Colleges & Universities Mary Baldwin College, Staunton 540-887-7019 800-468-2262 www.mbc.edu Mary Baldwin College is a private, liberal arts, women’s residential college located in downtown Staunton. Mary Baldwin’s signature programs include the only all-female corps of cadets in the nation, Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership, and the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted, a one-of-a-kind program that admits girls as young as 12 years of age. More than 30 years ago the college also founded Virginia’s first adult degree program, which admits men and women.The program includes regional centers in Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, South Boston, Staunton, Weyers Cave and Hampton. MBC offers several co-ed graduate programs, including: Master of Arts in Teaching, and the unique Master of Letters and Master of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance. Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave 540-234-9261 888-750-2722 www.brcc.edu Blue Ridge Community College, located in Northern Augusta County, has guaranteed admissions agreements for its graduates with more than 20 four-year colleges and universities throughout the commonwealth, including James Madison University, Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite University, and Mary Baldwin College. With tuition costs well below those of surrounding public institutions, the school’s transfer program has grown rapidly over the past several years. BRCC’s Division of Workforce Services and Continuing Education provides training for many Valley businesses and individuals, and lifelong learning opportunities for all ages. James Madison University, Harrisonburg 540-568-5681 www.jmu.edu James Madison University, a state-funded school, is well-known for its roots as a teacher’s college. The university still acknowledges its educational foundations, but has expanded to pursue developments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Recently an interdisciplinary engineering program focused on sustainability, sustainable systems and sustainable societies was added to the curriculum. An East Campus Library for science, technology and health science collections and an academic and performance facility for theater, dance, and music have been recently built. Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg 540-432-4000 www.emu.edu Eastern Mennonite University, a private, four-year school in Harrisonburg, is a faith-based institution with close ties to its namesake, the Mennonite Church. Although only about half of the students who attend are Mennonites, all are encouraged to participate in a faith-based community fellowship of their choice. EMU emphasizes a global perspective, and it was one of the cross-cultural experience as part of an undergraduate degree program. Students spend a semester either abroad or working in a cultural environment different from their own. Students come from around the world to participate in EMU’s 11-year-old peace-training program, especially its six-week summer peace building institute, which prepares individuals to transform conflict situations into more peaceful ones. EMU also is known for training pastors to relief workers, through its seminary and undergraduate Bible and religion studies. Bridgewater College, Bridgewater 540-828-8000 www.bridgewater.edu Bridgewater College, a private, four-year school in southern Rockingham County, is known for its biology program. All students complete a personal development portfolio before graduation, documenting personal and academic accomplishments to share with future employers or graduate school admissions offices. The portfolio program is designed to cultivate four dimensions of personal development: Citizenship and community responsibility, intellectual growth and discovery, emotional maturation and physical health, and ethical and spiritual growth. Washington and Lee University, Lexington 540-458-8400 www.wlu.edu Washington and Lee University, a private, four-year school in Lexington, has a long history of producing scholars and leaders with a commitment to civility, service and honor. One of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges and finest law schools, W&L offers a unique convergence of arts and sciences, law, journalism, and commerce. W&L is the only top 50 liberal arts school with both accredited business and journalism programs, and its Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability has garnered national attention. Virginia Military Institute, Lexington 540-464-7230 www.vmi.edu Virginia Military Institute is a public liberal arts college located in downtown Lexington. Its military-style education prepares students for service in the armed forces. Generally, about half of each graduating class commissions to the military and about 20 percent commit to military careers. The school also is well known for its engineering department, which includes civil and environment, mechanical, and electrical and computer engineering. |