Define Excellence: Academics at Providence College by Providence College

Excellence

Define

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

American Studies • Art (Studio)

History • Biochemistry • Biology • Chemistry • Classics • Computer Science • Economics (ECONOMICS | BUSINESS ECONOMICS | QUANTITATIVE ECONOMICS) •

Excellence

In a remote village in Guatemala, where you discover the true meaning of solidarity through service. In these moments, you’ll learn how to think rather than what to think. You’ll encounter diverse points of view. Perhaps most important, you’ll learn to approach complex problems from many different angles. You’ll consider all perspectives. All this will help you define your own perspective.

Majors

Define

What makes a Providence College education unlike any other? The defining moments. Around the table in a Development of Western Civilization colloquium, where a debate about American democracy changes your mind — and your life. In a chemistry lab, where you learn not just how to be a scientist, but why.

English • English: Creative Writing • Environmental Biology • French • Global Studies • History • Humanities • Italian • Mathematics • Music (MUSICAL THEATRE TRACK) • Music Education • Music Technology and Production • Philosophy • Physics • Political Science • Pre-Engineering (3+2 COMBINED PROGRAM) • Psychology • Public & Community Service Studies • Social Science • Sociology • Spanish • Theatre (MUSICAL THEATRE TRACK) • Theology • Women’s and Gender Studies • SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Accountancy • Finance • Management • Marketing • SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Health Policy & Management • Elementary/ Special Education • Social Work • Secondary Education (BIOLOGY | CHEMISTRY | ENGLISH | FRENCH | HISTORY | ITALIAN | MATHEMATICS | PHYSICS | SPANISH)

Minors

Accountancy • Art (Studio) • Art History • Asian Studies • Black Studies • Business Innovation • Classics • Communication • Computer Science: Business Programming • Computer Science: Technical • Dance • Economics • English • Evolutionary Biology & Ecology • Film/Video • Finance • French • German • History • Italian • Labor Management Relations – Certificate • Latin American Studies • Mathematics • Music • Neuroscience (for biology and psychology majors) – Certificate • Philosophy • Physics • Political Science • PreHealth Studies • Public Administration – Certificate • Public & Community Service Studies • Public & Community Service Studies – Community Health Track • Sociology • Spanish • Systems Science • Theatre • Theology • Women’s and Gender Studies • Writing

Majors SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

American Studies • Art (Studio)

History • Biochemistry • Biology • Chemistry • Classics • Computer Science • Economics (ECONOMICS | BUSINESS ECONOMICS | QUANTITATIVE ECONOMICS) •

Minors

Define

EXCELLENCE What makes a Providence College education unlike any other? The defining moments. Around the table in a Development of Western Civilization colloquium, where a debate about American democracy changes your mind — and your life. In a chemistry lab, where you learn not just how to be a scientist ... but why you should be one. In a remote village in Guatemala, where you discover the true meaning of solidarity through service. In these moments, you’ll learn how to think rather than what to think. You’ll encounter diverse points of view. Perhaps most important, you’ll learn to approach complex problems from many different angles. You’ll consider all perspectives. All this will help you define your own perspective.

At Providence College, our Catholic and Dominican identity influences our approach to life. It means we rigorously seek the truth — intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally — and live in a respectful, supportive community. And in our search for intellectual growth, we explore subjects through the complementary lenses of faith and reason.

Faith

Reason

At Providence College, we’re deeply committed to academic inquiry. We welcome differences of opinion and intentionally explore unfamiliar lines of thought. Because enlightened thinking requires you to see more than your own perspective.

Begin with

R WHAT’S NEXT

At PC, we ask and answer some of life’s big questions: “Who am I?” “What am I meant to do?” “Who do I intend to become?” The work is intentional. It’s challenging. It’s engaged and experiential. The focus of your work is entirely up to you. And so is the path you will blaze. You’ll take the lead, ask the questions, make the connections, choose which experiences matter and — equally important — which ones don’t. You’ll be supported at every turn by a community dedicated to your success. They’ll help you understand where you’ve been and how that will inform your work and life after PC.

A group of PC health policy and management students, along with their professors, Dr. Todd Olszewski and Dr. Robert Hackey (pictured left), have researched the historical and contemporary influence of partisan politics on healthcare policies. Their work will be published in Today’s Health Care Issues: Democrats and Republicans, slated for release in 2021.

At PC, you can be a science major who reads Toni Morrison, a business major who studies psychology, an English major who learns about entrepreneurship. If you’re undecided about what your future holds, that’s fine, too. Our liberal arts curriculum spans the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences — it encourages students to exercise their curiosity and to experiment. We value critical thinking, celebrate the connection of faith and reason, and recognize the importance of ethical reasoning, artistic appreciation, and diverse traditions. Our alumni know that a Providence College education has provided a foundation for them to live their most meaningful lives. We think you’ll feel the same way.

distinctive

U.S. News & World Report ranks Providence College No. 1 in undergraduate teaching among Regional Universities — North

undergraduate experience

How the Core works Your major

The Core and Civ are parts of your academic package — integrated, complementary, invaluable.

PC’s Core Curriculum

Development of Western Civilization

things you need to know about Civ 1.

Development of Western Civilization (aka Civ or DWC) is Providence College’s signature course, a four-semester, interdisciplinary exploration of cultural and intellectual history. It is focused primarily, though not exclusively, on the Western tradition. All PC students take Civ.

In DWC, you’ll learn to respectfully discuss and debate big ideas with your peers — things like democracy, morality, social justice, and the nature of truth. In the process, you’ll hone your writing and debating skills, which will prepare you to lead at work and in society.

You’ll read works from some of the most important authors in the Western tradition, such as Homer, Dante, Mary Shelley, and Zora Neale Hurston.

You will learn how the Catholic tradition has played a central role in the development of Western civilization.

Civ isn’t just about the past. In the final semester of the course, a colloquium explores contemporary, living issues that complement topics students have learned about the evolution of Western civilization.

How DWC Works

DWC is the heart of a PC education. Here’s how it works by semester:

Four-credit, team-taught, interdisciplinary lecture/seminar focused on works from classical antiquity (from Mesopotamia to the reign of Charlemagne)

Four-credit, team-taught, interdisciplinary lecture/seminar focused on works from the Medieval and Early Modern periods (from Charlemagne through the Age of Reason)

Four-credit, team-taught, interdisciplinary lecture/seminar focused on works from the Modern period (from the American and French revolutions to today)

Four-credit, team-taught, interdisciplinary colloquium focusing on a specific contemporary issue in the context of the Western tradition. Students choose from a wide variety of topics according to their interests.

colloquium*

noun col· lo· qui· um | \ k - 'lō-kwē- m A usually academic meeting at which specialists deliver addresses on a topic or on related topics and then answer questions relating to them

*This is how Merriam-Webster defines colloquium. At PC, we expand that definition. DWC culminates in a small, dynamic, interdisciplinary colloquium in which students and professors deeply explore historical or contemporary topics.

Students in the colloquium "Living Revolutions: Two Role-Immersion Games" participate in elaborate games, set in the past, in which students are assigned roles informed by classic texts in the history of ideas.

The outcome of the game is determined by how well each faction plays its part as the group debates its way through some of history’s most profound disputed questions.

RECENT DWC COLLOQUIA

The Write Way to See: Natural History, Nature, and the Self The Western Way of War and Peace The History of Sports Racism and Theologies of Liberation Genealogies of a Secular Age APOCALYPSE The Character of Business: The Ethical Nature of Business and Business Leadership in Their Contemporary Settings

Engagement

Define

At PC, engaged learning means students own their education. They’re curious. Motivated. Inquisitive. They explore big ideas and discover solutions to problems that intrigue them. Their work is intentional, and they regularly reflect on that work and what it means to their studies, and to the world.

“Providence is a winding process of finding your voice, discovering who you are, aspiring to be and do better, and working to fulfill your potential.” DDr. Jennifer Van Reet, Director, Center for Engaged Learning

37%

of recent graduates worked with a faculty member on a research project.

R Numbers GAME

The inscribed baseball features statistics Rev. Humbert Kilanowski, O.P. researched on Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale when he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in 2009.

Chances are you’ve heard the term “Moneyball,” the analytical, evidencebased approach to baseball statistics made famous in a book and movie by the same name. At PC, students are researching another formula with Rev. Humbert Kilanowski, O.P., assistant professor of mathematics, using statistical data from the famed Cape Cod Baseball League.

“Dr. Johnson was always very clear with me — he would be there to help, but this would be my work, my project. He didn’t want the credit. He just wanted the story to be told like I did.” DDaniel Rooney

In the 2019-20 academic year,

Raising the Buford “Dr. Johnson, I’ve got it,” Daniel Rooney told Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, his professor and advisor, over the phone. The American Studies major discovered the key source to uncovering the lost stories of 249 anarchists deported to Russia aboard the U.S. Army Transport Buford in 1919 and the families they left behind. Taking advantage of a research grant through PC’s Center for Engaged Learning, Rooney spent the summer on campus digging through digital archives. Poring over seemingly endless U.S. Senate records paid off — Rooney’s research will soon be published as a chapter in an academic book.

$85,000

students received more than in College-sponsored research grants

R100%

of institutional financial aid is portable for study abroad.

Rev. Michael A. Mascari, O.P. leads a tour at Santa Sabina, the world headquarters of the Dominicans in Rome.

THINK GLOBALLY

PC ranks 6th in the nation for semester-long study abroad participation. — Institute of International Education

Weeks, months, or a year. Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Central and South America. Our menu of study abroad programs has something for everyone. You can explore international business in Shanghai or Milan, study the New Testament in Rome, and so much more. You can choose a traditional semester abroad or take part in a faculty-led program that is shorter and baked into a course. With hundreds of programs in dozens of countries to pick from, you have options. Additionally, financial aid is portable for study abroad, and students can apply for travel grants to offset expenses. Whatever study abroad program you choose will count toward credit. More importantly, it will be an unforgettable adventure that will hopefully change the way you see and think about the world. Are you ready to go?

The Ruane Center for the Humanities was designed for the evolving way we teach Development of Western Civilization classes — with smart boards, movable furniture, and more.

64,572+ square feet of laboratory and

instructional space in the Science Complex

PC’s business curriculum is uniquely integrated with the liberal arts and focused on “ The Power of We.” The Ryan Center for Business Studies, which opened in 2017, was designed with collaboration in mind.

55,000 square feet of learning,

rehearsal, and performance space in the Smith Center for the Arts

of institutional financial aid is portable for study abroad.

ATTENTION

100% R

RDefine

People and resources to help you succeed at PC ACADEMIC ADVISING PC’s advising model is more than deciding what courses you need to get credits toward your major and minor — it’s intentionally developmental and focused on your future.

FRIAR FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM Friar Foundations is a free, five-week annual summer program aimed at easing the transition from high school to college for approximately 30 incoming students.

OFFICE OF ACADEMIC SERVICES Many students find the transition to college challenging. The Office of Academic Services is here to help with resources that include peer tutoring and writing assistance.

IHELP iHelp is your technology lifeline at PC – offering you a full suite of services that range from free software downloads to laptop loans to on-demand tutorials and trainings.

PHILLIPS MEMORIAL LIBRARY The Phillips Memorial Library is a student-centered space where you can check out laptops, iPads, and phone chargers as easily as checking out books or accessing the more than 53,000 electronic journals.

INTRODUCTION TO PROVIDENCE COLLEGE Transitioning from high school to college can be daunting. For undeclared first-year students, Introduction to Providence College can help. This optional course showcases campus resources and underscores the academic skills needed to succeed.

Black-centered stories take center stage T H E A RT S AT P C

Lucille Vasquez was wary when the Department of Theatre, Dance & Film decided to highlight Black voices in its 2020-21 season. The last thing she wanted was to put the “perform” in “performative allyship.” But acting, writing, and directing alongside professors and peers has created meaningful space to explore often overlooked stories. For Vasquez — and increasingly at PC — this is what theatre is all about.

BUS I N E SS AT P C

A wealth of knowledge

In 2019, Patrick McNierney visited the New York Stock Exchange with PC’s Finance Society. The group was in New York to participate in the Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum. He is third from left in the back row.

Patrick McNierney is a fast-track finance major — his business courses were front-loaded to give him an advantage when applying for internships. But his most impactful class was his Civ seminar, where he learned to speak, write, and communicate better. “Being able to put your thoughts together helps in a business world that’s becoming more grouporiented,” he says. After graduation, he’ll manage investments at Vanguard in Philadelphia.

T H E H U M A N I T I E S AT P C

Literature in Full Color Kit Freeman had never been to Rhode Island before arriving at PC, but she researched the English faculty (even read some dissertations), and knew it was the right fit. Trained to think visually by her Nature in the Arts course, Freeman undertook an ambitious study of John Milton’s influence on radical poet and printmaker William Blake. Her research punched her ticket to present at prestigious conferences and launched her on the path toward a Ph.D.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by English poet and printmaker William Blake articulates radical personal beliefs about the fundamental unity of the cosmos inseparable from Blake’s revolutionary politics. Blake is best remembered for colorful prints of his prose, verse, and illustrations created with hand-etched plates.

Cultural connections Grace Maffucci performs a jazz solo —"When Sunny Gets Blue" — at Carnegie Hall. Her love of jazz music led to her interest in Afro-Cuban jazz, which fuses American jazz with African drumbeats and the rhythms of Latin-American salsa.

I N T E R DI S C I P L I NA RY ST U DI E S AT P C

When the pandemic canceled Grace Maffucci’s plan to spend a semester abroad in Havana, Cuba, she undertook an independent study instead, helped by a research grant from the College. A music performance and Spanish double major, with a minor in Latin American studies, she is exploring Afro-Cuban culture in music, literature, and art. “It’s just amazing to me to see how everything I am studying is connected,” says Maffucci.

T H E S O C I A L S C I E NC E S AT P C

An advocate for change LeAnne Drum sees connections. In political science and global studies, she examines the intersections of movements, ideas, identities, and culture. When she discovered a connection between undocumented status and vulnerability to threats like wage theft, she found a calling as an advocate for immigrant communities. She teaches adult literacy and ESL courses through PC and looks forward to a future as an immigration lawyer.

Better chemistry through computing T H E S C I E NC E S AT P C

Colby Agostino stepped into the research lab during his first semester and never left. The biochemistry and computer science double major now provides computational research for Dr. Seann Mulcahy. “Chemistry explains how the world works, through atoms and their interactions,” says Agostino, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in research. “Computers are a really powerful research tool. Why not use that resource to further science and better humanity?”

Colby Agostino assists Dr. Kathleen Cornely, professor of chemistry, in her research with mycobacterial phages — viruses found in soil that combat bacteria. Cornely’s research helped save the life of a woman in England in 2017.

During her semester abroad in Italy, Gabriella Ricciardone visited 20 cities in 10 countries. Here she is paragliding over Interlaken, Switzerland.

Think (and teach) globally P ROF E SS I ONA L ST U DI E S AT P C

Teaching is a passion for elementary and special education major Gabriella Ricciardone. She spent an unforgettable semester teaching fourth grade in Florence, Italy. Now she teaches first grade virtually from a classroom in Pawtucket, R.I. A highlight of her week? “Friday afternoon dance parties with 6-year-olds doing the hokey pokey with me,” says Ricciardone, a member of PC’s Dance Company. “I wouldn’t exchange the experience for the world.”

Define R SUCCESS

Life at PC will define your life after PC — whatever you want that life to be. You won’t just leave PC with a diploma and a résumé. You’ll leave with a purpose. You’ll leave with an understanding of how your collected experiences really translate to the real world. You’ll leave with a powerful network of peers, mentors, and PC alumni who will influence your professional life long after you graduate. Perhaps most important, you’ll leave with the ability to articulate how everything you learned at PC has prepared you for everything you’ll do after PC.

96%

of 2019 graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school.

93%

of 2019 graduates are working in their desired field.

$51,630

is the mean starting salary one year after graduation (2018 figure).

Life after PC

Athena • Boston Children’s Hospital • Citigroup • Dana Farber Cancer Institute • Duffy & Shanley • Dunkin’ Brands • Farm Fresh RI • FM Global • French Ministry of Education • Hasbro • iHeartRadio • New England Revolution • ParsonsKellogg • RSM • Summer Institute for the Gifted • Talbots • U.S. Senate • United Way of RI • WHDH-TV EMPLOYERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 INCLUDE: Aetna • American Express • Amica Mutual Insurance Company • Apple • Bank of America • Boston Children’s Hospital • Brown Brothers Harriman • Citizens Bank • CVS Health • Deloitte • EY • Fidelity Investments • Hasbro, Inc. • Havas Media Group • JP Morgan Chase • Liberty Mutual Insurance • Lifespan • Massachusetts General Hospital • Memorial Sloan Kettering • Morgan Stanley • National Institutes of Health • Northwestern Mutual • PricewaterhouseCoopers • Robert Half • Santander Bank • Schneider Electric • State Street • TechTarget • The TJX Companies • Toast, Inc. • Wayfair • Yelp • … and elementary/secondary schools throughout the U.S. RECENT PC INTERNSHIPS INCLUDE:

INSTITUTIONS WHERE THE CLASS OF 2019 ARE STUDYING: Boston College • Boston University • Brandeis

University • Clemson University • Drexel University • Endicott College • Fordham University • George Washington University • Harvard University • Johnson & Wales University • Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences • Mercy College • New York University • Northeastern University • Providence College • Quinnipiac University • Rhode Island College • Sacred Heart University • St. John’s University • Suffolk University • Tufts University • University of Chicago • University of Connecticut • University of Michigan • University of Notre Dame • University of Pennsylvania • Wake Forest University

providence.edu/admission