Universities Definition and 269 Threads

A university (Latin: universitas, 'a whole') is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
The word university is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars".The first universities were created in Europe by Catholic Church monks. The University of Bologna (Università di Bologna), founded in 1088, is the first university in the sense of:

being a high degree-awarding institute;
having independence from the ecclesiastic schools, although conducted by both clergy and non-clergy;
using the word universitas (which was coined at its foundation);
issuing secular and non-secular degrees: grammar, rhetoric, logic, theology, canon law, notarial law.

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    Schools Unsure of major as well as wanting to transfer universities (California)

    I have two things that I want to address in this thread and hopefully the community can offer me some advice on how to solve these issues: 1. Choosing between EE and CE I will be starting my second year at my university this coming Fall (2008) and it is by then that I have to declare what...
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    Schools Any Thoughts on Aerospace Engineering Universities

    Hi. I plan to major in aerospace engineering after high school. My question in, does it matter where I go for my undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering? The in-state public university has an AE program, but isn't accredited by ABET. I was wondering whether I should stay in state...
  3. W

    Schools Russian Universities: Theoretical Physics Graduate Programs

    How are Russian Universities for theoretical physics in general? I ask because I might be interested in graduate school there.
  4. M

    Schools Robotics Universities: MIT, CMU, Georgia Tech, Utah

    I know of 4 universities in the US that deal heavily with Robotics. MIT CMU Georgia Tech Utah Do you guys know of any other computer science departments that deal heavily with robotics? Say for instance, they have 3 or more researchers working in robotics.
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    Schools Req: List of (Cheap?) Universities in England

    Hello! I will now start my process to apply for a physics program in England. I choose England because I want to be better at English and its sounds like a nice country, and USA is way too expensive, what I've heard. The only University I have checked so far is Cambridge, and it didnt sound...
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    Universities nothing more than a business?

    If the price of milk went up as much as the cost of college tuitions have risen over the past 20 years, we'd all be paying $15 for a gallon of milk right now. Harvard has a $36 billion dollar endowment (which isn't taxed!) and even received a 23% return on its investments last year...
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    Schools Top 10 Universities for Aerospace Engineering in the world

    Hey guys, i would like to know which universities in the world are best for aerospace engineering as i want to do a master's program. Please Suggest THank you
  8. K

    Schools UK universities for international students

    hi, i have been researching over some UK uni, but most unfortunately most of them do not give full scholarships. anyone knows any decent UK uni which gives good scholarships? and i wanted to know about the different ways to fund an educationin a UK uni when you are an international student. i...
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    Schools Measuring Science and Engineering Programs at Universities

    How can I tell whether or not a school's degree program is worth it or not? I know to stay away from the online degree mills and make sure that all schools are accredited by recogonized associations; however, I do not know how to judge a school's education benefit. Is there any way to find this...
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    Does anyone know any online English degree universities?

    My regards to the community, I am working as an junior to a technical writer and have my job prospects much better but they say that I need an English degree for that. I did think of joining a university but that wouldn’t be practical as I have a job on my hands and a few responsibilities to be...
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    Schools Applying for English Universities

    Hello! Right now I am thinking of applying to a university in England, but it is really difficult to obtain any information about how to apply here in Sweden. I have checked out Cambridges website, but it really doesn't make much sense their either. Because of the lack of information, I missed...
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    Schools About Universities in Europe(excluding UK)

    Hello, My name is Tanuj Trivedi. I am a final year B.Tech. Electronics & Communication Engineering student from Nirma University, Ahmedabad. I'm planning to switch to Physics for my graduation studies, either in India, or in Europe. some universities in EU that provide an MS in English...
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    Schools Maximizing Your Education: How to Transfer Universities for Upper-Level Studies

    Can i do the 1 and 2 years of university and then transfer to another university to do 3rd and 4rth?
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    Schools How are physics programs in Pa universities?

    How are the following college for physics programs Penn State, Widener, Drexel, Blooms burg, and Carnegie Mellon University. Are there any other good colleges for physics major in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia area.
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    Schools SFU: Debunking the Rumors and Revealing the Truth about its Reputation

    Ive heard rumors that Sfu has the highest suicidal rate. Also i want to know why Sfu is so much hated by a lot of people. Alot of people tell me not to consider sfu for business courses or engineering course but people that go to sfu tells me to consider it, so I am confused.
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    To Anyone Who Thinks Universities Don't Indoctrinate

    Please listen to this. You may not agree with it, but he makes some good points, and I wish you will listen and just think about it. Just for the record, he is an academic with a PhD in History from Harvard and is a Professor at Univesity of Pennsylvania. I would love to hear your opinions on...
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    Schools Which top universities should I consider with a 3.8 GPA and SAT score of 1990?

    Reach · Harvey Mudd · Carnegie Mellon University · Northwestern University Match · Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Georgia Tech · Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · Penn State University · University of Wisconsin, Madison Safety · Worcester Polytechnic Institute ·...
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    Schools Universities that offer AI/Robotics

    Hi, I'm Rahul Lakshmanan, planning to apply for the MS/PhD program in Artificial Intelligence/Robotics in the US. As such I know of only a few univs that offer this program as standalone, most notable of those being CMU. I'd like some help with finding out of the other universities...
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    Schools Universities with good physics/astronomy programs?

    Hello all, I'm only in high school but lately I've been looking up Universities that offer majors in physics and astronomy. So far I've been looking at Clemson, The University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and the college I've been looking at the most is the University of Colorado at Boulder. The...
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    What Are the Top Ten Universities Globally?

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7083292.stm Of course, this is based on a general reputation of quality and not individual departments/groups. e2a: The top 100 science ones... Rank Institution Country Score Citations per paper 1 Cambridge University UK 100.0 7.6 2...
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    Schools Comparing Australian Universities for Chemical Engineering Degree

    Hi. I currently live in West Australia (and currently have no plans to move). Next year I am looking at starting a chemical engineering degree, however, there are a few questions i need to ask. Firstly, how important is it that i choose a good university? Do employers seek people from more...
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    Schools Best European Universities in Physics?

    I realize this forum is mostly US focused, but i'd like to know some good european universities in physics. I'd also like to know which areas are more lucrative and/or have more job opportunities. Thanks ^^
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    Schools Top US universities for nuclear physics

    Which are the top universities in the US for graduate studies in nuclear physics?
  24. A

    Schools Virginia Universities: Finding the Best Math & Physics Program

    I am a community college student, that will be soon transferring into a Virginia University. However, I am uncertain which university is best. I want to pursue a major in mathematics and physics, and I have been considering either Virginia Tech, or University of Virginia. I am uncertain which...
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    Schools What are the best strategies for choosing universities to apply to?

    I'll be applying by December. I still haven't decided on what universities I'll be applying to. I guess I'll be applying to at least 15 universities because I also want to apply to collges from the Ivy League, other top colleges, so if I get rejected from them, i should have back up...
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    Schools Undergrads as RAs at Other Universities: A Common Practice?

    How common is it for Canadian undergrads to hold RA positions at universities that they don't attend?
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    Schools What do universities in Canada need(in terms of IGCSE's and AS) to accept you?

    i want to apply to MAcmaster university and i have 5 igcse's. I have good grades but i am wondering if they need more IGCSE's or AS. Can anyone help me...tell me what i need?
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    Schools Application Deadline for Universities in the States?

    Does anyone know what the deadline is for applying for University in the United States? I want to apply for next year and I am wondering when the deadline is. Thank you!
  29. K

    Schools Universities that bust paywalls?

    So, I http://heybryan.org/school.edu on the sorts of schools that I would like to apply to since it is just about time for me. Originally, I started with the list of 50 schools that had MD/PhD programs as sponsored by NIH, and then narrowed it down to those schools that had good chemical and...
  30. S

    Schools U.S. versus Canadian Universities

    If someone graduates from a 3 year Community College Program in Ontario they will be accepted into 3rd year at the U.S.A universities, while they would be accepted into 2nd year in Ontario, why? More rigorous programs in Ontario? Community Colleges do not have Calculus II, Physics, Chemistry...
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    Schools Colleges, Universities, and Rankings

    Hello, I am a high school student who is currently looking at my options for different colleges, cost, rankings, quality of education, and student to teacher ratios. I am a national merit semifinalist and am in serious contention to become a finalist. I hold a 35 out of 36 on the ACT, and...
  32. M

    Schools Reputable post-graduate distance-learning universities

    I would like to do a post-graduate research program in Numerical Physics - with a bias towards the Navier-Stokes equations. The preferred bias would be towards understanding & modeling the physical nature of almost incompressible fluids with a view to developing a wave hypothesis of the N-S...
  33. K

    Schools Which universities near Chicago have strong physics graduate programs?

    I'm not from that area, which is why I ask. Are there any universities near Chicago that have decent physics graduate programs? I know UofChicago has a program that works closely with fermi labs. But how is northwestern? And are there any other schools I may just not have heard of? I know its...
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    Schools US universities for international students

    I’m currently enrolled in high-school in Denmark, a little Scandinavian country. Lately I have seriously considered going to the US to get a university degree, however I’m wondering what is required. My ultimate dream would be to go to MIT or a similar top university. Of course I know this will...
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    Schools Information on certain universities

    Hello, I just needed some information on a few universities, to which I am thinking of applying as an undergrad. My interests are Electrical Engineering, Physics, Maths and Computer Science. Here are the schools : Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ) Rowan University (NJ) New Jersey Institute...
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    Schools Advice on Universities in Canada for international students.

    I’m a student of A’ Level with Phys, Chem., Math, Further Math and General Paper English as my subjects. I just wanted to know which Canadian universities are not only good for their mechanical/electrical engineering programmes but are also affordable for international students (low tuition...
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    Schools Comparison of students from Great Universities and Normal Universities

    Hi all, Is it 100% sure that students graduated from great universities like UC Berkeley or Stanford are much more qualified than those from normal State Universities? Is it 100% sure that alumni of great universities are much more likely to become famous such as inventors or...
  38. M

    Finally I'm going to visit east coast universities

    The Thursday before Labor Day, I will be flying to Boston to visit several colleges. I will visit MIT, Boston University, and Harvard (might as well, since it's right there...) in Boston. From there, my dad and I will be driving to Ithaca, New York. More or less along the way are Brown and Yale...
  39. M

    Top 20 Electronic/Information Technology Engineering Universities

    Could someone give me the list of the top 20 Electronic/Information Technology Engineering Universities in the United States and Canada? I really need this...
  40. T

    Schools Top Canadian Universities for Undergrad Physics Programs

    Which universities in Canada have good undergrad physics programs? How important is it where one's undergrad degree comes from? I have no idea what I want to do, or the field in which I would like to specialise.
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    Schools Which US University Should I Choose for a PhD in Physics?

    Hi, i am currently in a french university (Université Pierre&Marie Curie, Paris) and i am still an undergraduate (in Physics). I plan to make my studies in the US next year, and i can choose between the "George Washington University" and the "University of Connecticut" (Storrs). Which...
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    Schools International Universities (outside US)

    Does anyone know much about the graduate programs in schools outside of the U.S. The only schools I know that have reputations are Cambridge and Oxford. I would appreciate it, if someone could provide me with information about the top schools in the U.K., or anywhere else in the world that...
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    Schools Physics G.R.E. for top universities in U.S.

    I am saiarun doing my M.Sc(physics)specialization in Electronics in India. I wish to pursue M.S. or Ph.D in Nanotechnology in U.S. . I wish to get into any of the top ranking universities in U.S. like stanford,caltech ,harvard etc. I will be working as project assisstant for next one year in...
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    Schools Choice between a few American Universities

    Hi everyone, i am actually studying Physics in a French University (University Paris 6 Pierre and Marie Curie), i have completed my first year and i am now going on my 2nd. For my 3rd year (year 2006/2007), I would like to participate in an exchange programm that my university has with a few...
  45. S

    Schools German Universities: Known in America?

    A question to people from America: are any German universities known in America?
  46. A

    Schools What system of measurment is used in US Universities?

    Hello. I know that the United States officially uses the Imperial Measurement System (eg. feet, inches) instead of the Metric System (eg. centimeters, kilometers). What system is most commonly used at universities in the US? Are courses in the US taught primarily in the Imperial System...
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    Schools Studying at the top universities

    As we all know, genius, curiosity, persistance and self-motivation are all important factors that can lead a person to greatness. If so, how about getting into the high-ranked Universities and studying at the great Universities? Is it also one of the factors to lead greatness?
  48. M

    Schools Which Canadian University Should I Choose for Engineering: U of T or Waterloo?

    Just wanted to say thanks to everyone on the forums who have responded to my hwk questions when i need help. Now I need a different kind of help on deciding what university to go to. Here is what I am deciding between(Canadian Universities), U of T: Engineering Science, computer option and...
  49. M

    Which University Should I Go To in Ontario, Canada?

    I applied to two universities in Ontario, Canada; McMaster University in Hamilton and Ryerson University in Toronto, both for electrical engineering. I was wondering, which one should I go to? I was accepted to both universites for every program taht I applied to, yet I am in a struggle with...
  50. M

    Schools Which University to Attend in Canada - McMaster or Ryerson?

    I applied to two universities in Ontario, Canada; McMaster University in Hamilton and Ryerson University in Toronto, both for electrical engineering. I was wondering, which one should I go to? I was accepted to both universites for every program taht I applied to, yet I am in a struggle with...
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