Sacred Heart University

• Location: Fairfield, USA,
• Year of foundation: 1963,
• Number of students: about 11,170,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of studying: mixed.

Sacred Heart University (SHU) is one of the best universities in the USA according to the rankings of national and international agencies. Being in demand among local and international students, it is also one of the fastest growing Catholic institutions in the country. Today, SHU offers more than 200 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs.

Having started its educational activity in 1963, Sacred Heart University to this day carefully follows its original guidelines: the preservation of Catholic traditions, the provision of high-quality education, and compliance with all modern standards of the academic system. About 11,170 students, some of whom come from 40 different countries, study on educational territories and online. The number of students has increased from 200 to 11,000 since its foundation, which indicates the rapid growth, demand and academic excellence of the institution. The multinational student community is replenished annually with students from all states of the United States, Europe and the Middle East due to a balanced curriculum, an extensive choice of specializations and the competitiveness of the diplomas they receive upon graduation. The exchange program is especially attractive for students, according to which they will be able to spend from a semester to a year in classes at partner universities around the world.

Comprehensive support from qualified teachers, administrative and scientific staff, modern equipment of educational areas, a wide variety of extracurricular areas of development and professional experience — this and much more awaits students at SHU.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What additional activities and clubs are there for students?

Almost anything! Social, sports clubs and events, excellent studying conditions, hundreds of equally passionate peers who are ready to share your interests and hobbies. Universities on their online portals always post comprehensive information about such communities, at the beginning of the academic year they organize introductory events: come and get to know each group and club personally!

The Office of Counseling and Academic Achievement is committed to helping students achieve their academic goals, complete their studies through thoughtful planning, a smooth transition to student life, and academic guidance. Employees organize individual consultations on many issues, including subject tutoring, curriculum adaptation, career opportunities, psychological support.

Sacred Heart University includes specialized colleges, on the basis of which bachelor's, master's, doctoral specializations are taught in the following areas:

• Arts, Sciences,
• Medical professions,
• Nursing,
• Business, Technology,
• Communications, Media, Arts,
• Computer Science, Engineering,
• Education, human development,
• Social work.

There are 15 residential complexes on the SHU campus, each of which offers different types of rooms with diverse comfort levels. All first-year students must choose one of the residences for their first year of study, which can be extended for subsequent years or take the opportunity to move to a more comfortable complex at the university or beyond. The residences have fully furnished single, double, triple or quadruple rooms with high-speed Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are often shared and located on the floor, as well as living rooms, kitchen areas, classrooms for self-study and events, and laundries. All residential buildings are under 24-hour security, access to them is organized using special personal cards. Graduate students live in apartments or townhouses. These rooms offer single bedrooms, access to a shared kitchen, bathroom, and living room for two or four people; in rare cases, all amenities can be customized, but there are very few such rooms on campus.

There are various cafeterias, restaurants, and dining halls on campus, each offering a diverse menu ranging from international cuisine to dietary, vegetarian, and vegan recipes. Students can visit the facilities between classes and before the end of the school day, enjoying hot lunches, snacks, drinks and sandwiches.

Sacred Heart University has a large-scale extracurricular development program for students, including sports sections and NCAA Division I competitions, performing arts courses, volunteer activities and other opportunities.

The sports areas, which are accessible to both more professional students and amateurs, are divided into seasons. Depending on the season, training sessions will take place either indoors or outdoors, in a stadium. Training sessions and competitions are held on campus in the fall semester.:

• Football,
• Volleyball,
• Softball,
• Flag football,
• Basketball.

In the spring, students can try their hand at such areas as:

• Basketball,
• Softball,
• Football,
• Volleyball,
• Hockey,
• Flag football.

Students who are part of NCAA I national teams compete with teams from other universities in the region. Awards earned in competitive sports not only adorn the exhibition halls of SHU, but also provide an advantage for every student-athlete by decorating his resume.

The Performing Arts program provides students with the opportunity to gain skills in theater performance, playing musical instruments, and solo or group singing. By participating in one of the art directions, students become regular participants in campus and field events: concerts, productions, themed evenings. Music, theater, orchestra, and singing lessons will give students a chance to discover and show their talents not only to the university, but also to the outside community. Faith and service are an important aspect of the student life of SHU students. Students can join one of the volunteer clubs, organize charity events and help local residents, work part—time in a chapel or become a permanent member of the Campus Ministry - these opportunities will allow students to develop leadership, communication, mutual assistance, and responsibility skills. More than 100 themed clubs reflect the main hobbies, hobbies and goals of the student community. Teams often organize specialized events, help teachers and external organizations, promote their ideas and receive funding. The clubs are divided into directions:

• Academic,
• Public, civil responsibility,
• Cultural identity,
• Interfaith,
• Leisure, interests,
• Multimedia,
• Pre-professional,
• Student government.

• "One of the best universities with students contributing to public life" — Princeton Review,
• One of the best universities in the USA according to US News & World Report,
• A badge of distinction for high quality teaching, student activity, and successful academic results,
• One of the best undergraduate business schools according to Poets&Quants 2024,
• The five most sought—after bachelor's degrees are "Finance and Business Economics", "Physical Education", "Nursing", "Marketing", "Psychology",
• 100% of graduates are employed or continue their studies at the next stage of education,
• "One of the fastest growing universities offering doctoral programs" — Chronicle of Higher Education,
• Multinational student community with representatives from 43 states, more than 40 countries,
• The ratio of students to teachers is 15:1, allowing students to receive individual attention and timely support.,
• Exchange programs based on cooperation with institutions from 30 countries, including Ireland, Greece, Guatemala,
• More than 100 directions for extracurricular development.

SHU has several academic sites in Fairfield, as well as campuses in Stamford and Griswold, Connecticut, and an academic site in Dingle, Ireland.

The main campus is the Park Avenue Campus, which is adjacent to the West Campus and the University Medical Education Center. The academic grounds are located in Fairfield, 55 miles from New York City. Thanks to the developed transport infrastructure, students can use shuttles to move between academic buildings and travel outside the city in their free time. The campus facilities include modern lecture and conference halls, specialized laboratories with the necessary resources for research and design work, computer labs and a library, cafeterias, sports facilities and much more.

SHU Auxiliary Campuses are:

• The West Campus, located next to the Park Avenue Campus, is home to several specialized colleges. Facilities include state-of-the-art labs specifically designed to support research in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, financial computing, machine learning, virtual reality, and game design.,
• The 120,000-square-foot Martire Center building houses the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the School of Communications, Media, and the Arts. This facility boasts the best equipment in media production, including the Dr. Michelle C. Loris '70 forum, professional news and film studios with control rooms, green screens and editing complexes, high-tech educational laboratories with integrated iMacs.,
• SHU's unique "learning lab" in Griswold provides shared facilities with the public school district, which consists of elementary, middle, and high schools. There are courses in several master's degree specializations, for which subject classes and studios, laboratories have been created.,
• The Center for Medical Education, which houses the College of Health Professions and the College of Nursing, has 120,000 square feet of exceptional teaching space in a three-story building on an 8.7-acre site.,
• Located on the campus of Stamford Hospital, Tandet Center is the site of the Physician Assistant training program at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Here, students gain hands-on clinical experience starting in their first year of study, learning from world-class doctors in an innovative medical environment.

Recreation areas have been prepared at all academic sites, cafeterias and halls for events and meetings of student clubs are open.

The university's sports infrastructure includes indoor and outdoor facilities: fitness halls in residences, a wellness center with gyms, game rooms, playgrounds for team sports, a climbing wall and many others.

The academic year is divided into two semesters.:

• Autumn: August-December,
• Spring: January-May.

Additional trimesters and session weeks are available for some programs and specialties. There are seasonal holidays between semesters, which include rest from classes, as well as during weekends, national and international holidays.

Additional fees may include:

• Registration fee, deposits,
• Accommodation, meals,
• Examination fees,
• Compulsory insurance,
• Some extracurricular activities, student community gatherings,
• Personal supplies, textbooks and books,
• Individual academic and other support not provided by the curriculum,
• Transfers, shuttles,
• Personal pocket expenses.

Most of the stages of admission are available online, so that international applicants can prepare for moving to the United States. Program Registration Process:

• Submission of the application, required documents,
• Payment of the registration fee,
• Passing an interview, possible entrance tests,
• Receiving an official invitation to enroll,
• Making deposits to book a place on the course, in the residence,
• Arrival at the campus to attend welcome events, check into the residence, start of training.

Admissions officers assist applicants at every step of the way, providing support in obtaining a visa, medical and financial documents.

To date, the number of graduates exceeds 58,800 specialists in various fields who have built careers in the United States and other countries. Every year, the university graduates several thousand students, more than 80% of whom are almost immediately employed or enter the next educational stage.

Foreign applicants wishing to enroll in one of the SHU programs must provide a complete set of personal documents, including a passport, medical insurance, visa or residence permit for long-term study in the United States. Depending on the level of education a candidate enters, an applicant must have an academic certificate from the previous place of study: a certificate of full secondary education and a certificate of preparatory course, a bachelor's or master's degree in a related specialty with assessment reports. You should also take a language exam to confirm your English language proficiency: TOEFL (from 80), Duolingo (from 110), IELTS (from 6.5), PTE Academic (from 62) or a university-recognized equivalent.

Some programs have their own requirements for applicants, such as a portfolio, letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors, and a letter of motivation.

SHU offers its students an extensive list of scholarships, grants, and financial aid programs, each of which will cover tuition and other aspects of student activities.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement and can be renewed if success is maintained. Grants are also based on high academic scores, activity in extracurricular life, but some of them will require repayment after a certain time. Financial support is assigned to students who are in a difficult situation.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision