Clark Is a Verb

CLARK IS A VERB

An introduction to our academic experience and community: who we are, what we do, why we do it

THIS IS WHO WE ARE

We’re a small research university with a robust liberal-arts curriculum, and we’re here to make an impact. Innovation is in our DNA — we’re the birthplace of modern rocketry, the wind chill factor, and the birth control pill. Our students continue to invent world-changing solutions every year.

We’re a home for students who get involved, make connections, and embrace differences. Clarkies believe that education should be effective, awe-inspiring, and relevant — a mind-blowing tool for change.

“Clark teaches you to ask: What can be changed? What voices need to be included? What local solutions will work? It’s about thinking differently — and making a difference.”

COLLEEN F. ’22 international development and social change Maplewood, New Jersey

WE MAKE OUR OWN WAY

We offer more than 40 adventurous majors and minors (such as management, global environmental studies, international development and social change), along with over a dozen interdisciplinary concentrations. Thirty percent of Clarkies double major, often making unconventional (yet secretly brilliant) combinations. Additionally, one in three Clarkies take advantage of our Accelerated B.A./ Master’s Degree Program, which provides an exceptional opportunity to earn a master’s in one year on a full or partial scholarship.

“We don’t tell students that they have to fit into a predetermined structure. Instead, we invite them to take ownership of their education.”

BETSY HUANG

Associate Provost and Dean of the College Associate Professor of English

MAJORS, MINORS, & CONCENTRATIONS

Actuarial & Financial Mathematics*

Africana Studies*

Ancient Civilization

Arabic Studies*

Art History

Arts Management*

Asian Studies

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Biology

Business Data Analytics*

Chemistry

Combined Languages

Community, Youth, & Education Studies

Comparative Literature

Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies*

Computational Science*

Computer Science

Creative Writing

Dance*

Data Science

Economics

Education*

English

Entrepreneurship & Innovation*

Environmental Science

Ethics & Public Policy*

Finance

French & Francophone Studies

Genocide & Human Rights*

Geography

Geospatial Data Analytics*

German Studies*

Global Environmental Studies

Health, Science, & Society*

History

Interactive Media

International Development & Social Change

Jewish Studies*

Latin American & Latinx Studies*

Law & Society*

Management

Marketing

Mathematics

Mathematics Education

Media, Culture, & the Arts

Music

Peace & Conflict Studies*

Philosophy

Physics

Political Science

Psychology

Screen Studies

Sociology

Spanish

Student-Designed

Studio Art

Theatre Arts

Urban Studies*

Women’s & Gender Studies

ACCELERATED B.A./ MASTER’S PROGRAMS

Accounting

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Biology

Business Administration

Business Analytics

Chemistry

Communication

Community Development & Planning

Environmental Science & Policy

Finance

Geographic Information

Science

History

Information Technology

International Development

Management

Marketing

Physics

Public Administration

Teaching

*Available as a minor or concentration only

WE DO WORK THAT MATTERS

We’re always exploring, applying, refining, and venturing further. Every Clarkie completes at least one internship or experiential learning opportunity. We offer access to more than 50 study abroad programs, many of which involve service, research, and cross-cultural collaboration. Many Clarkies work alongside professors doing groundbreaking research. Our Problems of Practice courses give students hands-on experience at the frontier of their field.

RECENT PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE COURSES

Art, the Public, and Worcester’s Cultural Institutions

Community-Based Entrepreneurship

Mobile Software Development

Public History: Race in the U.S.

Small-Scale Land Conservation in Massachusetts

The Social Innovator’s Toolbox

Spanish Translation Workshop

Technology of Renewable Energy

Urban Community Journalism

Water and the City: A Socio-Hydrology of Worcester

Youth Work: Practice and Social Justice

“I’ve found that faculty here are just as excited about meeting students as students are to meet faculty! They’re excited about my school work, but also about what I’m doing outside of school. They always ask what I’m involved in and where I see myself going academically. Everyone is so friendly and prioritizes community.”

LILI B. ’24 sociology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

WE GO FURTHER

We make connections between classroom and career, campus and city, personal achievement and social progress. Our Student Success Center is home to advisers and programs that help students identify their strengths, discover new interests, and gain real-world experience. Every student completes a capstone project, high-level work that also serves as preparation for graduate study or professional placement.

RECENT CAPSTONE PROJECTS

A documentary chronicling an Armenian NGO’s peace-building efforts

Clinical rotations in the emergency department and other areas of Bellevue Hospital

A study of communitybuilding in Lebanese refugee camps

An internship at a sustainable farm in Massachusetts

Summer course instruction on government and history to low-income middle school students

An investigation of rural resistance to gold mining in northeast Thailand

A method for applying machine learning to digit recognition

Research on the effects of ethnonationalism on gentrification in Haifa, Israel

An accessibility extension for Google Chrome

A laboratory-based study of the biochemical and biophysical aspects of a specific protein

An internship at an urban architecture conservation firm in Bogotá, Colombia

“Life isn’t linear. We get that. We teach to that reality. This is also a place where we encourage risk-taking. And risk-takers go places.”

GINO D i IORIO Professor, visual and performing arts

THE FACTS

Founded in 1887

Birthplace of modern rocketry, wind chill factor, and the birth control pill

The only place in the U.S. where Sigmund Freud ever gave a lecture

AVERAGE CLASS

SIZE: 18

9:1 student-to-faculty ratio

50+ majors and minors

Most popular majors: interactive media, psychology, biology, management, political science, and economics

New majors for Fall 2023: creative writing

50+ study abroad programs

#4 GAME DESIGN PROGRAM IN THE WORLD

(2024 Princeton Review)

100% of students complete an internship or experiential learning opportunity

15 tuition-free accelerated B.A./ master’s degree programs

95% of graduates are employed, in graduate school, or performing voluntary service within six months of graduation

No. 5 Impact School

(2024 Princeton Review)

1 of 40 Colleges That Change Lives

TOP 10% Colleges with the Best Professors in America

(2024 Niche.com)

2,361 undergraduate students from 48 states and 52 countries

7% international

25% students of color

15% first-generation

89% receive financial aid

22% pell-eligible

130+ STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

0 fraternities and sororities

Clark \klärk\ verb : to ask questions, make discoveries, invent the technologies of the future: to challenge convention and change the world.

Clarkies are doers; in addition to exploring their passions and curiosities in the classroom, Clarkies get involved in clubs, student organizations, sports, and the community. They’re competitive athletes and kind teammates. Clarkies aren’t limited to the bounds of our campus — and you can find them making a positive impact in our neighborhood of Main South, the city of Worcester, and around the country and globe.

What’s the one thing Clarkies always say in response to your idea for starting a band, starting a business, trying a new food, joining a pickup game of basketball, taking that internship in London, going to a concert, etc.?

A PRETTY MUCH RANDOM SAMPLE OF:

WORDS/PHRASES THAT CLARKIES (AND CLARK PROFESSORS) USE TO DESCRIBE CLARKIES

Passionate. Welcoming. Down-to-earth. Self-assured (but not arrogant). Expressive. Uncommonly nice. Very involved. Glass-half-full people. Not status-oriented. They want to be responsible citizens. They have people skills. They figure it out. They make it happen.

GLORIOUS ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

International Gala (300 student performers!). Hip Hop Collabo performances (beloved student-run dance group). New Play Festival (biennial festival of plays written, produced, and performed by students).

ClarkFEST (students present summer research — yes! It’s actually fun!). Spree Day (legendary campus-wide celebration of spring).

REASONS TO LOVE WORCESTER

Ice skating on the oval at Worcester Common. One of the region’s biggest art, music, and performance festivals (stART on the Street) is right down the street. The 400-acre Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary is within the city limits. Great food from around the world (Ethiopia, Vietnam, El Salvador, etc.). Worcester is home to both a major gathering of street artists (Pow! Wow! Worcester) and a renowned art museum (the Worcester Art Museum).

STUDENT-RUN CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

African Diaspora Dance Association. Asian Culture Society. Association of Martial Artists of Clark. Black Student Union. Clark Competitive Computing Club. Clark Entrepreneurship Club. Clark Film Production Society. Clark University Choirs. Clark University Players’ Society. Clark’s Women in STEM. Jazz Workshop. Latin American Student Organization. Mock Trial. Outing Club. Prelaw Society. Prism (LGBTQ+). Radio of Clark University. The Scarlet (newspaper).

Worcester

WORCESTER FACTS:

2 ND largest city in New England

206,518 residents

1 HOUR to Boston

New York City

Boston

3 HOURS to New York City

60+ city parks

11 Colleges in the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (HECCMA)

40+ Restaurants on Shrewsbury Street, aka “Restaurant Row”

37,500 Pieces at the Worcester Art Museum (free to Clark students)

10+ Places to get coffee and tea on or near campus

64 home games for the WooSox, Worcester’s new minor league baseball team; the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox

STUDY ABROAD

Take your studies outside of the classroom — way outside! About one third of Clarkies will study abroad or away during their time at Clark, mostly during their sophomore or junior year. The Office of Study Abroad and Away will help you find the right fit from our 50+ approved programs or explore something new. Clark hosts approved programs in the following locations:

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Cambodia

Cameroon

Costa Rica

Czech Republic

Ecuador

England

France

Germany

Greater China

Guatemala

Iceland

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Mexico

Morocco

Namibia

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Peru

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Rwanda

Scotland

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

United States

“To live on my own and travel on my own— that’s a different type of freedom. Everything was new to me. And I discovered that I can overcome any obstacle.”

AHIELA W. ’21 psychology, Umbra Institute, Perugia, Italy

THE CLUB SCENE

It’s easy to get involved in our community. We offer 130+ student clubs and organizations, plus leadership opportunities and intramural and club sports. Check out a sample below. Don’t see anything you like? Then create your own club!

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL

Clark Entrepreneurship Club

Model United Nations

Women in STEM

ARTS AND PERFORMANCE

Film and photography clubs

Improv troupes

Performing troupes: drama, choir, dance

COMMUNITY SERVICE

All Kinds of Girls

Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Big Sibs

Youth Outreach Worcester

CULTURE AND IDENTITY

Black Student Union

International Students’ Association

Prism (LGBTQ+)

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE

ACE Mentors

Clark Undergraduate Student Council

Peer Mentors

ATHLETICS IN NUMBERS

17 NCAA Division III sports

100% of teams participate in community service

25-YARD competition-sized pool with one- and three-meter diving boards

10-MINUTE drive to Donahue Rowing Center on Lake

Quinsigamond, one of the largest rowing facilities on the East Coast

6 elasta-turf courts at Corash Tennis Courts

2 fully updated turf fields for lacrosse/soccer and baseball/ field hockey

THE LINEUP

MEN’S VARSITY SPORTS

Baseball

Basketball

Cross Country

Lacrosse

Soccer

Swimming & Diving

Tennis

WOMEN’S VARSITY SPORTS

Basketball

Cross Country

Field Hockey

Lacrosse

Rowing

Soccer

Softball

Swimming & Diving

Tennis

Volleyball

CLUB SPORTS (NON-VARSITY, INTERCOLLEGIATE)

Basketball

Equestrian

Golf

Ice Hockey

Soccer

Squash

Ultimate Frisbee

Volleyball

“The rowing team has the best team atmosphere I’ve ever been part of. Even though we are a large team with more than thirty athletes, we are very connected. I love that I get to connect with my team through their various passions, such as their lab research projects and their art.”

MAGGIE M. ’26 undeclared, Berlin, Maryland.

READY TO CALL YOURSELF A CLARKIE?

EARLY DECISION I AND EARLY ACTION I:

November 15

EARLY DECISION II AND REGULAR DECISION:

January 15

APPLICATION FEE: $0

ANNUAL APPLICATIONS: 10,000+

ACCEPTANCE RATE: 42%

STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES: Optional (and have been since 2012)

WHERE TO START: apply.clarku.edu