College of the Week: Georgetown University (visiting 10/6/11)



Link: Georgetown University



Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institute of higher learning in the United States. Jesuits have played a significant role in the growth and evolution of Georgetown into a global research university deeply rooted in the Catholic faith. Georgetown’s Jesuit tradition also promotes the university’s commitment to spiritual inquiry, civic engagement, and religious and cultural pluralism. The Jesuits are members of the Society of Jesus, an international religious community which was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century. Today, Jesuits continue to enrich the university through their work as scholars, researchers, administrators, chaplains and counselors.

Undergraduates at Georgetown receive a liberal arts education steeped in the Jesuit traditions of social justice and cura personalis, or “care of the whole person.” The university is committed to helping students grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally as well as encouraging them to become thoughtful and caring members of society who contribute to the greater good.

In the classroom, discussions span the universe of human interest. No matter what their academic pursuits may be, all undergraduates explore broad intellectual horizons in one of four undergraduate schools:

• Georgetown College
• School of Nursing and Health Studies
• Walsh School of Foreign Service
• McDonough School of Business

Students are admitted to and receive their degrees from one of the four schools but can take classes offered in any undergraduate school. In fact, students are encouraged to think broadly and take an interdisciplinary approach to their education. Many students major in one school and minor in another, getting valuable experience of studying with students of every major and background.
 Students are encouraged to enhance their classroom learning experience by taking advantage of Georgetown's location in Washington, D.C., holding internships on Capitol Hill, the National Institutes of Health, ABC News, The World Bank, The Smithsonian, Embassies, or with the myriad of non-profit and corporate groups involved with policy-making. Before graduation, 95% of Georgetown students have had at least one internship.

With more than 6,300 undergraduates from all 50 states and more than 130 countries, Georgetown is a vibrant place to live and learn. Visit the Campus Life section of the University's website to find out more about the dynamic Georgetown community. It includes a wide spectrum of student organizations, sports teams and clubs, student publications and student activism in political and social causes. Community is further fostered through residence life, with more than 80 percent of students living on the University campus.