St. Mary's College of Maryland has staked out its reputation by combining the quality education and amenities of a small college with the affordability of a public institution.
Ninety-seven percent of the faculty holds either a Ph.D. or the terminal degree in their field. Over the past two decades, the school has produced approximately one Fulbright Scholar per year. The college likewise boasts the latest in science facilities and computer technology, as well as a student/faculty ratio of approximately 12 to 1. Yet -- as a public, state-supported college -- the school is able to keep student expenses relatively low.
The campus covers 275 bucolic acres of riverfront, open spaces and forests -- an idyllic setting by any measure. Students can enjoy the quiet atmosphere and leisurely pace of what remains a fundamentally rural community. Yet, the campus lies less than 70 miles from Washington, D.C.
Despite its name, the college has never been tied to any religious group. It operated from 1840 to 1930 as St. Mary's Female Seminary, a center of learning for girls. The school expanded to include a junior college curriculum, and evolved after World War II into its present form: A residential, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college.
St. Mary's continues to build on its legacy with creative new initiatives. In the spring of 2002, for example, the college opened its first think tank, the Center for the Study of Democracy. As the signature initiative of the Maryland Heritage Project, the center fosters the study of the evolution of democracy and civil society in 17th and 18th century Maryland and encourages the application of those principles to contemporary issues.
The college also encourages progressive pedagogy. Active learning techniques, discussion-oriented classrooms and other innovative teaching styles are par for the course here, and are made possible by the modest class sizes.
Students are required to complete both a major and a curriculum of general education requirements. The general education coursework emphasizes communication and analysis; these classes review the legacy of the modern world and provide students with the skills necessary to integrate and synthesize new learning.
Students also can choose to supplement their formal learning experiences with internship programs, for which they can earn academic credit. Semester-long internships are available in state and federal government offices and laboratories, in the news media, in museums and art galleries, in commercial organizations and in positions abroad.
Student life received a pleasant boost in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the college made use of a building grant to construct townhouse-style residence halls and to renovate existing dorms. The campus also boasts a science building, opened in 1994, and a campus center renovated in March 2000. Its warm interior incorporates extensive woodwork, fireplaces in the student lounges and over-stuffed sofas and chairs -- all of which help to make the center especially warm and comfortable.
Varsity sports include baseball, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer and others. In 2002, St. Mary's bested Harvard to win the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA)/Gill North American Coed Dinghy Championship. The Seahawks won that same championship in 2000. Athletic facilities include a boathouse, ocean kayaks and sailboats. The campus also is home to an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, a baseball field, an outdoor track and a stadium for field hockey, soccer and lacrosse.
With all this and much more to offer, St. Mary's College is among the prize jewels in the crown of Maryland's state colleges and universities.
Ninety-seven percent of the faculty holds either a Ph.D. or the terminal degree in their field. Over the past two decades, the school has produced approximately one Fulbright Scholar per year. The college likewise boasts the latest in science facilities and computer technology, as well as a student/faculty ratio of approximately 12 to 1. Yet -- as a public, state-supported college -- the school is able to keep student expenses relatively low.
The campus covers 275 bucolic acres of riverfront, open spaces and forests -- an idyllic setting by any measure. Students can enjoy the quiet atmosphere and leisurely pace of what remains a fundamentally rural community. Yet, the campus lies less than 70 miles from Washington, D.C.
Despite its name, the college has never been tied to any religious group. It operated from 1840 to 1930 as St. Mary's Female Seminary, a center of learning for girls. The school expanded to include a junior college curriculum, and evolved after World War II into its present form: A residential, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college.
St. Mary's continues to build on its legacy with creative new initiatives. In the spring of 2002, for example, the college opened its first think tank, the Center for the Study of Democracy. As the signature initiative of the Maryland Heritage Project, the center fosters the study of the evolution of democracy and civil society in 17th and 18th century Maryland and encourages the application of those principles to contemporary issues.
The college also encourages progressive pedagogy. Active learning techniques, discussion-oriented classrooms and other innovative teaching styles are par for the course here, and are made possible by the modest class sizes.
Students are required to complete both a major and a curriculum of general education requirements. The general education coursework emphasizes communication and analysis; these classes review the legacy of the modern world and provide students with the skills necessary to integrate and synthesize new learning.
Students also can choose to supplement their formal learning experiences with internship programs, for which they can earn academic credit. Semester-long internships are available in state and federal government offices and laboratories, in the news media, in museums and art galleries, in commercial organizations and in positions abroad.
Student life received a pleasant boost in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the college made use of a building grant to construct townhouse-style residence halls and to renovate existing dorms. The campus also boasts a science building, opened in 1994, and a campus center renovated in March 2000. Its warm interior incorporates extensive woodwork, fireplaces in the student lounges and over-stuffed sofas and chairs -- all of which help to make the center especially warm and comfortable.
Varsity sports include baseball, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer and others. In 2002, St. Mary's bested Harvard to win the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA)/Gill North American Coed Dinghy Championship. The Seahawks won that same championship in 2000. Athletic facilities include a boathouse, ocean kayaks and sailboats. The campus also is home to an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, a baseball field, an outdoor track and a stadium for field hockey, soccer and lacrosse.
With all this and much more to offer, St. Mary's College is among the prize jewels in the crown of Maryland's state colleges and universities.