Old Dominion University offers a wide array of undergraduate programs, all of which meet national standards of excellence. Every Old Dominion undergraduate student follows a general education program that is designed to develop the intellectual skills of critical thinking and problem solving and to encompass the breadth of understanding needed for personal growth and achievement and for responsible citizenship. This general education program places special emphasis upon appreciation of the arts and upon understanding the perspectives of women, minorities, and non-Western cultures. Each undergraduate chooses a major program in the liberal arts or sciences or in a technological or professional field. Old Dominion University's graduate offerings are focused on society's need for advanced professional education and on specialized programs at the master's and doctoral levels for which the institution is prepared through unusual strength of faculty or special geographic advantages.
All graduate programs meet national standards of excellence.
As one of America's major ports, Hampton Roads is the locus of national and international military commands, and the home of a culturally diverse population. The university therefore has natural strengths in activities having international outreach. Faculty members in such fields as business, economics, international studies, geography and the sciences strive to design curricula, teach courses, and encourage foreign exchanges that enhance the university's role as Virginia's international institution. The Hampton Roads scientific environment provides special opportunities for science and engineering faculty to emphasize research and graduate programs in such fields as marine science, aerospace, and advanced electronics. Global ocean studies and cooperative research at NASA receive particular attention, as university researchers collaborate with U.S. and foreign engineers and scientists.