Fairleigh Dickinson University

The largest private university in New Jersey, FDU is a not-for-profit, nonsectarian, multicampus institution. Founded in 1942, FDU achieved four-year status in 1948 and approval as a university in 1956.

The University offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs in pharmacy, nursing practice, clinical psychology and school psychology; and an AACSB-accredited business school. Degree programs are offered on two New Jersey campuses and at two FDU locations outside the U.S.: Wroxton College, in Oxfordshire in England, and the Vancouver Campus, in British Columbia, Canada.FDU's 11,500 full- and part-time students pursue quality career-oriented programs on schedules tailored to their needs -- days, evenings and weekends.The curriculum reflects a mission of global education and a foundation of a world-renowned University Core.

Fairleigh Dickinson University adheres to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.A college or university has the flexibility to select the appropriate accommodations after consultation with the student. Students are advised to request in writing a specific accommodation for their disability, providing complete documentation, at least 30 days before the start of the semester.

At Fairleigh Dickinson University, we believe that global education is much more than having international campuses or exchange programs. It is also a curriculum that ensures that all of our students will be able to succeed in a world marked by interdependence, diversity and rapid change. A global education is one that provides knowledge and understanding of culture, language, geography and global perspectives. A global education trains students to rapidly access and evaluate a wealth of international information resources. Most importantly, a global education is one that enables students to understand the world through the eyes of others and teaches them how their actions can affect, and be affected by people throughout the world. These ideas are not new -- indeed they reflect the essential nature of a liberal arts education. Yet, at the dawn of the 21st century, they have never been more relevant.

Two very different models of global education have emerged in the United States during the past decade. The first model seeks to prepare college graduates for personal success in the global marketplace, where individuals can reasonably expect to change professions several times over a working lifetime. In an era of globalization and rapidly evolving technologies students must prepare not merely for their first job but must develop general competencies that will help them throughout their careers. The second model seeks to prepare graduates for responsible membership in the global community. As people and places grow increasingly interdependent, and the causes and solutions to global problems grow increasingly complex, individuals must possess the general competencies needed to enjoy the rights and fulfill the responsibilities of full and equal membership in the global community.

Fairleigh Dickinson University is a center of academic excellence dedicated to the preparation of world citizens through global education. The University strives to provide students with the multi-disciplinary, intercultural, and ethical understandings necessary to participate, lead, and prosper in the global marketplace of ideas, commerce, and culture.

Founded in 1942 by Dr. Peter Sammartino and his wife, Sylvia (Sally), Fairleigh Dickinson University has grown into the largest private university in New Jersey. Today, more than 11,500 students from 32 states and 72 countries are enrolled on the University's two campuses in northern New Jersey and its international campuses in Wroxton, England and Vancouver, Canada. Beginning as a two-year junior college, Fairleigh Dickinson expanded to a four-year curriculum in 1948 to fill the need for higher education in northern New Jersey. In 1954, the first graduate program, a master's degree in business administration, was offered, and Bergen Junior College was purchased as a second campus, now Metropolitan Campus. In 1956, Fairleigh Dickinson gained University status and, one year later, the 178-acre Vanderbilt-Twombly estate was acquired in Madison to serve as a third campus, now Florham Campus.

FDU became the first American university to own a campus in England when it acquired Wroxton College from Trinity College, Oxford University. Opened in 1965, Wroxton College offers American students graduate and undergraduate courses as well as an enriching cultural experience. Formerly a 13th-century abbey, Wroxton College is now a beautifully restored and modernized Jacobean mansion. In 2007, FDU commenced undergraduate classes at a facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Recognizing that the student profile on most U.S. campuses is changing dramatically, the University's Petrocelli College of Continuing Studies (originally New College of General and Continuing Studies) was formed in 1998 to provide a unified approach to and enhanced focus on the adult learner and to continue to position FDU as a leader in providing learning opportunities in a strong academic foundation for students of all ages.

FDU has maintained its commitment to broadening global horizons and fostering greater international understanding. In 2000, the Board of Trustees adopted a focused mission for FDU: to prepare students for world citizenship through global education.

Each of the University campuses has a unique character and vitality. Students benefit from studying at a comprehensive university that offers a wide range of programs and courses, but they also enjoy an atmosphere of warmth and personal attention usually found at much smaller institutions.

Today, FDU offers over 100 degree programs at the associate, baccalaureate, master's and doctor's levels. Its wide range of offerings, coupled with the depth and expertise of its faculty, has Fairleigh Dickinson University poised to serve the citizens of New Jersey and beyond.