Academic Catalog

2023-2024

Special Programs and Opportunities

Pre-Professional Programs

Denison's commitment to the liberal arts, the strength of our pre-professional advising, and the success of our graduates have made Denison well-known by professional schools ranging from medicine and business to law and engineering. Pre-professional career coaching is provided by the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, which, along with faculty, provides a strong and knowledgeable advising system. Denison has earned the respect of deans of professional and graduate schools who recognize the value of the liberal arts education received at Denison.  Whether a student earns a bachelor's degree at Denison and then goes on to a professional school or combines three years of study here with time at another university, a Denison education will contribute significantly to the attainment of professional goals. Please note that Denison financial aid can be applied only during the student's time at Denison. Interested students should discuss other financial aid opportunities with partnering institutions.

Pre-Health

Healthcare admission decisions, including but not limited to, medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing and veterinary medicine, etc., are based on performance on nationally-sponsored admissions tests (Medical College Admissions Test, Dental Admission Test, Graduate Record Examination), on academic achievement in both science and non-science courses, as well as other components such as personal statements and experiences. Most of our undergraduates considering the health professions bolster their preparations and gain an overview of several related fields by conducting internships, externships and health-related volunteer work in hospital and/or clinical settings.

Pre-Law

Denison graduates are typically successful in gaining admission to law schools across the country. Students' performance on the Law School Admission Test and their academic records are the major determining factors in the admissions decision. The acceptance rate of Denison graduates is consistently well-above the national average. Representatives from a number of schools regularly visit the campus. Attending career panels, programs and completing internships in legal settings helps students make informed career decisions.

Business

A broad-based undergraduate program in the liberal arts is one of the most satisfactory preparations for graduate study in business administration and management, and many Denison graduates continue their studies in programs across the country. The current national trend is to encourage students to work several years between undergraduate and M.B.A. programs and Denison students can receive advice on preparing for business school.

Engineering

With a long-standing tradition of strength in science and pre-engineering, Denison offers two plans to prepare for an engineering career. In the first, students receive a bachelor's degree after four years at Denison with a major in natural sciences or mathematics, followed by two years of graduate work at another institution leading to a master's degree in engineering. Denison students are regularly accepted to graduate engineering programs at leading universities.
 
The second plan is a 3+2 / 4+2 program in which students study three or four years at Denison, and an additional two years at an affiliated engineering school, resulting in two bachelor's degrees. Denison is affiliated in such dual-degree programs with Washington University (St. Louis) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Students interested in these plans should contact the Pre-Engineering Director, Steven Doty, at their earliest opportunity. The required math and science courses typically include:
PHYS 125Principles of Physics I: Quarks to Cosmos
PHYS 126Principles of Physics II
PHYS 127Principles of Physics III
PHYS 200Modern Physics
MATH 135Single Variable Calculus
MATH 145Multi-variable Calculus
MATH 213Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
CHEM 131Atoms and Molecules: Structure and Dynamics
CS 173Intermediate Computer Science

Additional courses may be required, depending on the chosen field of engineering.

Denison Internship Program

The Denison Internship Program, managed by the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, offers students a structured learning experience as they explore career fields and apply academic coursework to the workplace. Participation in the program provides a three-tiered partnership between students, employers, and the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration. By setting internship goals at the onset of the experience, students are empowered to declare what they hope to learn, achieve, and contribute. Midway through the internship experience, students will review their progress towards their goals and near the end of the term, students are prompted to reflect on the experience through a self-evaluation and reflection process. Through the Denison Internship Program, students will earn academic transcript notation for their internship experience once all requirements are met successfully and approved by the Knowlton Center.

Denison Museum

The Denison Museum is a teaching museum located in Burke Hall. Each semester, Denison Museum staff works with faculty, students, and other campus organizations to provide integrative learning opportunities through changing exhibitions and the more than 9,000 objects in the permanent collection. Every year, the Denison Museum also hires 8-10 year-long interns and 2-6 summer interns from all four liberal arts divisions through the MyDenison portal or Handshake. Student interns gain extensive transferable skills by participating in exhibition preparation and research, creating promotional materials using "InDesign" and other technologies, creating videos and podcasts of Museum events, the careful handling of objects, research, and documentation, and through assisting in the creation of educational materials for class and community visits. Denison Museum interns are frequently successful in securing professional internships or advancing careers in related fields or admission to graduate programs in museum studies and professional writing based on work at the Museum. More information on the Denison Museum is available.  

Curricular and Co-Curricular Service-Learning

Curricular Service-learning

Faculty who incorporate curricular service-learning in their courses each semester use community-situated service and regular opportunity for structured reflection as an additional ‘text’ for their courses; this pedagogy deepens student engagement and provides students with experience in applying concepts and skills in "real world" settings. The activities undertaken during service-learning courses allow students to work collaboratively with community partners, in a reciprocal and respectful dialogue.

Faculty Members:  A wide range of support is available for faculty. This includes access to one-on-one training and periodic faculty development workshops around course design, opportunities for mini grants each semester, support to help faculty work out placements that will fit the course and the faculty member’s learning objectives for it, logistical support, and assistance in identifying and maintaining the community placement.  For more information, contact the Alford Coordinator for Curricular Service Learning.

Co-Curricular Service-learning

The Alford Community Leadership & Involvement Center (CLIC) team recognizes the importance of co-curricular activities as a key part of the college experience. Students who become involved in co-curricular activities in college benefit personally, socially, as well as academically. CLIC promotes and supports co-curricular service-learning by engaging the Denison community in three areas: Denison Community Association, America Reads, & Denison Service Orientation. In addition, CLIC sponsors leadership programming, campus activities, student organizations, and fraternity and sorority life.  For more information, contact the Alford Community Leadership and Involvement Center.

Center for Learning and Teaching

The primary goal of Denison’s Center for Learning and Teaching is to support and collaborate with faculty at all career stages, considering questions, ideas, activities, and research on teaching and learning. The Center provides support for faculty development and mentoring related to the practice of effective teaching. Specific offerings include:

  1. Teaching and learning seminars for early-career faculty

  2. Teaching-related workshops, brown-bag lunches, reading and discussion groups

  3. One-on-one consultations and classroom teaching observations to provide formative feedback of teaching

  4. Collaboration among faculty, faculty groups, professional staff, and administrative offices in order to initiate and promote a variety of faculty development programs and resources that address teaching, learning, scholarship, and mentoring

  5. Support for the development of faculty pedagogical and curricular projects

  6. Participation and leadership in forging relationships and collaborations between Denison’s faculty development programs and other professional organizations

The Center is located on the atrium level of the Library. Lew Ludwig (Department of Mathematics) is the Center's director. Additional information can be found at the Center's website.