About Temple University

A View of Temple University

Temple University: a lesson in contrasts. A commitment to teaching with a desire to learn from new experiences. The dazzle of the city and the rolling green of the suburbs. A dedication to new technologies and cutting-edge research built upon decades of practical experience in the field.

Located in the heart of metropolitan Philadelphia, Temple’s Main Campus reflects the history and diversity of over 100 years of educating young men and women. From historic College Hall to state-of-the-art "smart" classrooms in Tuttleman Learning Center to the Liacouras Center, a thriving sports, entertainment and recreation complex, Temple University affirms its commitment to learning, teaching, and living.

As an internationally recognized institution, Temple has earned its reputation. Temple’s commitment to teaching and research has attracted top faculty members to each of its 127 bachelor’s degree programs, as well as to its professional, master's, and doctoral programs. Temple professors are committed not only to research and teaching but to their students as well. A 15-1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures that students and professors develop a close rapport that enhances the learning experience.

Temple’s campus extends further than its North Philadelphia roots. It offers campuses and programs of study in Center City Philadelphia, Ambler and Harrisburg, PA. The Temple University Health Sciences Center, located just two miles north of the Main Campus, is home to the Temple University schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy. It also includes the Temple University Hospital, a world-class medical facility. For the diversity of an international program, Temple has campuses in Rome and Tokyo as well as opportunities to study on almost every continent in countries such as England, Germany, Ghana, France, Spain, India, and Scotland. On campus, programs such as the Latin American Studies Semester provide an in-depth study of foreign cultures right at home.

Temple understands that the college experience is not limited to what happens in the classroom. To that extent, the university offers an array of recreational and cultural activities that reflects the diversity of its student body. There are dozens of student-run organizations in health, business, recreation, or religion that fit your background or desire to learn. There are also many social and professional Greek associations to join. Temple’s traditional Spring Fling and Cherry and White Day invigorate the campus every year. New on-campus student housing and an attractively renovated Student Center underscore Temple's commitment to enriching campus life.

Let’s not forget Temple athletics and its tradition of excellence. Teams compete in almost every intercollegiate sport, from basketball to fencing, most at the national-collegiate level. If participating in athletics is more your speed, you can choose from a variety of intramural sports, as well as the many offerings from the state-of-the-art recreation facilities.

If you’ve managed to exhaust Temple’s recreational opportunities, Philadelphia is bound to keep you busy. Enjoy the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Zoo, or the Philadelphia Orchestra. Tour the historic neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and see the Liberty Bell and Independence Mall. Or enjoy world-class theater from touring Broadway shows or local performances at the new Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The First Union Center on South Broad Street showcases a variety of entertainment opportunities. You can catch any of Philadelphia’s four professional sports teams in action or concerts by any band or artist you can imagine. Large or small, in the city or around the world, on the field or in the classroom, Temple University gives students every opportunity. Come find the one for you.

--Adapted from comments by Carrie Tolerico, journalism major, Class of 2003, and Brian White, political science and journalism/public relations and advertising major, Class of 2005

The University: Where We've Been and Where We're Going

Temple University was founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell as an outgrowth of his ministry at the Baptist Temple. Dr. Conwell wanted to make higher education available to all capable and motivated students regardless of their backgrounds and finances. His college began as informal classes for seven people and was first housed in the meeting rooms of his church.

More than 100 years later, having emerged as a major educational enterprise, Temple University continues the Conwell mission. Temple is today the 39th largest university in the United States and the largest public university provider of professional education (law, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and podiatric medicine) in the country.

Temple is a world-class center of teaching, research, and health care. The University is identified in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as one of only a hundred or so public institutions nationally (and one of six in Pennsylvania) that are designated as "Doctoral/Research Universities—Extensive." Temple serves as a vital research center for the United States government and is one of the three national survey research facilities.

From its roots in the historical and cultural richness of Philadelphia, Temple has become a major international university. With seven regional campuses as well as foreign campuses in Tokyo, Japan, and Rome, Italy, Temple attracts over 30,000 students from across the nation and around the world. In addition to its campuses in Tokyo and Rome, Temple has connections to campuses on virtually every continent, and its professors are known both nationally and internationally.

Through its various schools and colleges, Temple University offers academic programs on both undergraduate and graduate levels. There are 9 associate degree areas, 127 bachelor's degree areas, 132 master's degree areas, 61 doctoral degree areas, and 6 first professional degree areas. In the 2002-03 academic year, Temple University awarded 20 associate's degrees, 3,377 bachelor's degrees, 1533 master's degrees, 236 doctorate's and 711 first professional (JD, MD, DMD, DPM, PharmD) degrees.

The University is proud of its distinguished faculty, many of whom possess national and international reputations. These award-winning scholars and teachers offer students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels the education and training they need to succeed. At the undergraduate level, average class size is 25, and most of these students are taught by senior faculty. One of the nation's major centers of teaching, research, and service, Temple is one of three public research universities in Pennsylvania and the second largest in the state. It is a leader in medicine and biomedical research, and the Temple University Health System, Inc., provides the most advanced care for thousands of residents throughout the region.

Temple has also been a leader in bold curricular initiatives. It was one of the first public research institutions to establish a rigorous, university-wide core curriculum in its undergraduate schools and colleges. Temple also has received national recognition for its Learning Communities, in which incoming freshmen form small groups according to their majors and interests. In addition, the University's Honors program is already a model for other colleges and universities.

Temple University is a member of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania and is supported by student tuition; annual appropriations from the Commonwealth; federal grants; gifts from alumni, corporations, and friends; and income from endowments. Temple University is governed by a 36-member Board of Trustees. David Adamany is the University's eighth president.

Temple University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education. Most of Temple's schools and colleges have received additional accreditation from other agencies, noted in each school and college's section of this Bulletin.

More information on the university could be located at the Temple University Factbook (http://www.temple.edu/factbook/).

The Undergraduate University Policies specified in this bulletin covers all students taking courses at all Temple University campuses worldwide. Maps and descriptions of the Pennsylvania region campuses are provided in the following section.