Brandeis University (BU)

There is no other place like Brandeis. As a medium-sized private research university with global reach, we are dedicated to first-rate education while making groundbreaking discoveries. Our 235-acre campus is located in the suburbs of Boston, a gl e campus is located in the suburbs of Boston, a global hub for higher education and innovation. Our faculty are leaders in their fields, as passionate about teaching and mentorship as they are about pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Our students are motivated, compassionate, curious and open to exploring new and challenging experiences. At Brandeis, you will discover a community rooted in purpose, guided by our founding values, poised to lead in education and research in the 21st century. Brandeis was established in 1948 by the American Jewish community at a time when Jews and other ethnic and racial minorities, and women, faced discrimination in higher education. Our visionary founders created a nonsectarian research university that welcomed talented faculty and students of all backgrounds and beliefs. From the outset, Brandeis focused on undergraduate education, while building a pioneering research enterprise. In every academic discipline, Brandeis faculty are award winners, thought leaders, intellectual pioneers — and inspiring teachers. Take a course on ethics in journalism from a Pulitzer Prize-winning professor, or learn how neural circuits shape learning with a MacArthur Award “genius.” At Brandeis, you’ll learn from faculty known for innovative teaching as well as scholarship. Brandeis University was founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community at a time when Jews and other ethnic and racial minorities, and women, faced discrimination in higher education. Brandeis’ visionary founders established a nonsectarian research university that welcomed talented faculty and students of all backgrounds and beliefs. From the outset, Brandeis focused on undergraduate education, while building a pioneering research enterprise. The university was named for Louis Dembitz Brandeis (1856-1941), the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the greatest minds to serve on the high court, Justice Brandeis made an indelible mark on modern jurisprudence by shaping free speech, the right to privacy and the rights of ordinary citizens. He exemplified the values of the new university through his dedication to open inquiry and the pursuit of truth, insistence on critical thinking, and his commitment to helping the common man. Brandeis University opened on the site of the former Middlesex University in Waltham, Massachusetts, with 107 students and 13 faculty members. Under the leadership of founding president Abram L. Sachar, Brandeis grew quickly in size and scholarly influence, joining the ranks of the most respected research institutions while still very young. In 1959, in one of many firsts, Brandeis launched the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, the first school of its kind to bridge the gap between social welfare and social policy. Heller is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a “top ten” school of social policy. In 1961, only 13 years after its founding, Brandeis won Phi Beta Kappa accreditation, a distinction fewer than 10 percent of U.S. colleges and universities earn. The same year, Brandeis established the Rose Art Museum, whose legendary first curator, Sam Hunter, built a permanent collection of works by artists destined to become 20th-century icons. The Rose quickly became a premier educational and cultural institution dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The collection includes important works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Helen Frankenthaler, Jack Whitten and other giants of modern art. In 1985, Brandeis was elected to the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group representing 65 of the most prominent research universities in the U.S. and Canada. In 1992, the Rabb School of Continuing Studies was launched, offering opportunities for professional development and lifelong learning through innovative courses for on campus and online learners. Brandeis International Business School was established in 1994. Its mission is to prepare technologically sophisticated global leaders in business, economics and finance, and to produce path-breaking research that advances understanding, efficiency and justice within the business community. Since its early days, Brandeis has been a top tier university with global reach, attracting students and faculty from around the world to pursue learning and scholarship at the highest levels. Ours is a community rooted in purpose, guided by our founding values, poised to lead in education and research in the 21st century. Brandeis University is a community of scholars and students united by their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation. As a research university, Brandeis is dedicated to the advancement of the humanities, arts and social, natural and physical sciences. As a liberal arts college, Brandeis affirms the importance of a broad and critical education in enriching the lives of students and preparing them for full participation in a changing society, capable of promoting their own welfare, yet remaining deeply concerned about the welfare of others. In a world of challenging social and technological transformations, Brandeis remains a center of open inquiry and teaching, cherishing its independence from any doctrine or government. It strives to reflect the heterogeneity of the United States and of the world community whose ideas and concerns it shares. In the belief that the most important learning derives from the personal encounter and joint work of teacher and students, Brandeis encourages undergraduates and postgraduates to participate with distinguished faculty in research, scholarship and artistic activities. Brandeis was founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian university under the sponsorship of the American Jewish community to embody its highest ethical and cultural values and to express its gratitude to the United States through the traditional Jewish commitment to education. By being a nonsectarian university that welcomes students, teachers and staff of every nationality, religion and orientation, Brandeis renews the American heritage of cultural diversity, equal access to opportunity and freedom of expression. The university that carries the name of the justice who stood for the rights of individuals must be distinguished by academic excellence, by truth pursued wherever it may lead and by awareness of the power and responsibilities that come with knowledge. Established in 1948 as a model of ethnic and religious pluralism, Brandeis University: Considers social justice central to its mission as a nonsectarian university founded by members of the American Jewish community. Aims to engage members of our community as active citizens in a multicultural world. Seeks to build an academic community whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds and life experiences. Believes that diverse backgrounds and ideas are crucial to academic excellence. Recognizes the need to analyze and address the ways in which social, cultural and economic inequalities affect power and privilege in the larger society and at Brandeis itself. Honors freedom of expression and civility of discourse as fundamental educational cornerstones. Seeks to safeguard the safety, dignity and well-being of all its members. Endeavors to foster a just and inclusive campus culture that embraces the diversity of the larger society. ...view more