The Top 7 Public Universities, 2017

UCLA strives to combine education, research and service. University offers 125 majors and 90 minors alongside 150 graduate degree programs and 100 continuing higher education certificate programs across 109 academic departments. Six divisions offer undergraduate majors and minors - college of letters and science, schools of the arts and architecture, of engineering and applied science, music and nursing, school of theater, film and television. There is an option to complete a double major. 17 more schools, departments and institutes offer graduate programs. Instruction is available in 40 different languages.

Through UCLA’s Center for Community Learning students participate in internships (students have an opportunity to gain academic credit for an internship), in service learning courses, complete Civic Engagement minor, or conduct research on civic engagement during the academic year through The Astin Scholars Program. There is an abundance of other learning and research opportunities, including concurrent and articulated programs, summer travel programs and Study abroad.

UCLA annually receives 1 billion dollars of research funding. UCLA has a rich research history: its faculty and alumni had a hand in the creation of an Internet and laid the groundwork of reverse osmosis. The faculty comprises 13 Nobel Prize laureates. Over 140 companies have been created based on technology developed at UCLA and 3000 inventions have been developed at UCLA’s research facilities. The faculty and students have 350 centers, labs and institutes at their disposal for research and analyses. Two centers make sure undergraduate students have a possibility to conduct their own researches and work on research projects alongside faculty - Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and Undergraduate Research Center - Sciences. Both provide research scholarships possibilities, research programs, including summer programs on- and off-campus, fellowships and travel grant programs, encourage students to take part in workshops and conferences.

A notable thing about U-M is that students apply to one of the 14 undergraduate schools and colleges, not to the University. There are 275 degree programs to choose from. However, you don’t have to choose your major right away, depending on the school and its requirement there is a certain time to explore the opportunities of the school - many students declare their majors at the end of the sophomore year, Art and Design students don’t declare major at all.

The University sponsored program M-Compass provides a bunch of engaged learning opportunities from on-campus and U.S. study and projects to international internships, field placements and temporary employment, volunteer and service programs. Center for Global and Intercultural Study offers programs of living and learning abroad for groups of students with a professor. Overall, U-M has more than 600 international initiatives available, including over 100 study abroad programs on six continents. The Michigan Outreach Directory provides a database of the professional outreach programs and services at the University. Innovate Blue , U-M hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, offers opportunities for practice and engaged learning experiences on entrepreneurship through 15 programs and centers in entrepreneurship.

U-M promotes students’ involvement in the universities research work: students participate in the infectious disease treatments testing, solar system researches, solving pollution problems of the Great Lakes alongside faculty and staff. 1400 undergraduate students take part in Undergraduate Research Opportunity program each year.

Carolina offers 78 bachelor’s, 112 master’s, 68 doctorate and 7 professional degree programs across 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. First-year seminars for incoming students are designed to help newcomers to transition through small introductory classes led by active scholars.

The Carolina Center for Public Service encourages students, staff and faculty to participate in community work and develop solutions to local and global challenges through a range of programs and fellowships. Student-led APPLES Service-Learning program combines academic learning with public service - students take part in various service-learning initiatives, internships, fellowships and courses, alternative breaks (eg., a habitat build, service days at local community gardens, documentary screening). Buckley Public Service Scholars program matches students with similar interests, delivers opportunities for leadership development and community engagement, and includes an orientation session, 300 hours of public service, 1 service-learning course, 4 skills trainings, a senior reflection activity.

Carolina offers robust study abroad opportunities with 325 programs in 70 countries available. One-third of the university’s undergraduate students study abroad before graduation. Students gain up to 18 credits per semester, which can cover major and minor requirements.

With a $1 billion annual research expenditures Carolina provides an extensive array of research opportunities. Over 3000 undergraduate students conduct original research in 140 courses. Carolina research mainly focuses on 10 areas, including cancer research, genetics, global public health, drug discovery, infectious diseases, nanotechnology, etc. Carolina faculty, staff and students conduct research to halt HIV, hepatitis, malaria, study causes and treatments of autism disorders, develop solutions to water quality problems, sanitation, obesity and lots of other groundbreaking research projects are underway.

One of the eight Public Ivy universities, William and Mary comprises 4 schools and Arts & Sciences academic unit. Undergraduate students can choose majors among Arts & Sciences programs, in the School of Business and a secondary major in the School of Education. There is also an option to choose a self-designed major: tailored to students interests, it develops in the close work of a student with a faculty advisor. Such self-designed programs inspired some of the currently available interdisciplinary majors.

W&M provides a wealth of global learning and research opportunities. Half of all undergraduate students study abroad before graduation. Each year over 750 undergraduates participate in study abroad programs and study in 60 countries around the world. W&M also offers summer internships and externships, and academic summer sessions for students who want to spend their summer productively.

W&M conducts research in humanities and social sciences, business, education, health care and law, natural and computational sciences. University’s scientists work on a binder which will allow to build bricks from the Mars “soil”, investigate fossil oysters to find out more about a baseline ecosystem, analyse the brown recluse spider’s web, which is stronger than steel to create new materials, etc. Undergraduate students are encouraged to join their professors in the research projects and can do research outside their major, while graduate students conduct studies within their departments.

Big data shells
Source: http://www.wm.edu/research/ideation/_images/2017/big-honkin-grandma-oysters/photoset/oyster-lead.jpg

90 undergraduate and 68 master’s degree programs with 81 majors and 74 minors are available through 16 academic unitsat UCI. The University also offers 3000 professional development courses each year and 50 Ph.D. programs. There is the Undergraduate/Undeclared Advising Program for first- and second-year students who are not ready to declare a major. Coming in as an Undergraduate/Undeclared student opens up opportunities to explore more programs and possibilities UCI has to offer. The program is implemented through two main elements - academic advising and academic school assignment. The latter is not a declaration of a major, it’s the online unit assignment and a step towards a major.While the former provides assistance in selecting courses, keeping track of your path to graduation, goal setting and exploring of available majors and minors.

UCI Summer Session has summer programs for incoming first-year students and transfer students and a Leadership Development Program for undergraduate students, which includes seminars, workshops and team-building activities aimed at leadership and mentorship skills development. Study Abroad Center offers experiential learning programs, summer and quarter-length abroad programs, 402 programs in 42 countries through UCEAP. Students can get credits and fulfill degree requirements while studying abroad.

UCI supports young researchers and encourages undergraduates to participate in the university’s research life. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program integrates students into the research culture of UCI. It matches students with research opportunities on- and off-campus, with faculty, industrial partners, national labs, and other universities. Students can conduct research in any discipline, no matter what their major is.