page_title: Florida Atlantic University
section_title: Academics
hierarchical_section_title: Florida Atlantic University / Academics
caption_attribution_description: English: I took this picture on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University on 8/20/06 between 12 and 1pm. KnightLago 23:44, 21 August 2006 (UTC)
context_page_description: Florida Atlantic University is a public university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-campus State University System of Florida and serves South Florida, which has more than five million people and spans more than 100 miles of coastline. Florida Atlantic University is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The university offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate degree programs within its 10 colleges.
  Florida Atlantic opened in 1964 as the first public university in southeast Florida, offering only upper-division and graduate level courses. Initial enrollment was only 867 students, increasing in 1984 when the university admitted its first lower-division undergraduate students. As of 2018, enrollment has grown to over 30,000 students representing 140 countries, 50 states, and the District of Columbia. Since its inception, Florida Atlantic has awarded more than 110,000 degrees to nearly 153,160 alumni.
context_section_description: As of fall 2013, the university's student body consists of 24,686 undergraduates, 4,666 graduate and professional students, 256 medical students, and 1,451 unclassified students. As of 2013, the undergraduate student body contains 47% ethnic minorities and includes students from more than 180 countries, 49 states, and the District of Columbia. For the undergraduate class of 2012, the acceptance rate was 35% for first-time-in-college students. In 2016 advance registration begins.
  The university has ten colleges which altogether offer over 180 different bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs: the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, College for Design and Social Inquiry, College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the Graduate College.
  The university offers two honors options: the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and a University Scholars Program. The Wilkes Honors College is located on the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter, Florida. It offers a liberal arts education in the platform of a public university, yet is comparable to a private liberal arts college. The Boca Raton campus houses the University Scholars Program, which offers special honors seminars, forums, courses, and advanced course substitution for freshmen.
  In recent years, FAU has increased its admission requirements for prospective freshmen. The fall 2013 freshmen profile for the mid-50% includes 3.38–3.98 high school GPA, a 22–26 ACT composite score, and a 1520–1740 SAT total score. Following a surge in the university's popularity, in early 2009, the university created its first wait-list for undergraduate enrollment. After February 15, 2009, applicants for admission in the 2009–2010 academic year were required to have a 3.5 GPA or an SAT score of 1600 to be considered for admission.
  The average class size at FAU for undergraduates is 33 students, and for graduate classes, 12 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1. The top three undergraduate majors by enrollment are elementary education, accounting, and management, respectively. The top three graduate majors by enrollment are business administration, educational leadership, and accounting, respectively. The average age for first-year students is 18; however, the average age for all undergraduates is 24 and the average age for graduate students is 33. The average 4-year graduation rate for first-time, non-transfer students is 14% while the 6-year graduation rate is 39%.
  Florida Atlantic University has long ranked as the most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse institution in Florida's State University System. U.S. News & World Report has ranked FAU the 27th most diverse university in the nation. Florida Atlantic University students come from all 50 states, every county in Florida, and more than 180 countries. Enrichment opportunities include internships, hands-on research, study abroad experiences, and 310 clubs and campus organizations.
  The Lifelong Learning Society operates programs that serve the educational interests of more than 19,000 senior citizens by providing classes focusing on subjects of specific interest, and audit options for regular university classes. Under the university's Commercial Music Program, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings was created in 2002, enabling students to work in all creative and business aspects of the music industry. This program generated music that landed a Top 10 spot on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales Chart during its first week of release. The university's two-story trading room simulator, located in the College of Business, provides hands-on financial education using 25 dual-monitor computers and can accommodate 50 people at one time. A second lab provides full audio/visual connectivity and 25 additional workstations. Florida Atlantic allows local financial businesses to use the Trading Room for training.
caption: The NW 20th Street entrance sign, Boca Raton campus
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