Undergraduate Colleges

Though Richmond is composed of five academic schools as well as two colleges, this catalog provides specific program information about only undergraduate study in the School of Arts and Sciences, Robins School of Business, and Jepson School of Leadership Studies. Pertinent information about Richmond College and Westhampton College is also presented in this catalog. Detailed information about each of the other academic schools is available upon request to the respective dean’s office.

Academic Schools

School of Arts and Sciences

All students begin as part of the School of Arts and Sciences. Approximately two-thirds of the University’s students (2,300) then continue their study in arts and sciences, pursuing Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in the more than 40 disciplines offered by the school.

The School of Arts and Sciences is a blend of studies from all areas of life - health, fine arts, natural and urban environments, government, technology, cultures, emerging scientific studies, and literature are a few examples. Though the fields of study in the School of Arts and Sciences are diverse, each discipline pursues the common goals of challenging students to think critically and independently, to make decisions based upon their assessments, to communicate effectively, to gather and evaluate information and others’ opinions, and to work collaboratively, expanding their understanding of others to better comprehend the systems and situations around them. The programs ask rather than tell. Working together across disciplines, the faculty and students explore how things work, ask why they operate as they do, evaluate what has been successful, and consider possible solutions or advancements. Faculty collaborate with students to research and create data or art, encouraging them to build their own knowledge and skills and demonstrating how to most effectively communicate and apply what they learn.

Robins Schools of Business

The Robins School of Business enrolls about 650 students. The school’s principal objective is to provide a professional college education that will enable students to meet the challenges of a complex and international business world.

The degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) is offered with majors in accounting, business administration, and economics. The business administration major has several areas of concentration that students may pursue. Once a student declares a major, the Robins School of Business provides a number of internal activities in which students may participate in, including its own student government. The Robins School also has a chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, a national honor society. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest national recognition a student can receive in an undergraduate or master’s program accredited by the AACSB-International.

The School of Business faculty also provides the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in the Robins School of Business.

Jepson School of Leadership Studies

The Jepson School of Leadership Studies offers the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in leadership studies, as well as a minor in leadership studies. The Jepson School uses multiple disciplinary lenses to educate students for and about leadership. As a result, both the major and the minor are broadly based in the liberal arts but highly integrated with leadership as a unifying theme. By engaging students in the classroom and in the world around them, the Jepson School challenges students intellectually and prepares them for future responsibilities of leadership.

Richmond and Westhampton Colleges

Undergraduate students at the University of Richmond are members of an academic school: the School of Arts and Sciences, the Robins School of Business, or the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. Male-identified students are also members of Richmond College; female-identified students are also members of Westhampton College. The colleges serve as dean of students offices and manage academic policy matters, thereby providing a holistic approach to students. The college deans report to both the vice president of student development and the dean of arts and sciences.

Each college has its own staff, residence life program, student government, activities, and traditions. Deans’ staff members focus on students’ personal development, crisis management, judicial policies, and matters that involve the University’s honor code. The deans’ offices also oversee popular student traditions that recognize and celebrate the smaller college community and heritage, including Westhampton College’s Junior Ring Dance and Richmond College’s Investiture. The residence life programs organize programming within the residence halls and living/learning initiatives that make important intellectual and personal connections between students and faculty members, e.g., the Richmond College’s "Spinning Your Web" program.

The two student governments - the Westhampton College Government Association (WCGA) and the Richmond College Student Government Association (RCSGA)- afford students valuable leadership opportunities and guarantee students participate equally in the governing process. Meanwhile, students make connections between their curricular and cocurricular experiences in college-based programs such as Westhampton College’s Women Involved in Living and Learning (WILL) program.

For more information regarding Westhampton College see wc.richmond.edu. For more information regarding Richmond College see rc.richmond.edu.