Academic Resources
Top national institutions earn their marks by offering students not only the best in education but also the opportunities to create a more dynamic educational experience. The University of Delaware is a distinguished, teaching-oriented university with a breadth of educational and professional options. With seven undergraduate colleges and hundreds of majors and minors to pursue, your opportunities are endless. Some of our more unique academic programs are listed here.
LIFE--Learning Integrated Freshman Experience--is an innovative academic program for students who wish to live and learn with faculty and fellow students. Centered on academic themes or "clusters," LIFE exploration is led by top-notch faculty and peer mentors who link classroom studies with outside experiences. Recent clusters include: "Biology and Medical Frontiers," "Development and Learning," "Fundamentals of Economic Systems," Computer Security," "Image and Shape," Leadership and Decision Making," "Plants and the Land," and "The American Experiment."
The Degree with Distinction, the Honors Degree with Distinction, and the Honors Degree offer exceptionally talented and dedicated students the opportunity to pursue their academic interests in greater depth than is required for the regular bachelor's degree. The Degree with Distinction and the Honors Degree with Distinction both involve a senior research thesis or creative project demonstrating synthesis, judgment, creativity, and independent thinking, while the Honors Degree with Distinction also requires the completion of 30 credits of Honors coursework, including a senior seminar. The Honors Degree, like the Honors Degree with Distinction, recognizes a student's completion of 30 credits of Honors coursework, including a senior seminar.
The University of Delaware is a national leader in fostering undergraduate research. About 600 students (including freshmen) participate each year. Through the Undergraduate Research Program, faculty members accept undergraduates as research assistants or as junior members of their research teams. You can progress to independent work on your own project under the tutelage of a faculty member. You may undertake work that becomes the basis of a senior thesis for an Honors Degree or a Degree with Distinction.
The Dean's Scholar Program is designed to serve the needs of a highly selective group of students who are motivated and talented and have a clear view of their long-range educational goals. Dean's Scholars are granted flexibility in college requirements so that they can build their entire program with faculty advisors and create original programs of study, including off-campus experiences and independent research. This opportunity is available to outstanding sophomores in the Colleges of Arts and Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Nursing Sciences, and Human Services, Education and Public Policy.
Service Learning is the newest addition to the University’s curriculum.  Students participate in an organized service experience that is integrated into, and will heighten, their academic experience. You will be based in a community – from Appalachia to Washington, D.C. to South Africa to Fiji – where you will be engaged in activities designed to meet the needs of the community. Readings, discussions, and structured activities, both in the classroom and out, will inspire thought and reflection about your off-campus experiences. The goal of Service Learning is to improve and strengthen the world in which we live, while simultaneously creating a greater sense of civic responsibility which students will take with them into the future.
"4+1" Accelerated Programs allow students to pursue both their bachelor's and master's degrees within a five-year period. Opportunities in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy exist to acquire a bachelor's in leadership and a master's in public administration. Students may also pursue a bachelor's degree in hotel management and a master's in business administration through a "4+1+1" program where students work for one year between the undergraduate and graduate experiences. Students in the College of Engineering can pursue a bachelor's degree in one of our engineering disciplines and a master's in business administration.
The Medical Scholars Program is an excellent opportunity for academically competitive students who wish to pursue careers in the medical profession. Successful participation in the Medical Scholars Program leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Delaware and the M.D. degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.
Science and Engineering Scholars
Science and Engineering Scholars are University sophomores who serve an in-depth apprenticeship with a faculty researcher in an academic department or research center within the Colleges of Arts and Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engineering, and Marine Studies. Scholars are apprenticed full-time for 10 weeks during the summer following their sophomore year and continue research part-time during the following academic year.
Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Programs
Delaware students have the opportunity to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army or Air Force upon completion of the military science program and a baccalaureate degree. Students may participate in either the Army or Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Two-, three-, and four-year scholarships are also available to qualified students who desire an Active Duty or Reserve Duty Commission.
Please contact an ROTC representative for more information:
- Air Force ROTC: 302-831-2863
- Army ROTC: 302-831-8213