Ripon College Liberal Arts

“THE AIMS AND OUTCOMES OF A

LIBE- RA- L AR- TS EDUC- ATIO- N ARE ESSENTIAL TO

OU- R NA- TIO- N’S FU- TU- RE.”

i

College Learning for the New Global Century, a report issued by the Association of American Colleges and Universities

96% of Ripon students are employed, student teaching, or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.

ACADE-MIC PRO- GRA-MS MAJORS

even better than political science (which we call politics and government here at Ripon).

Anthropology Art Art History Biology Business Administration Chemistry Chemistry-Biology Communication Computer Science Economics Educational Studies English Environmental Studies Exercise Science French Foreign Languages German Global Studies History Latin American Area Studies Mathematics Music Philosophy Physics Politics & Government Psychobiology Psychology Religion Self-designed Major Sociology-Anthropology Spanish Theatre

For example, Stephanie Greene ’72, a Ripon philosophy major, is a vice president

CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

LIBE-RA- L AR- TS MA- JO- RS: ALMOST INFINITELY FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE. At a liberal arts college, almost any major can lead to almost any career.

You can major in music and go to med school or major in biology and become a journalist. Philosophy has established a track record as a great major for law school —

at JPMorganChase. Merline Lovelace ’68, a double major in German and Russian, is a best-selling author of more than 60 suspense and romance novels. Another Ripon philosophy major, Hollywood legend Harrison Ford ’64, is anyone he wants to be.

The bottom line?

Your liberal arts education will change your life and keep changing with your life.

It’s a higher education degree that adds a higher degree of meaning to your world.

“There is such a heavy emphasis on effective communication in the workplace that college students who master these skills can set themselves apart from the pack when searching for employment.”

Marilyn Mackes, executive director, National Association of Colleges and Employers

Education Certification Early Childhood Elementary Elementary/Middle School Secondary Secondary/Middle Music K-12 Physical Education K-12

DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS Engineering Forestry Nursing and Allied Health Sciences/ Medical Technology Social Welfare

PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS Dentistry Journalism Law and Government Library and Information Science Medicine Military Science (ROTC) Ministry Optometry Physical Therapy Veterinary Medicine

THE OU-TCO- ME-S

OF A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION ARE ESSENTIAL TO YOUR SUCCESSFUL FUTURE AS WELL. Your education doesn’t stop when you earn your degree. Your career won’t be defined by your first job. At every step of your life, you’ll be confronted by new ideas and new areas of knowledge to absorb.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, over a 20-year period, Americans change jobs an average of 10 times after graduating from college.

As a graduate of a liberal arts college, you’ll be uniquely qualified to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Because your education has taught you not what to think, but how to think and how to learn, you’ll be able to adapt and apply your knowledge in innovative ways.

DIS-TINC-TIV-E OUTCO- ME-S

OF A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION (no matter what your major) At Ripon, we hold true to the ideals of the liberal arts. From our founding in 1851 to the present day, we’ve produced graduates who succeed in creating meaningful lives, not just making good livings, because they’ve achieved these important outcomes: • Critical thinking skills • Problem-solving skills • Effective written and oral communication skills • Lifelong learning skills • Leadership and teamwork skills • Independence and creativity • High personal and professional ethical standards • Aesthetic sensibility • Global awareness

WHA- T MA- KE-S A LIBE-RA- L AR- TS CO- LLE-GESO- D-IFFE-RE-NT FRO- M OTHE-R CO- LLE-GE-S AN- D UNIVE-RSITIE-S?

1

Intentionally small or moderate in size (Ripon’s enrollment is about 1,000), residential (more than 90 percent of our students live on campus), and all undergraduate.

There may be 20,000 students or more at a big school, but how many of them will you ever even meet? On a small, residential campus, you can get to know everyone, including those of very different backgrounds and cultures. Graduate students often enjoy a privileged status at many schools, but because Ripon is strictly an undergraduate college, our attention is focused squarely on you. You have priority access to all of our resources, facilities and equipment.

2

A low student to faculty ratio (Ripon’s is 15:1) and the majority of classes have fewer than 20 students.

In smaller classes, your professors know what you are capable of and hold you to a high standard. Smaller classes also foster questions and discussions, the best way to learn.

You’ll even have the chance to work one-on-one with a professor on independent studies or research projects. Contrast that to a lecture class with 300 or more students — the instructor won’t even notice if you are there or not.

3

Faculty who are first and foremost devoted to teaching, with a high percentage of full-time faculty holding a Ph.D. or equivalent highest degree.

At many large universities, faculty research is valued more highly than teaching skills. You’ll find many courses are taught by graduate students, not by professors. Ripon’s professors are top scholars in their fields (97% hold a Ph.D.), but teaching is their first priority and they love it. They also involve their students in their ongoing research.

4

A curriculum that emphasizes breadth of knowledge, as well as depth of knowledge in the major field.

This is mission-critical at a liberal arts college. We provide you with a broad foundation of knowledge in the humanities, sciences and social sciences that puts your major studies in context. In daily life, it’s getting harder and harder to draw a line that separates religion and politics or business and ethics or science and philosophy — liberal arts students know the connections.

“The value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.”

Albert Einstein

Office of Admission • 300 Seward St. Ripon, WI 54971-0248 1-800-947-4766 • 920-748-8337 adminfo@ripon.edu • www.ripon.edu

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