General Information

Hawk Hill Campus:

Situated on the western boundary of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph’s one hundred and fourteen acre campus combines accessibility to the city with the proximity to the Main Line. In this urban-suburban environment, students share in the educational, cultural, and entertainment resources of a great metropolitan area. Students, faculty and staff alike enjoy the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Franklin Institute, the University Museum, the Free Library, theatre, world class dining and major league baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. The city itself is at once a museum of American history and culture and a laboratory for contemporary economics, sociology, politics and religion.

University City Campus:

Saint Joseph’s University City campus sits in the heart of West Philly, Philadelphia’s innovation district—home to health science start-ups, established biotech firms and influential higher education institutions. The campus is home to our graduate and professional programs in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and our Health Professions programs, in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies.  It is also the historic location of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and houses some of our core research facilities in the Natural Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 

Lancaster Campus:

Our Lancaster location is situated in the heart of picturesque Central Pennsylvania. Steeped in rich history, Lancaster is known for its beautiful 18th-century architecture and red-brick row homes that line its streets. Beyond its historic and cultural significance, Lancaster also offers art galleries, theaters, markets and a burgeoning farm-to-table culinary scene. In addition to its lively downtown area, Lancaster also offers a wide range of healthcare facilities including Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Hospital and more.

History

On the morning of September 15, 1851, some thirty young men gathered in the courtyard outside Saint Joseph’s Church, located in Willing’s Alley off Walnut and Fourth Streets and one block from Independence Hall. After attending High Mass and reciting the Veni Creator in the church, these young men were assigned to their classes in a building adjacent to the church. That September morning marked the beginning of a rich and exciting history for Saint Joseph’s University.

As far back as 1741, a Jesuit College in Philadelphia had been proposed and planned by Rev. Joseph Greaton, S.J., the first resident pastor of Saint Joseph’s Church. The suppression of the Jesuits (1773-1814) and lack of human and financial resources delayed for over a hundred years the realization of Fr. Greaton’s plans for a college. Credit for founding the college is given to Rev. Felix Barbelin, S.J., who served as its first president. He, along with four other Jesuits, formed the first faculty of Saint Joseph’s College. Before the end of the first academic year, the enrollment rose from fewer than forty to ninety-seven students. In the following year (1852), when the college received its charter of incorporation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the enrollment grew to 126 students.

In January, 1856, Saint Joseph’s College moved to a more spacious site on the fashionable Filbert Street. Due to financial difficulties and the serious illness of the college’s second president, the college returned to its Willing’s Alley location in 1860. Shortly thereafter, the civil strife between the North and South became the first of many wars that would greatly diminish the college’s enrollment. Through the Civil War and post-bellum years, Saint Joseph’s College struggled to remain in existence.

With the purchase in 1866 of a city block between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets fronting on Stiles Street as a new site for the college, its future began to look brighter. Rev. Burchard Villiger, S.J., one of the original members of the college faculty, became its president in 1866. It was during his tenure that new college buildings, made possible largely through a generous bequest from the estate of Francis Anthony Drexel, were constructed on the Stiles Street location.

A sporadic but continuing growth, both in student enrollment and academic excellence, is recorded for the new life of Saint Joseph’s College from September 2, 1889, when the college moved from Willing’s Alley to Stiles street, until 1927, when a still larger campus was judged necessary.

In November 1922, an ambitious building fund campaign to raise $1,000,000 was organized by Rev. Matthew Fortier, S.J. His work in this difficult undertaking was successful and the pledges did exceed that goal, but the actual contributions did not. Subsequently, Saint Joseph’s College was able to purchase twenty-three acres in a beautiful residential area at the western edge of the city. Construction of a handsome building in modern Collegiate Gothic architectural style was begun in November 1925. Its dedication took place on November 14, 1927. From that time to the present, the location of Saint Joseph’s has been 54th and City Avenue.

During the Second World War, the college’s enrollment was again greatly reduced. Following the war, aided by the "G.I. Bill of Rights," enrollment grew rapidly. In 1943, an Evening College was founded. It was also after the war that Saint Joseph’s acquired several spacious homes adjacent to the campus, which were converted to its first residences for students.

Through the decade of the sixties, Saint Joseph’s experienced unprecedented physical growth. Five more properties were added to the campus including the nine-acre estate of Margaret Gest, a Jesuit faculty residence, the Post classroom building, a science center, the Drexel Library building, a six-story student dormitory and expansion of the Student Center. All enhanced the modern facilities of the campus.  In the fall of 1970, the undergraduate day college opened its doors to women, bringing to an end its tradition as an all-male institution. Saint Joseph’s was recognized as a university by the Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on July 24, 1978. The corporate charter was formally changed to reflect university status on December 27, 1978. Shortly thereafter the University added a College of Business and Administration to complement the College of Arts and Sciences, and it also expanded graduate programs. At the same time, Saint Joseph’s built a new Student/Sports Recreation Complex. The need for a larger library prompted the expansion of the University’s Drexel Library into a Library/Learning Resources Center. The campus was enlarged to 49 acres with the purchase of Saint Mary’s and Bronstein halls.

The last decade has marked an era of significant change in student enrollment; development of new undergraduate and graduate programs in all three colleges; integration of state-of-the-art technology of every kind, in the classroom and throughout the campus; upgrading of science laboratories; hiring of new faculty; and new campus construction.

Among the most important building projects undertaken are the following:

• the Chapel of St. Joseph;
• the McShain Student Residence and its footbridge traversing City Avenue and linking the city and suburban campuses;
• Mandeville Hall, home of the Erivan K. Haub School of Business;
• three large new student residence halls and a parking garage;
• and a new boathouse on Philadelphia’s famed Kelly Drive.

In the summer of 2005, the University agreed to purchase the Merion campus of neighboring Episcopal Academy. The acquisition added 38 acres containing 52 classrooms, eight laboratories, 113 offices, and 14.5 acres of playing fields. Subsequent to the announcement of the agreement, alumnus James J. Maguire ‘58 donated $10 million to help fund the purchase, and this section of the university is known as the Maguire Campus. Maguire’s gift was later matched by a donation of the same amount by Brian Duperreault ‘69; the two donations are the largest alumni gifts in Saint Joseph’s history.

In 2012, the University purchased the adjacent Cardinal’s Residence on 54^th and Cardinal Avenue from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The building now serves as the Welcome Center for
Admissions.

In June of 2022, the university completed a comprehensive merger with the University of theSciences, adding the School of Health Professions, including the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.  In January of 2024, the university will complete its acquisition of the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, in Lancaster, PA, adding a School of Nursing & Allied Health, as well as a third campus location to its Hawk Hill and University City locations.

Mission Statement

As Philadelphia’s Jesuit Catholic University, Saint Joseph’s University provides a rigorous, student-centered education rooted in the liberal arts. We prepare students for personal excellence, professional success, and engaged citizenship. Striving to be an inclusive and diverse community that educates and cares for the whole person, we encourage and model lifelong commitment to thinking critically, making ethical decisions, pursuing social justice, and finding God in all things.

Colleges and Schools

The University is organized as follows:

The College of Arts and Sciences which offers the traditional undergraduate programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, a flexibly- structured Adult Learner program leading to a Bachelor of Liberal Studies, graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts and Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy programs

The Erivan K. Haub School of Business, which offers traditional undergraduate programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a flexibly-structured Adult Learner program leading to a bachelor degree or associate degree, and graduate programs leading to the degrees Master of Business Administration and Master of Science.

The School of Education and Human Development, which offers traditional undergraduate programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science, a flexibly-structured Adult Learner program leading to a Bachelor of Liberal Studies, and graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Education.

The School of Health Professions, which offers traditional undergraduate programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science, graduate programs leading to the Masters degrees and Doctoral degrees which include Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Pharmacy,  Doctor of Occupational Therapy, and Doctor of Physical Therapy. 

The School of Nursing and Allied Health, which offers a wide varies of undergraduate Certificate and Associate programs, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, as well as a RN to BSN program, graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Nursing-Nursing Practitioner and Post-Master's Certificate programs.

Accreditations, Approvals, and Memberships

Saint Joseph’s University is approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

1007 North Orange Street
4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
267-284-5000

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Haub School of Business and its Accounting program are accredited by the AACSB—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The Chemistry Department is on the approved list of the American Chemical Society. The Teacher Education program was granted Program Approved Status by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and is recognized by the New Jersey Department of Education for issuance of certificates.

The University is also a member of the American Council on Education, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the National Catholic Educational Association, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities, the American Library Association, the Association of Liberal Arts Colleges of Pennsylvania for the Advancement of Teaching, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and the Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration. The Haub School of Business is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society of business programs accredited by AACSB International.

Professional Licensure Disclosures

Federal regulations [34 CFR § 668.43(a)(5)(v)] require colleges and universities that offer programs designed to lead to professional licensure to disclose if those programs meet the educational requirements for licensure in the state where a student is located.

It is important to note that:

1. Each state has the legal authority to independently determine its requirements and processes for professional licensure;
2. The educational requirements necessary to pursue professional licensure in a given state are subject to change; and,
3. States often have other eligibility requirements, in addition to education, that must be satisfied in order to seek professional licensure.

The Saint Joseph's University programs designed to lead to professional licensure include:

• Occupational Therapy (MOT and DrOT)
• Pharmacy (PharmD)
• Physical Therapy (DPT)
• Physician Assistant (MSPAS)
• Medical Laboratory Science (BS)

Course Numbering System

In 2009 the university governance system approved a mandate that alters the course catalog numbering system. The new coding structure calls for the following general outline for course numbering:

• 100s: Courses that that are designed primarily for but not limited to first-year students or that otherwise are the first undergraduate courses in a sequence in a field of study.

• 200s: Courses designed primarily for but not limited to sophomores.

• 300s: Courses designed primarily for but not limited to juniors.

• 400s: Courses designed primarily for but not limited to seniors.

• 500s: Lower-level graduate courses.

• 600s & 700s: Upper-level graduate courses.

• 800s: Courses open only to doctoral students.

Undergraduate Course Numbers

At the undergraduate level, the following types of course offerings are available across many disciplines and the numbers across from them classify each group appropriately:

Course numbers for remaining courses are left to the department’s discretion. Some additional notes about certain undergraduate course types and offerings:

Independent Study: Special topic independent study courses can be offered using the Special Topics numbers outlined above. An independent study for an existing course can use the existing number. There is no need for special independent study numbers.

Graduate (Masters Coursework)

Due to the large numbers of graduate catalog entries in certain areas of the university, it has been determined that graduate course numbers will follow this convention which is a modification of that approved by academic governance:

1. 500s: Lower-level graduate courses.

2. 600s & 700s: Upper-level graduate courses.

3. 800s: Courses open only to doctoral students.

Curriculum at the graduate level is typically divided along the lines of foundation, core, and major or specialization coursework. Some programs have a thesis/research course, some do not. Some programs have a capstone course, some do not. These items are defined as follows:

Foundation: that part of a graduate program that may be waived given a student’s prior undergraduate or graduate education. Waivers are granted at the time of admission to a given program. Transfer credit is not awarded for Foundation courses. Foundation courses cover fundamental concepts to the specific discipline. Foundation courses are not counted in the minimum credits needed to graduate.

Core: that part of a graduate program required of all students pursuing the degree. Core courses provide additional depth beyond foundation work for fundamental concepts in the specific discipline.

Major/Specialization: that part of a graduate program that allows the development of expertise in a specific area of interest.

Thesis/Research: a course designed to allow the student to pursue independent research with a faculty member in a specific area of interest within the discipline. Often, it serves as a prelude to doctoral study.

Capstone: a course that serves as the culmination of the academic program, pulling together concepts from across the entire discipline.

At the graduate level, the following numbers are proposed to classify each group and selected other course types appropriately:

Some additional notes about certain course types and offerings:

Independent Study: Special topic independent study courses can be offered using the Special Topics numbers outlined above. An independent study for an existing course can use the existing number. There is no need for special independent study numbers.

Graduation Requirement: Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations stipulate that a master’s degree must be comprised of a minimum of 30 credits. Certain SJU programs have a minimum of more than 30. Commonly accepted academic protocol indicates that Foundation courses are not part of the announced minimum number of credits required to graduate. Foundation courses, if required, add to the student’s number of credits required to graduate.

Section Naming Conventions

In order to readily identify different types of offerings, the following conventions be used when naming certain sections.

N.B. -- Additional abbreviations will be made as the schedule develops and will be posted comprehensively on the Registrar's Office webpage.