University Definition and 1000 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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  1. T

    Schools What to ask when visiting a university?

    What to ask when visiting a university? Hello everyone, tomorrow and friday I will be visiting a few different universities including UCSB, UCLA, UCR and UCI. I have a meeting with a adviser of the undergraduate mathematics program and UC Santa Barbara. I do not believe she is an actual...
  2. S

    Schools Quality/prestige of department vs. quality/prestige of university

    I am talking about undergraduate; obviously the former is more important for graduate education. However, I have heard that that is not true for undergraduate education. That certainly makes sense if one in unsure of what to major in, or plans on working after college. My question is: if one...
  3. E

    Schools Getting all three degrees from same university? (Math)

    Question for anyone who has been on a Math professor hiring committee? When you were applicants, was it positive, negative or neither if the applicant had all three degrees from the same university?
  4. J

    Schools Getting all three degrees (B.Sc., Masters and PhD)from same University

    If I honestly really like the University I am currently at, so I was wondering if it is acceptable to get all three degrees in Mathematics from this institution if I want to become a Math professor? Some of the professors in their department got all of their degrees from the same university, but...
  5. A

    Schools My chances of making it into university?

    So I'm not too sure of my chances of getting into the following universities: - Princeton - Caltech - MIT - Polytechnic Institute of New York - Harvard (I know its very unlikey) Now my last year of high school will be 2017, yes I am still in grade 9. Recently I've been doing the math & I...
  6. L

    Useful maths & physics books to read before starting university?

    Sorry if this question has been asked a lot before, but... What books would be particularly useful to read before starting university? What books explain tricky undergraduate-level topics really well? My course will hopefully be Mathematical Physics, so any recommendations of maths...
  7. strangerep

    What do University lecturers think of the PF homework forums?

    What do University lecturers think of the PF "homework" forums? I've recently begun to realize how easily the homework forums are corrupted by students doing take-home assignments that contribute to their grade (and are supposed to be non-collaborative). Clearly, I'm rather naive in this, and...
  8. S

    Astronomy Day is coming at my university; any suggestions for demos?

    Thank you for anything you can offer. We've got a plasma globe which we can tie into talking about solar and interstellar plasma, and we have a few Galileoscopes, but we don't really have anything else astronomy-themed. I've been thinking, but haven't come up with many ideas. One idea I did...
  9. D

    Schools University Course: Engineering or Physics?

    I am currently first year at university studying software and electronic engineering. It is okay... but it isn't very interesting. I find physics much more interesting so I've been thinking about changing to it. I would really appreciate it if someone could answer these questions, 1 - Is...
  10. Giant

    Schools Open University degree vs normal degree

    Is the open university degree same as a regular degree? I want to obtain a major of physics from an Indian university. So after I finish with all the course requirement and obtain a mathematics degree from open university (UK), am I considered as a double major by the employers? The reason...
  11. Illuvitar

    Transferring from Community College to University: Balancing Course Load

    Well from what I understand when a student transfers from community college to a university they start with a fresh GPA. Its kind of worrying me that by the time I transfer I will have all of my general eds out of the way and will have only engineering courses every semester till graduation. I...
  12. T

    Size of university and Dark Matter

    I have a Physic 201 understanding of physic. I understand that the most distant star (galaxy) that we can see from the Earth is 4.4 billion light years (the time of the big bang) away. I think this is called the viewing horizon. Assume a person on a planet 4.4 billion light years from...
  13. D

    Schools What Are My Career Options After a Physics Degree?

    Hello, I am Dario and I am a physics major at the University of Western Ontario. I am in my second year and at the point now where I am questioning what I can do with my degree following university. I am curious as to what careers there would be pertaining to a physics degree. I have the...
  14. sheldonrocks97

    Schools Should I Retake Physics I at University?

    I am a senior going to a university in the Fall and I was wondering if I should retake General Physics I, which I took at community college, at a university rather than moving on to General Physics II. I got a B in Physics I, so I did alright considering tests were 70% of our grade and Quizzes...
  15. S

    Schools REU or Summer Research at Own University?

    I am a sophomore physics major attending a top 20 research university in America. I have one year (including one summer) of research done with one professor at my own university (which led to a poster publication but nothing major as of yet), and am now in my first semester of work with a...
  16. J

    Trying to start a space club at university, help?

    Trying to start a "space club" at university, help? I've really been wanting to get into things like model/amateur rocketry and astronomy for some time. My school doesn't have any clubs for that and there are no local organizations as far as I can tell, so I figured I'd just get things going...
  17. P

    Pablo Bahler: Physics Bachelor Questions, University of Leipzig

    hello, my name is pablo bahler, I am from argentina and at the moment i am finishing first year in the physics bachelor of my university. but here the bachelor lasts 5 years so i was considering studying abroad.(university of leipzig). also i have some particular questions about the math...
  18. N

    Schools Any University offering a PhD in Analytics ?

    Hi, I am looking for a PhD program in Analytics. Can anybody help me in shortlisting universities which have PhD programs in Analytics ? My GRE Score is 329/340. Engg CGPA- 6.79/10 and MBA :- 5.09/8. Does work experience count during application ? What weightage do research papers carry...
  19. accelerandom

    Schools Physics Evening Masters at the University of Washington

    Is it worth doing this type of Masters course? I come from a chemistry background (quit a PhD years ago) and want to do a PhD in physics after a gap of several years working in unrelated fields. I don't feel I have sufficient background in physics to step immediately into a PhD program, and I...
  20. S

    University physics - conducting concentric spheres

    Homework Statement Two hollow conducting spheres are connected electrically, and are charged to a potential V. The connection is then removed and the outside sphere is grounded, find the charge and potential of the inner sphere after the grounding. 2. The attempt at a solution I'm not...
  21. T

    University physics, waves, multiple choice.

    Homework Statement A cord with a mass of 40g is tied between two supports with a tension of 19.2N. The natural frequency of the cord is 10Hz. Find the length of the cord a.1.2m b.2m c.289m d.34cm Using your answer from Question 3, how long does the wave take to travel from one end of the...
  22. A

    Kubuntu Internet Connection Issues at University

    Hello I use kubuntu on my computer. Until recently I could normally connect the internet in the university, but now it is impossible. It connects to the network but it doenst redirect to the login screen, hence turning impossible to use the internet. Can someone solve this for me? Thanks.
  23. L

    Schools Montana State University for Physics?

    Hello, I am looking into transferring to Montana State University for physics (undergrad from a 2-year college), they have really good solar physics research going on and the town (Bozeman) is beautiful and inspiring. My only concern is that the classes may be shaky considering that there are...
  24. K

    Schools Carleton university vs. Ottawa University for physics

    Hi guys, I am a high school student in ottawa, and am considering getting a dual major in compsci and physics. We have OttawaU and Carleton here as the only universities, and I am planning on staying in ottawa with my parents. From experience, which university offers a higher quality physics...
  25. W

    Schools Dissection - mandatory for high school and university?

    Dissection -- mandatory for high school and university? Is dissection mandatory for high school and university (biology as a major)? Can one be exempt due to religion and use virtual tech like harvard does?
  26. M

    If you never went to university, would you still have studied physics

    I've been wondering for those of you who went to university or are still at university, if you didn't go that route, do you think you would have still been able to learn physics to the level you understand it now? So with nothing other than books, the internet and some determination do you...
  27. M

    Navigating Physics Career Paths from St. John's University

    Hello everyone. I am a junior standing physics students at a private liberal arts university (St. John's University in Collegeville, MN specifically). I will be graduating in 3 semesters (if all goes according to plan haha) with a BA in physics and I was just wondering if I could see any...
  28. 2

    Schools Does the university matter for an undergrad student?

    Hi I am a 20 year old college student currently studying at my local community college. I am getting the itch to transfer sooner than expected. This coming spring will be my second college semester and I should have 26 credit hours done by the end of May. If I continue with my grades I don't see...
  29. A

    Schools Getting into MSc Physics programme in European university

    Hello I'm doing BSc in Physics from Pune University in India and will pass with very good grades. I want to know how competitive is admission for MSc Physics programme in top European universities. Is it very tough to get into top universities? What do they look for in the application to give...
  30. J

    Schools Horrible grades after college, but I want to go to university

    I have been very lazy in subjects other than physics programming. In things like french, history, languages and the likes, I have already taken the tests in those subjects and my grades are 5,6/10 on average My maths grades are like 6 on average.. I always get the maths perfectly when I read...
  31. N

    Schools Applied Physics/Kettering University Questions

    Hey guys, I was just accepted to Kettering University in Michigan for Applied Physics! I really like the school because of its co-op experience, you spend one quarter of the year taking classes, the next in a co-op with a company, and the rotation continues. However, I was wondering how good...
  32. T

    Schools Question about Calculus 1 in university.

    My question is what does Calculus 1 consist of in college (community college which is not that proof heavy). I have the Morris Kline book which I am self learning from and so far so good. I finally understood how vectors work in reference to an object m sliding down a slope which is...
  33. S

    Looking for old Oxford University mark schemes ~1988-1994

    I have a pack of old "University Of Oxford Delegacy Of Local Examinations" GCE A-Level past papers. The specific paper is PHYSICS 3; they date from the late 80's to mid 90's and are all summertime exam papers. They have been really useful to me so far in some educational physics software I...
  34. N

    Schools Should I apply for Purdue University?

    I want to major in electrical engineering at college but should I apply for Purdue University? If I graduate from that college, will I get a job without difficulty? I don't care about the prestige in college. I just want to receive a good education in electrical engineering and get a job after I...
  35. S

    Using Math in the Real World by the University of London

    I came across this PDF while google'n. It's about how math is used in different jobs and not just some crap about "critical thinking skills" or balance your checkbook. Figured it might be a good resource for high school and college kids. Plus its really highly produced and made by the...
  36. T

    Schools What to look for in a university as a transfer

    Hello everyone, I am currently a California Community College student. I have a 3.7 GPA and rising, so I have great chance in almost all state schools in my state. The top schools here seem to be UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego. In a program in my state we get guaranteed admission to any UC...
  37. D

    Schools Preparing for University: Is Chemistry Necessary for Physics?

    Going off to university :) Hello everyone, I was browsing through the internet, and came upon this forum in hope you guys can lend me a hand :)! In the following year il be applying to university, and going to apply to physics. Now most of the university requirements recommend chemistry, but...
  38. A

    Schools Which university to choose? (Canada)

    Hello all, I am currently in grade 12 and looking to apply for engineering (possibly mechanical) but I am not sure which schools to choose from. I live in Ontario and would prefer a school within the province. The schools that I am interested in are UofT, Waterloo, McMaster, Queens, and...
  39. R

    Schools Thinking of taking first year university physics, any advice?

    I'm thinking of taking it because of the simple reason that I'm really interested in it (I'm replacing it with another course but I'm not going to major in it), its description mentions interesting topics like relativity, time travel, quantum entanglement (sounds interesting yet very scary lol)...
  40. F

    Physics Daily life of a physicist at a university?

    What would a typical day consist of for, say, a theoretical physicist at a University?
  41. A

    Can a professor teach at more than one university?

    I checked my prof on ratemyprof and he apparently teaches at 4 different campuses: 3 campuses for one university and at another campus for another university. How does that work?
  42. C

    Schools Started university mathematics and struggling

    I'm from the UK and began my bachelors in mathematics around a month ago, with the hopes of going on to further study afterwards. My university is one of the best for mathematics and so far I've aced all my previous exams so this is quite a big shock to me. I'm struggling with near enough...
  43. T

    Should I Do Physics At University?

    Hi, I'm new around here and I have a little bit of a problem. I'm a year 10 student (I know it's a little early) and I love the sciences, especially Physics. I really want to do a science at university but my parents don't want me to be a scientist. They want me to be a lawyer or a doctor or...
  44. A

    Schools University Choice for Theoretical Physics

    Hello, all. Perhaps this is the wrong place to post, considering the descriptor for this subforum is "Grad school and PhD help", but I couldn't see an alternative for advice about undergraduate study, so I hope you'll forgive me if this is the wrong place! This is the first forum I've come...
  45. Vahsek

    What are the duties of a university professor/researcher?

    I've been considering a possible career pathway towards becoming a university professor/researcher for quite some time now, and I actually have some questions concerning that. Actually, first of all, what is the difference, if any, between a professor and a researcher? Secondly, aside...
  46. T

    Schools Community college, should I take my math or physics at university?

    My local CSU (cal Poly SLO) has a open university option where I can take classes there assuming there is room after all the students apply. I am not sure if I intend to major in Math or physics yet. Possibly both, but it is extremely hard to do so at Cal Poly SLO, though they only have...
  47. T

    Schools Doing Research as a community college student at a local University

    I just found out if I want to transfer to a UC I will have to take 3 years at my local community college. Is it reasonable to go talk to professors at the local university (Cal Poly SLO) and see if I could do research with them? I do not really have much to offer them other than a dedicated...
  48. B

    Schools University Rankings: Valid Source or Not?

    I know that there are many reasons why university rankings are not a "valid" source of information, but I would really like to know your opinion regarding the following questions: 1) Which ranking do you think it is better (more valid)?.. why? (Arwu, QS, THES, other) 2) How high should be...
  49. dwn

    Exploring Wave Motion of Light in Space: University Physics 2

    *Currently enrolled in University Physics 2* We have not covered the topic pertaining to light yet, but we are working with sinusoidal waves. I would like to better understand the motion of light in space. It is my understanding that light moves in the form of waves, so what causes the wave...
  50. S

    Schools How much did you study per week in university?

    I'm thinking about enrolling into an engineering program soon, I was wondering how many hours per week do you think the average student in mechanical engineering spends studying in class and out of class? Thanks.
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