Welcome to the University

A Message to Students

Welcome to the 2020-21 academic year at the University of Delaware.

We are thrilled that you have joined us on this lifelong journey of learning and discovery. We are committed to your success by helping you develop the interdisciplinary knowledge, creativity and critical thinking skills you’ll need to solve the biggest challenges facing our world.

UD has it all! We are proud of our long tradition of scholarly excellence and our rich legacy of enduring contributions to nearly every aspect of modern life. We have outstanding faculty who believe in the power of active and experiential learning, and we have a dedicated staff whose hard work every day makes the UD experience possible. We have more than 180,000 loyal Blue Hen alumni around the world, eager to serve as your mentors and role models. Most importantly, we have you - ­students who are committed to acquiring and advancing knowledge in the arts, humanities, science, engineering, health, education, economics and many other fields.

In the pages of this catalog, you’ll read about the many courses available at UD; they are the essential bricks and mortar of your degree curriculum. But getting a true education also requires your active participation and your contributions. We need your endless curiosity and your diligent effort. We need you to explore and to seek a better understanding of the world beyond what you’ve known. We need you to apply your passions and skills in service to others. 

At UD, you’ll be challenged by new ideas, exposed to new cultures and encouraged to see yourself and the world from new perspectives. And, together, we will be partners on this never-ending quest for knowledge and understanding.

Sincerely, 

Dennis Assanis, President

University Trustees and Administration

A complete list of UD faculty and staff is available online. Specific URLs can be found under department and program descriptions in this catalog.

Board of Trustees

Ex-Officio:

• John Carney (2017), Governor of the State of Delaware
• Whitney Townsend Sweeney (2018), President of the State Board of Education
• Michael K. Lynch (2012), Master of the State Grange
• Dennis N. Assanis (2016), President of the University of Delaware

Elected and Appointed Members:

Trustees Emeriti

• Howard E. Cosgrove
• Robert A. Fischer, Jr.
• Robert W. Gore
• Sally H. Higgins

Address of record for members of the University of Delaware Board of Trustees:

University of Delaware
Office of the Vice President and University Secretary
126 Hullihen Hall
Newark, DE  19716

University Administration

• Dennis Assanis, President
• Robin W. Morgan, Provost
• John Long, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
• José-Luis Riera, Vice President for Student Life
• Jeffrey Garland, Vice President and University Secretary
• Sharon Pitt, Vice President for Information Technologies
• James Dicker, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
• Glenn Carter, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
• Laure Ergin, Vice President and General Counsel
• Wayne Guthrie, Vice President for Human Resources
• Charles Riordan, Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Innovation
• Mary Remmler, Vice President for Strategic Planning & Analysis

College Deans and Senior Academic Officers

• Robin W. Morgan, Provost
• Lynn Okagaki, Deputy Provost
• Estella Atekwana, Dean, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment
• Kathleen S. Matt, Dean, College of Health Sciences
• Levi Thompson, Dean, College of Engineering
• Mark Rieger, Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• John Pelesko, Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
• Bruce Weber, Dean, Lerner College of Business and Economics
• Gary T. Henry, Dean, College of Education and Human Development
• Doug Doren, Interim Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education
• Trevor Dawes, Vice Provost for Libraries and Museums
• Rodney Morrison, Vice President for Enrollment Management

University Academic Calendar

The academic calendar is posted on-line a year prior to the start of the fall semester and is available from the webpage for the Office of the University Registrar. The calendar is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Any changes to the academic calendar will be posted to the on-line calendar version as they occur. Questions regarding the calendar: Email Registrar@udel.edu.

The University follows a semester plan. In addition to two semesters, Winter and Summer sessions are also offered. Other specific programs may follow alternative schedules. Information regarding class meeting times and credit hours can be found at http://www.udel.edu/registrar/policies-procedures/classtimes.html.

The University

Tradition and Innovation - Our History and Our Future

The University of Delaware has a great tradition of excellence, from our roots extending back to a small private academy started in 1743, to the research-intensive, technologically advanced institution of today.

Our alumni tell our story of achievement, from our first class, which included three signers of the Declaration of Independence and one signer of the U.S. Constitution, to the more than 154,000 living Blue Hens who are making vital contributions to the world. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill, are both UD alumni.

The University received its charter from the State of Delaware in 1833 and was designated one of the nation’s historic Land Grant colleges in 1867. Today, UD is a Land Grant, Sea Grant and Space Grant institution. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UD as a research university with very high research activity-a designation accorded less than three percent of U.S. colleges and universities. UD ranks among the nation’s top 100 universities in federal R&D support for science and engineering.

A state-assisted, privately governed institution, UD offers a broad range of degree programs: three associate programs, 147 bachelor’s programs, 119 master’s programs, 54 doctoral programs, and 15 dual graduate programs through our seven colleges and in collaboration with more than 70 research centers. Our student body encompasses more than 17,000 undergraduates, more than 3,600 graduate students and nearly 800 students in professional and continuing studies from across the country and around the globe.

Our distinguished faculty includes internationally known authors, scientists and artists, among them a Nobel laureate, Guggenheim and Fulbright fellows, and members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

State-of-the-art facilities support UD’s academic and public service activities. Our 146-foot coastal research vessel, Hugh R. Sharp-the most advanced in the U.S.-helps scientists across the region explore the sea. World-class figure skaters train at our High Performance Figure Skating Center. Partnerships with Nemours/A. I. du Pont Hospital for Children, Christiana Care and Thomas Jefferson University; the U.S. Army; Winterthur; Longwood Gardens and Hagley Museum offer unparalleled experiences in health sciences, defense research, art conservation, horticulture and history. The University is now transforming a 272-acre parcel, the site of a former auto assembly plant, into the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.

Distinguished speaker series, symposia, 21 intercollegiate athletics programs and numerous intramural and club sports, more than 300 student organizations, concerts, exhibits and other arts and cultural activities enrich campus life.

Thomas Jefferson once described Delaware as a “jewel” among states due to its strategic location on the East Coast, halfway between Washington, D.C., and New York City. Today, however, the location of Delaware’s flagship university increasingly is invoked as “halfway between Los Angeles and London.”

In addition to our Georgian-inspired main campus in Newark, Del., UD has locations across the state–in Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown and Lewes. A thriving study-abroad program and expanding international partnerships further enhance our students’ education as global citizens.

Mission Statement

The University of Delaware exists to cultivate learning, develop knowledge, and foster the free exchange of ideas. State-assisted yet privately governed, the University has a strong tradition of distinguished scholarship, research, teaching, and service that is grounded in a commitment to increasing and disseminating scientific, humanistic, and social knowledge for the benefit of the larger society. Founded in 1743 and chartered by the state in 1833, the University of Delaware today is a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant, and urban-grant university.

The University of Delaware is a major research university with extensive graduate programs that is also dedicated to outstanding undergraduate and professional education. UD faculty are committed to the intellectual, cultural, and ethical development of students as citizens, scholars, and professionals. UD graduates are prepared to contribute to a global and diverse society that requires leaders with creativity, integrity, and a dedication to service.

The University of Delaware promotes an environment in which all people are inspired to learn, and encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, free inquiry, and respect for the views and values of an increasingly diverse population.

An institution engaged in addressing the critical needs of the state, nation, and global community, the University of Delaware carries out its mission with the support of alumni who span the globe and in partnership with public, private, and nonprofit institutions in Delaware and beyond.

Statement Of Responsibility

The University of Delaware community values both personal and academic freedom. All members of the campus community have the personal responsibility to promote an atmosphere of civility in which the free exchange of ideas and opinions can flourish. We do so by learning from individual and collective differences and by respecting every human being.

A Commitment To Diversity

The fundamental mission of the University is the dissemination and creation of new knowledge that helps to address some of the pressing social issues of our time.  As such, it is imperative that the educational experiences of new generations of citizens prepare them to live and work in an increasingly diverse and global world. We expect students, faculty, and staff to be part of a campus community where the intellectual environment embraces inclusive excellence and inspires diverse thought, an appreciation and recognition of all human difference, and a respect for interconnectedness that fosters a value for the common good.  Its benefits to our academic community are transformative. Innovation and creativity are fostered in diverse learning environments, and such environments enhance critical thinking, promote civic responsibility, and enrich formal and informal exchanges among individuals in our academic community by creating a learning environment that mirrors the real world in which we live and work.

To this end, the Vice Provost for Diversity, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and the Center for the Study for Diversity work collaboratively to lead diversity efforts on our campus that connect diversity practices to the educational mission and learning goals at UD. The Office of Admissions has specific pre-college programs and activities that assist us in meeting our goals for the recruitment and enrollment of students from Historically Underserved Groups (HUGs), including racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation and low income students. These programs include FAME-UD, the Christina Readiness Summer Institute, and Upward Bound, among others. Once on campus, the NUCLEUS Program, the Student Support Services Program, the Center for Black Culture, and the UD Scholars Program provide academic and co-curricular support for students from Historically Underserved Groups.

Diverse Colleges And Extensive Degree Programs

Academic degree programs are administered by ten colleges at the University including: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Arts and Sciences; Business and Economics; Earth, Ocean, and Environment; Education and Human Development; Engineering; Health Sciences; Honors; Public Policy and Administration; and the Graduate College. Eight colleges offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. See a complete list of the University’s extensive undergraduate degree programs .  To see the graduate degree programs, please navigate to the corresponding Graduate Catalog. 

Through the Associate in Arts Program, a special partnership between the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical & Community College (DTCC), students can earn their Associate in Arts degree at UD academic centers on the campuses of DTCC in Wilmington, Dover, and Georgetown. The Division of Professional and Continuing Studies extends the opportunities of the University to students throughout the state and beyond.

Since 1921, the University has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Professional accreditation also is held in Accounting, Athletic Training, Business Administration, Chemistry, Clinical Psychology, Dietetics, Disability Studies, Early Childhood, Education, Engineering, Food Science, Foreign Language and Pedagogy, Health and Physical Education, Medical Technology, Music, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Public Administration.

Academic Semesters

The University of Delaware follows a semester plan. The fall semester usually begins in August and ends in mid-December. The spring semester begins in February and ends in late May. During winter and summer sessions (described below), students may participate in off-campus field experiences, special projects for credit and a number of non-credit activities-as well as regular academic courses. Classes are offered from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. 

The summer program begins in early June and features two consecutive five-week sessions, as well as some classes that meet for 7-1/2 weeks. The winter session is held in January through early February.

During winter and summer sessions, students may earn up to seven credits to accelerate progress toward a degree, to focus on a single subject, or to synchronize their course schedule with the sequence of fall and spring course offerings.

Besides on-campus courses, the Winter and Summer sessions offer travel study programs both abroad and within the U.S. Learn more about Study Abroad Programs in the Opportunities to Enrich Your Undergraduate Education  section. Special sessions also allow students to complete popular courses that may be in high demand during regular semesters. The Library, Student Centers, Housing and Dining Services, Carpenter Sports Building, and other support services are active during special sessions. Cultural activities including films, concerts, bus excursions, and lectures are also available. For more information, call the Special Sessions Office, (302) 831-2853 or visit: http://www.udel.edu/fanjoy/special-sessn.html.

Students Are Our Focus

Students are the focus of the University’s academic programs. In fall 2019, 23,808 students were enrolled, including 19,047 undergraduate students, 4,130 graduate students, and 631 students in Professional & Continuing Studies. Of the undergraduate total, 912 were enrolled in the Associate in Arts program.

Entering 2019 first-time first-year students are typically ranked in the top-quarter of their high school graduating class. Their average SAT evidence-based reading and writing (EBRW) and math scores are well above the national average for college-bound students.

Many members of the faculty, including distinguished professors, teach introductory courses, ensuring that students have early contact with eminent scholars. At the same time, the presence of able graduate students enhances undergraduate programs by providing educational models for students aspiring to advanced degrees.

Our Unique Research Opportunities

While some institutions provide only limited research opportunities for undergraduates, a long-standing tradition at the University of Delaware encourages hands-on experience in research laboratories, libraries, and field work for students. Each year, an increasing number of undergraduates collaborate with faculty on research projects of mutual interest. Many hold summer research fellowships, prepare senior theses, and make professional presentations. In 2011, for example, the Undergraduate Research Program served over 1000 undergraduates, who tackled projects ranging from bone cancer to nanoparticles, from multilateral treaties to the preservation of outdoor community murals. Be sure to read more about the Undergraduate Research Program in the Opportunities to Enrich Your Undergraduate Education  section.

Graduate students at Delaware make a major contribution to the University’s objectives of creating, synthesizing, and disseminating knowledge. Through formal courses, seminars, independent studies, and research projects, students are introduced to existing knowledge in their fields and are provided with the principles and techniques for independent thinking and research. Some graduate students are supported under faculty research grants from outside agencies.

Campus-wide, the University conducts a wide variety of basic and applied research. Additionally, because the University cooperates with other research institutions, industry, major laboratories, and neighboring museums, students have access to an even wider range of advanced research facilities. Research funding is provided by federal grants, state and industrial contracts, foundation grants, University funds and other sources. The University of Delaware Research Foundation (UDRF), a nonprofit foundation chartered in 1955 to support University research, awards grants in science and engineering to young faculty investigating promising ideas.

The University Of Delaware Press, a nationally recognized scholarly press, publishes the work of authors in many fields, including that of faculty members at this University.

Read more about research opportunities in the corresponding Graduate Catalog’s section on research centers, institutes, and special facilities.

Cooperative Programs With Other Institutions

Academic Common Market

The University of Delaware participates in the Academic Common Market, an agreement among 16 member states of the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB). The agreement enables students to pursue unique majors offered at publicly-funded institutions in the SREB states while paying in-state tuition. For more information on program benefits and participating states and institutions, contact the Southern Regional Educational Board, 592 10th St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318-5776; Phone: 404-875-9211; Fax: 404-872-1477; http://www.sreb.org/.

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Hagley Museum and Library, Longwood Gardens

The University of Delaware and the College of Arts and Sciences collaborates with Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and Hagley Museum & Library in providing graduate education and study in art conservation, American material culture, economic, technological, and business history. Graduate students in the American Culture and Art Conservation programs study at Winterthur that contains one of the world’s largest collections of American decorative art, including furniture, ceramics, textiles, folk art, silver, glass, and paintings. In the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, a graduate program in public horticulture was initiated in September 1967 in cooperation with Longwood Gardens.

ORAU

Since 1980, students and faculty of the University of Delaware have benefited from its membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of 98 doctoral-granting members located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize research alliances among its members.

For more information about ORAU and its programs, please visit http://www.orau.org/.

Keeping Informed and Involved

Office of Development and Alumni Relations

The mission of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) is to engage donors, alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff and students in a lifelong relationship and foster a tradition of philanthropy to strengthen the University of Delaware’s legacy as one of the great public institutions of higher education in America. The DAR staff works to create an unrivaled engagement and donor experience to secure philanthropic resources that advance the University for generations to come.

DAR initiatives and programs include:

• Alumni Engagement: DAR extends and enriches the UD experience by providing networking opportunities, programs, activities and services that celebrate our alumni and the University. We strive to instill pride in the University by fostering traditions and strong connections among alumni, students, faculty, staff, and UD friends. DAR conducts programs and activities for diverse constituencies, including regional club events around the country, networking events, Homecoming, and Alumni Weekend. For more details, visit www.udel.edu/alumni-friends.
• Giving to UD: Donor support provides for the margin of excellence at the University, ensuring UD can offer unique and innovative resource and experiences as well as providing scholarships so students can become Blue Hens regardless of their finances. In addition, although the University is known as a public institution, only a portion of operating funds comes from the state. Tuition and fees make up just a fraction of the cost of educating our students. The remaining costs must come from other sources such as gifts from alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends. To learn more about ways to give back to UD, visit www.udel.edu/giving.
• True Blue Hen Loyalty Society: All students who donate any amount every year to what they love at UD are part of the True Blue Hen Loyalty Society. More than 9,000 annual donors-dedicated alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff and students-collectively make a tremendous impact on UD’s people and programs through their loyal giving with gifts of any size. True Blue Hens receive special recognition for achieving giving milestones and anniversaries as well as digital newsletters, which highlight the meaningful difference loyal donors make at UD.
• Parents Fund: The Parents Fund creates a community of parents actively engaged in their students’ college experience and dedicated to providing philanthropic to the Division of Student Life. The fund provides valuable resources for services and programs that promote student learning, encourage personal development and wellbeing, build career readiness and facilitate strong bonds among students, enhancing their identity with the University.  For more information, contact 302-831-2104 or email parentsfund@udel.edu.
• UD Student Alumni Ambassadors (UDSAA): The UDSAAs are a group of students selected to foster connections between alumni and students by interacting with alumni and encouraging students to consider their role as future alumni. The UDSAAs created the UD Bucket List to encourage Blue Hens to take part in many of the traditions unique to the University of Delaware. #UDBucketList consists of 60 items:17 gold items and 43 blue items to reflect UD’s founding year of 1743.
• UD Alumni Association (UDAA): All University of Delaware graduates are automatically granted membership in UDAA upon graduation and are inducted with a pinning ceremony at Commencement. The UDAA is proudly dedicated to engaging the entire alumni community by fostering a tradition of lifelong loyalty and commitment to the University. It provides exceptional value and ongoing support to alumni worldwide by expanding benefits available to alumni, supporting regional and affinity club events, recognizing alumni and their accomplishments and more.

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence. 

For the University’s Legal Notice, please visit https://www.udel.edu/home/legal-notices/.

For inquiries or complaints related to non-discrimination policies, please contact: 

Danica A. Myers
Interim Title IX Coordinator
305 Hullihen Hall
Newark, DE  19716
(302) 831-8063
titleixcoordinator@udel.edu

For complaints related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact:

Elizabeth Reed
Interim Director, Office of Disability Support Services
Alison Hall, Suite 130
Newark, DE  19716
(302) 831-4643
ecreed@udel.edu

OR contact the U.S. Department of Education - Office for Civil Rights (https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm).