teachers are very reasonable and easily approachable. Most of the classes have a good amount of students however it depends on your major and what classes you take. The competitiveness at Delaware drives students to do well in school. Everyone is trying to do better than their friends. The library is always busy and people are always studying.

Joey

Academics are moderately competitive but it really depends on the major. Obviously communications and English are a joke, but chemical/biomedical engineering will kill you. A lot of people say all business majors are a piece of cake, but those are mostly former engineers who dropped out of their original major.

Lauren

The professors at UD are amazing......their calibur rivals those of any ivy league professors. The only problem is that they rarely teach the classes. UD is a very research intense institution, so it has a lot of money to hire some of the most prominent researchers and professors in a wide range of academic areas - the only problem being that they're too busy conducting research and being on sabatical to actually teach the courses, that you wind up being instructed by grad students far too frequently. Students are not very competitive at UD, overall there are enough resources available that almost anyone that truly applies himself can succeed. All other academic aspects are really based on the specific department.

Kristin

I'm in the honors program and I've really enjoyed the academic side of UD. I've found professors are really personable and willing to help, especially if you attend office hours. There are some first and second year classes that are really large (I had one that was 300 +) but most are reasonably sized. I wish we had better career counseling. The career services center is ok for getting started, but none of the counselors specialize in my field. You really have to seek out your own mentors and search for jobs and internships on your own.

Caitlin

As an English/journalism major, which is a pretty small department at UD, you get to know your professors really well, especially if you take the time out to get to know them. They're also willing to help with jobs and internships. Most of my classes were generally small and professors wanted your input.

Alex

Depending on the department, it seems like professors really invest in the students who are in turn invested in their education. Professors will go above and beyond for students who show promise, drive, or just a general interest. Class participation seems common. Competitiveness and level of outside-the-classroom communication varies among departments. The most unique class I took was Nature Writing with Professor Jenkins. Awesome. The English-journalism department was like a little family. In theory, the department is supposed to work hand-in-hand with The Review, the student newspaper, but sometimes professors become a little bit anti-Review. However, the overall experience does a great job of preparing students for the future in a multitude of professions.

Mike

Intro classes were unusually difficult, regardless of instructor or subject. Required attendance for foreign language classes was burdensome. Class participation is more common than not, and most professors do take the time to help you the individual. I LOVED the History Department and its faculty; my only poor professor was an adjunct one for an intro class. The history professors -- many of them Ivy Leaguers -- were insightful, interesting and helpful, and some even flat-out fun. Although some professors focused on job-seeking skills and advice, you're best off using the career services classes and professionals for help on your own.

Emmerson

i liked my classes for teh most part and found a lot of professors to be very accessible.

Dawson

OK

Susan

- Professors knew my name, but I often participated in class. - Some students study for hours and hours a day, some only study when they have an exam. - As an English major, class participation was often a part of my course grade but even then some people had to be nudged to speak up. - Yes UD students have intellectual conversations outside of class. - To my knowledge, students were only self-competitive. - Academic requirements were pretty easy, just take one math, one English and several courses in different themed groups. - Delaware should require an internship and/or co-op in your field of study to graduate. - I did not spend time with professors outside of class. I think people would call you a nerd for doing that... - My journalism classes were aimed toward getting a job, whereas my English classes were much more academic.

Emily

Class size is dependent on major, but professors are mostly very accessible. Would also say that while many students take their studies very seriously, you are not likely to hear deep, intellectual conversations outside of the classroom.

Lee

I have one or two professors who knew my name. But it's an effort to talk to them, especially if you're a psych major with 200 other kids in your classes. Favorite class was expository writing. Lease favorite: measurements & statistics. Most unique class: psychopathology in the movies, we watched movies and ate pizza once a week. it was great. The psych department isn't very personal. We don't have advisors, so getting help is a bit rough, plus, the grad student I tried to see was never in the office during office hours. I think UD is more geared towards learning for its own sake, at least the classes I took were. I mean, Biological Evolution? Interesting class, not helpful for a real-person job.

Katie

All of my MUSIC professors know my name. The music department is very close here, and I love that!

Jenna

Professors know your name as you get to smaller classes in junior and senior year.

Steve

I don't think UD professors are any different than professors at other institutions. Classes are what you make of them. If you are willing to introduce yourself to the professor, participate in class, go to office hours, etc, you will develop a great relationship with your prof. I didn't particularly care for the history department, but I loved the journalism professors. They are great people and were always available for any questions I had. I still stay in touch with them, which is definitely a testament to their teaching styles and overall personalities. UD's academic requirements kind of suck. Too many breadth requirements and not enough flexibility to take free electives. Personally, I think the education at UD was geared toward learnings for its own sake and did not exactly gear toward getting a job. I got my job based on my previous internships and job experience, not exactly because of UD's education.

john

Some classes are huge, but in your major everything is very personal. People take you seriously, and prepare you for the real world.

Jesse

Most of them do eventually learn your name, even if they do forget it after the semester's through. Studying is a big part of life here. It's becoming a very competitive school.

Jason

Yes, I am a very active student The Math department sucks the finance department is pretty good

Jordan

It depends on how big your class is if the professor will know your name. It also depends on if you go to office hours, which are offered for every class. Most of my professors knew my name because I was extremely involved with my classes. It is up to you if they will know you're name or not. Class participation is definately common and I spent time with many professors outside of class. However, this is not common. My favorite class was marketing research and statistics, and my least favorite class was definately economics because of the dificulty level. UD got me two jobs, and I am extremely grateful.

Kristen

As a grad student all my professors know my name, as an undergrad very few of them did. My favorite class was an anthropology class I took about Human Evolution and the Fossil Record. My least favorite was either physics or organic chemistry. Some students study a lot, others not much at all. Class particiaption is sometimes common depending on the size of the class. The biology department was great. The biology undergraduate advisor was so helpful when it came time to pick classes and plan out your schedule for years to come. I took a summer physics class and I spent time outside the classroom with my professor then. Now in grad school I spend more time out of class with many of my professors as well. I feel UD's academic requirements are reasonable if not a little lower than they could be, and I feel I got an excellent education at UD and was well prepared for grad school or to take on the real world and getting a job.

Caitlin

Professors know my name in classes for my major, but not usually in classes outside my major. My favorite class thus far has been a topics class in journalism, taught by McKay Jenkins. It was called "The Journalism of Genocide," and it literally changed my life. My least favorite class thus far has been Biblical and classical lit with John Brockmann. I'm dumber for every minute I spent in that class. The amount that students study completely depends on personal motivation and the weather. If it's warm and sunny out, I wouldn't expect to find many people studying. Class participation is common, but often dominated by the stereotypical obnoxious kid who raises his hand entirely too much and thinks he knows everything. UD students do have intellectual conversations outside of class, but I overhear way too many stupid conversations to make it an even balance. I wouldn't call us competitive students. The most unique class I've ever taken is the journalism class I referenced before. My major is English with a concentration in journalism, and I probably would like it a lot less if I wasn't in the journalism concentration. Journalism grounds it and gives it a lot more of a practical feel. I don't spend time with professors outside of class. Sometimes I think UD's academic requirements are a little slack. The education at UD is geared toward getting a job... at least mine is.

doug

The professors know my name. Overall the classes i take are larger lectures which would make it difficult to ask certain questions without the class being interupted, but the professors have open office hours and TA's that are always there to help.

Adrian

At UD most of your classes with be large freshman year, and then get smaller as you get older. But other than that, your education is how ever you want it to be. I know people that never miss a class and people that never go to class, and both can survive. Its all up to you. You can get to know your professors if you want to, through office hours or becoming active with undergrad research, or simply by participating. Overall its what you make of it. The engineering department was very good. i think that the classes are scheduled so that you can graduate with as little hassle as possible. The only problem I had was with the senior design project, which is not up to par with other school's senior design projects (Civil/Environmental Department).

Kevin

Classes I had were usually pretty big, so you probably won't always have a close relationship with your professors. Workload really depends on what major is selected from a wide range. I think I walked out with a respectable degree (Civil Engineering) but I would have liked more school support in helping me acquire internships/job after graduation. There are some resources but I've found you're pretty much on your own.

Jamie

Academics, academics. I enjoyed most of the classes i took at UD. I wasnt a fan of some of the professors but you will find that anywhere. The professors will know your name if you want them too. Most of the intro classes are huge so you dont have that personal relationship unless you make the effort to go see them during office hours. In my junior and senior year I took classes that were much smaller. I really got to know my professors- they were always available to see and help me. I never felt very overwhelmed with work. I actually thought most of the required courses for the College of ARts and Sciences were easy.

Meaghan

Now that I'm a senior I feel that my classes are very small and most professors know my name. I actively aprticiapte in all my classes but I know many students rarely raise their hands or even go to class for that matter. Some classes are strictly exams and attendance and participation are not necessary to get an A in the class- just reading the books or getting the notes offline will do. Other classes require attendance and you need to put in a lot more effort. I am a leadership major and many people have never heard of it or don't understand it. Its kind of frustrating because it has a silly name but it is a really great major. We take all the same business classes the business majors have to take and then we also take additional classes and get training that is crucial for any job. We take decision making classes, power and social responsibility classes, consumer policy classes, public speaking and presentation classes as well as other interesting classes. I have gotten a lot of training on sustainability and how to handle the people side of business, not just how to make the most money, bottom line profit.

Brittany

Most of my professors know my name within the first two weeks of classes. My favorite class is the History of the Animated Cartoon. Class is based on discussion of cartoons shown during the period. This is probably the most unique class I have taken thus far in my academic career. I also enjoy my Women in British Theater course. This class is also centered around discussion and all students sit in a circle to keep dialogue flowing. I have had a positive experience so far with the English Department at the university. I feel all the journalism courses I have taken up to this point, have helped me as an editor at The Review, and I will take this information with me into the working world. I feel education at UD is geared toward leaning for its own sake; however, professors and advisers are very open to helping students obtain an internship. The Career Services building on campus also helps with this. I keep in contact with all my journalism professors. They are very willing to help and provide support and direction.

Ryan

i was in the honors program, and felt like my honors courses with smaller classes really got me closer with professors. a lot of this is up to you. when you first come in as a freshman, yea, you're going to have some big lecture halls. take the initiative to introduce yourself, ask questions, go to study sessions, and get the small group or one-on-one time to get to know professors better. in one honors course on American Constitutional History, the honors section (only 6 people i think) met outside of class at BrewHaHa a local coffeehouse to discuss current events relevant to our coursework. i really loved this one, because it was taught by Dr. Eric Rise who is awesome, and it gave me some great, in depth dialogue with a brilliant professor and more motivated students in a smaller setting.

Michelle

Some classes are very large and some are very small depending on the department and the level of the course. I have had courses ranging from 15 students sitting around one table to a lecture hall filled with 370 students. Class participation is common in smaller classes and rare in large classes. There is a definite distinction between people who are trying to go to Med/Law/Grad school and the people who are just there because their parents want them to get a degree or because they want to have fun. I have encountered lots of both of these types of people.

Erika

Most professors know my name because the Dietetics major is fairly small. I think the Nutrition and Dietetics program is well planned and invigorating.

Nicole

My major is very small so you get close with the professors and have classes that are very interactive. To some extent I believe my major apparel design is a little disorganized and has an extremely high workload but you definitely graduate knowing your trade.

Torry

some professorsdo in small classes otherwise no.

Sarah

Favorite classes: Politics and Media, Literature of the Land, History of Rock Professors know by name in smaller classes.

Blake

If it's small enough. Class participation is uncommon but I am in large lecture halls. Students are not as competitive as they were in my high school.

Liz

Overall, I feel at UD there are the smart party people. So you might catch them having an intellectual conversation outside the classroom but then find them partying an hour later. And I think thats cool. Except when intellectual conversations dont happen in class because everyone is hung over.

Caitlin

Depends on the class. Favorite class- business law was great because I had a really good professor. I strongly disliked my statistics classes- very difficult and dry. Students study various amounts- that is completely by the person. Class participation varies by the class. Depends on the students- many do and many do not. Most unique class- entrepeneurship of business. This was a great class. Economics was my major- I had some great professors who were down to earth and easy to relate to but I didn't love the classes. Usually not but I had coffee with a professor and some classmates for having perfect attendance. The requirements are fair for the most part. I think UD can do more to help students obtain jobs. Push for internships more.

Sarah

UD has a really awesome elementary education program. I just spent an entire week working in a school and teaching lessons. Their program has prepared me more than I ever expected it to.

Jessie

As a graphic design major our classes are small and competitive. There is oppurtunity for growth in and out of school. We have one of the best internship programs and some of the best connections out of many of the top art schools.

Paige

Business school is great, professors are great.

Katie

I do not think professors know your name unless you go meet them personally. I hate spanish. Students are always at the library. I think UD's requirements are fair.

Amanda

My professors don't usually know my name. I like the classes that pertain to my major. The students mostly study a lot. UD students are competative.

Shelby

Most of my professors know my name. My favorite class is my literature seminar with only 12 people in it. I love it because we get to sit around and really discuss literature. My least favorite class was a required science class. It was boring and uninteresting and I had to take it for a requirement. Most students study often because the classes are pretty demanding. UD students do have intellectual conversations outside of class. I don't think students are all that competitive. The most unique class I ever took was my seminar class because it really requires students to take responsibility for learning. My majors are pretty great. The English department has some pretty annoying requirements, especially in early english writing, but the Poli Sci department is really great. I do not spend time with professors outside of class. I think the academic requirements are not too bad, but for some majors it can be difficult to graduate on time if you arent aware from your first semester that that is the course you want to take. I think in the liberal arts department that education is geared more towards learning for learnings sake.