Office of Admissions
Winthrop University
Rock Hill, SC 29733
803-323-2191
800-763-0230 (toll-free)
E-mail: admissions@winthrop.edu
2006-2007 COSTS:
Tuition (instate):
$8,816
Tuition(non-resident):
$15,410
Room and Board:
$5,992
Fees, books, misc.:
$1,000
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Overview
Founded in 1886, Winthrop University has become a national-caliber university with regional prominence in the Southeast. Winthrop has achieved its present reputation for overall excellence by working consistently to be market-wise, values-centered, and vision-driven. Winthrop's achievements have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which ranks the school as a top ten southern regional public university. The school is also recognized by the Princeton Review as a top ten southern regional university and by Consumers Digest as among the top 50 "best value" public schools nationally.
The University's distinctive mission is to offer challenging academic programs to a high-achieving, culturally diverse, socially responsible student body. More than 6,500 students, representing forty-two states and forty-four countries, pursue degrees in the school's four academic divisions—arts and sciences, business administration, education, and visual and performing arts, all of which are supported by Winthrop's newest academic division, University College. The University awards thirty-six undergraduate and twenty-five graduate degrees with more than 100 programs of study offered through concentrations and options.
The University features 100 percent national accreditation of all eligible academic programs. Such accreditations have enabled Winthrop to join an elite group of universities and colleges nationwide with accreditations by the National Associations of Schools of Art and Design, Dance, Music, and Theatre, establishing the University as a regional center for the arts.
Upon graduation, Winthrop students successfully continue their education in prestigious graduate and professional programs or enter a wide variety of positions in the arts, business, education, medicine, government, law, or other professions.
Location and Community
Winthrop's beautiful, tree-lined campus is included on the National Register of Historic Places. The 100-acre central campus, complemented by a 325-acre athletics and recreational area, including a lake and coliseum, provides an ideal collegiate setting. Winthrop's location in Rock Hill, South Carolina, offers the friendly atmosphere of a college town with attractions such as professional sports and entertainment only 20 minutes away in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Academic Life
The University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone: 404-697-4501) to award bachelor's, master's, and specialist degrees. Additional national accreditation of individual programs sets the University apart from its peers and assures Winthrop students of a top-notch curriculum taught by qualified faculty members using the best available resources.
A strong liberal arts core provides the foundation for Winthrop's undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered in the four academic divisions: the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, and Visual and Performing Arts. A minimum of 124 credits is required for a baccalaureate degree, with a specified number of general education, major-specific, and elective hours for each degree.
Special student programs include the Honors Program; Academy 101 for freshmen; cooperative education and internships; New Start for adult learners; Leadership Winthrop; the Close Scholars Program; and Peer Mentoring, a first-year support program.
Winthrop students have experienced the excitement of studying abroad at a number of institutions in countries including Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Sweden. In addition, Winthrop also participates in the National Student Exchange Program, which allows Winthrop students, paying Winthrop's tuition, to study for up to one year at one of more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Effective, high-quality teaching is the number one priority of Winthrop's faculty members, who include renowned scholars, researchers, and creative artists. All classes are taught by faculty members, and class size typically ranges from 18 to 27 students, fostering close personal contact between student and teacher. Of the 264 full-time faculty members, 81 percent hold the highest degree in their field. With a student-faculty ratio of 15:1, Winthrop faculty members are able to take a personal interest in the individual needs and development of every student.
Majors Offered:
At the undergraduate level, the University offers academic programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Music Education, the Bachelor of Science, and the Bachelor of Social Work.
Majors that lead to the B.A. include art, art history, dance, economics, English, environmental studies, general communication disorders, history, mass communication (broadcast and journalism), mathematics, modern languages (French and Spanish), music, philosophy and religion, political science (public policy and administration), psychology, sociology (criminology), and theater (design/technical and performance).
The B.F.A. in art is offered with the following concentrations: ceramics, general studio, interior design, painting, photography (commercial and fine art), printmaking, sculpture (jewelry and metals), and visual communication design (graphic design and illustration). The Bachelor of Music in performance and the Bachelor of Music Education, with options in choral and instrumental music, are also offered.
Majors leading to the B.S. include biology (medical technology); business administration, with options in accounting, computer information systems, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, general business, health services management, human resource management, international business, management, and marketing; chemistry; computer science; early childhood education; elementary education; environmental sciences; family and consumer sciences; human nutrition (dietetics, food systems management, and nutrition science); integrated marketing communication; mathematics (statistics); middle-level education; physical education (athletic training and fitness/wellness); science communication; special education (mild disabilities and severe disabilities); and sport management.
Teacher training programs leading to state certification are available in the fields of art, biology, dance, early childhood education, elementary education, English, history, mathematics, middle-level education, modern languages, music, physical education, political science, sociology, special education, and theater.
Facilities and Resources
The faculty members and collections of the Dacus Library are an integral part of the University's instructional program. The Dacus Online Catalog system provides easy access to the library's collections. The library's holdings total more than 580,000 volumes and volume-equivalents, which are supplemented by resources available through the national interlibrary loan program.
Winthrop's academic computing department supports the instructional and research functions of the University. Students have access to diverse computing resources, including more than twenty-five computer laboratories that provide PC or Macintosh systems for open-access and instructional needs. All computer labs support Microsoft Windows 2000 professional standards. All campus buildings and residence halls are connected to the campus network and the Internet. Students are provided with consolidated computing services, including Web-based e-mail, central server storage space, and personal Web pages. The Academic Computing Center also provides computer access and Braille printing services to visually impaired students.
The Writing Center, Math Lab, and Language Lab facilities assist students who want to improve skills in specific areas. Multimedia classrooms and distance-learning facilities provide an added dimension to classroom instruction.
The University also maintains several versatile performing spaces. Byrnes Auditorium, which seats 3,500; the recently renovated 216-seat Frances May Barnes Recital Hall; and Tillman Auditorium, with a capacity of 700, are excellent facilities that are widely used for a variety of activities by the Winthrop community. In addition, Johnson Hall, which includes a 331-seat proscenium theater, a 100-seat studio theater, an actors' studio, and two dance studios, provides a comfortable home for the Department of Theatre and Dance. Johnson also houses the Department of Mass Communication and is equipped with broadcast facilities, including a student-operated radio station; editing booths; and equipment for its broadcasting and journalism students. Winthrop Galleries, in the Rutledge Building, include two professional exhibition spaces, and a student gallery in McLaurin provides space for art design students to show their work.
Campus Life
Some of the most significant educational experiences at Winthrop occur outside the classroom as students actively participate in the life of the campus. More than 100 campus organizations offer outlets for special interests or talents and provide opportunities to hone leadership skills and build confidence and interpersonal skills.
Winthrop's students also benefit from the nationally recognized Dinkins Student Union (DSU), the University's activities board. DSU schedules a broad array of fun and interesting entertainment, including bands, comedians, lecturers, and novelty acts for student enjoyment
The Council of Student Leaders is a representative body of Winthrop student leaders and other concerned students. It serves as a vehicle that provides students a significant role in institutional decision making and self-governance. Some of the council's purposes are to serve as the official student voice, to charter campus organizations, to distribute student activity funds to those organizations, and to promote campuswide events. The chair of the council serves as the student representative to the Winthrop University Board of Trustees.
Sports / Varsity Athletics
Winthrop students enjoy recreational sports and NCAA Division I intercollegiate competition in men's and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, soccer, and tennis; women's softball and volleyball; and men's baseball.
Expenses
For 2004–05, the annual tuition cost for full-time South Carolina residents was $7816. Out-of-state tuition was $14,410. Room and board costs for all students for a double-occupancy room and a meal plan of unlimited meals was approximately $4992.
Financial Aid / Scholarships
At Winthrop, 65 percent of all students receive some form of financial assistance. The University offers a variety of scholarships to high-achieving freshmen with strong high school records and SAT or ACT scores. The scholarships range from $500 to full tuition and meals. The completed admissions application also serves as the application for academic scholarships. Additional scholarships are available to talented students in the visual and performing arts as well as in all of Winthrop's seventeen intercollegiate sports. Winthrop's financial aid packages, which are processed in the Office of Financial Aid, can include grants, loans, or student employment. Students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Winthrop institutional aid form as soon as possible after January 1 of their senior year. Families often take advantage of the Winthrop Payment Plan, which divides each semester's costs into four convenient payments. For more information, students should contact the Office of Financial Aid at 803-323-2189.
Admission Requirements / Application
Winthrop carefully reviews each applicant on an individual basis and the admissions process is designed to determine the right match between high-achieving students and the distinctive educational opportunities offered by Winthrop. Freshman applications are evaluated primarily by using high school performance, including class rank; level of course work; completion of high school prerequisites; standardized test scores (SAT or ACT); and guidance counselor recommendation. Other criteria, including letters of recommendation, essay or personal statement, and extracurricular activities, will be considered if presented.
Transfer applicants who have completed 30 semester hours/45 quarter hours or more of course work at an institution that is accredited by the commission on colleges of a regional accrediting agency must present a cumulative grade point ratio of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with fewer than 30 semester hours/45 quarter hours are additionally evaluated on their high school academic record and standardized test scores. Applicants who have been out of high school for five or more years are not required to submit standardized test scores.
The following admission credentials should be submitted by applicants: a completed application for admission, the $40 application fee, an official high school transcript or graduate equivalency diploma, and official results of the SAT I or ACT. Transfer applicants must submit transcripts from all colleges previously attended. Application deadlines are May 1 for fall enrollment and January 1 for spring enrollment. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. To be considered for academic scholarships, students should submit their completed admissions application by January 15.
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