University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is situated in a community north of South Bend in Indiana. It is a Catholic research university. Notre Dame is French for “Our Lady”, which is a reference to the patron saint of the university, the Virgin Mary. It was founded by Catholic priests, and many Holy Cross priests still serve the school today (for example, the president of the university). Notre Dame’s sports teams (the Fighting Irish) are part of the NCAA Division I. The Notre Dame football team has accumulated 11 National Championships.

 

History

In 1842, Father Edward Sorin of Holy Cross was offered land by Celestine Guynemer de la Hailane, the Bishop of Vincennes. There was a condition, however: Sorin needed to build a college on the land within two years. On November 26th, 1842, Sorin and 8 Holy Cross brothers started the school on the site. Notre Dame actually started as a primary and secondary school before receiving its official college charter on January 15th, 1844 from the Indiana General Assembly. The first degrees were granted in 1849. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, each new president brought new buildings and new academic programs to Notre Dame. Theodore Hesburgh in particular made significant contributions in the 20th century. He increased the annual budget from $9.7 million to $176.6 million and the endowment from $9 million to $350 million. Under his leadership, enrollment nearly doubled from 4979 students to 9600 students, and faculty increased from 389 to 950.

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Programs

Notre Dame has one of the best Law Schools in the country. The U.S. News ranks it #23. The Law School provides an all-encompassing education to the next generation of America’s legal minds. The Juris Doctor curriculum provides students with a strong foundation and gives them the chance to tailor coursework to fit their specific career aspirations. The Law School also offers dual degrees, allowing students to combine their study of law with other academic disciplines, including the M.B.A., the M.A. in English, and the M.S. in Engineering. The School also offers LL.M., J.S.D., and Master of Science in Patent Law degrees. Notre Dame also has an excellent Business program. The Mendoza College of Business is the 27th ranked Business School in the United States according to the U.S. News. The U.S. News ranks the Accounting program 11th in the country. Mendoza College offers a wide range of extra-curricular and academic opportunities to its students. Undergraduate majors include Finance, Accountancy, Consulting, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Information Technology Management. Mendoza College also offers a one or two year M.B.A. program, as well as an executive M.B.A. program. Students are encouraged to take part in the 30 committees and clubs offered by the school.

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Pros & Cons

The University of Notre Dame is ranked by the U.S. News as the 17th best university in the United States. It is one of the most prestigious schools in the country, and provides an excellent education. Most students live on campus in the residence halls, which are the centers of social life at Notre Dame. This allows students to make new friends and meet people with similar interests or students in their program. Notre Dame also offers excellent opportunities for students to study abroad (over half of students study abroad for one semester). The acceptance rate is low at only 24.3%, making it a difficult university to gain admission to. It is also expensive: tuition costs over $42 000 and room and board run up to $12 000. Over half of undergraduates require some form of financial aid to help pay for these expenses.