Briar Cliff University

Location and Contact Information

The campus is in a small city.

Overview

Briar Cliff University is located in Sioux City, Iowa. It was established in the year 1930 as Briar Cliff College. It was a woman’s institution until 1965. In 2001, the college earned university status and was renamed Briar Cliff University. It is a private Roman Catholic university. BCU offers programs in more than 40 areas of study. Courses are offered in both graduate and undergraduate programs.

BCU has an active student life. The campus is home to a large number of clubs and organizations, including the Student Government Association, the Social Work Club, the Criminal Justice Club, Theo-Phil Club and the Accounting & Finance Club, among others.

Highlights (vs. Other Schools)

• Roman Catholic religious affiliation.
• Many students concentrating in business and management, nutrition and exercise therapy, and science.
• Unusually high availability of athletic financial aid.
• Superior share of faculty on tenure track.
• Good faculty-to-student ratio.
• Number of dorm rooms for students.
• High percentage of students are from out-of-state.
• Large number of students.
• Large number of programs of study offered.

School characteristics:

• The school is private, not-for-profit.
• Academic calender: Trimester.
• Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate Colleges, General.

Features of note:

• Open admission; accepts all qualified candidates.
• The school offers a faculty tenure system.
• There are one or more libraries on-campus.
• Campus housing is available.
• Students may study abroad.
• Distance learning is available.
• Weekend study is an option.
• Part-time classes are available.
• Athlete financial aid is awarded.

Similar Schools

Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Briar Cliff:

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Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)

Faculty

Tenure (2009-2010):

Students

Student enrollment was 1,114 in 2009-2010 (1,034 full-time equivalent).

Undergrads are 97% of enrolled students and graduate students are 3%.

Students under 25 years old represent 74% of the student body. About 9% of the school is at least 40 years of age.

Room and Board

Briar Cliff provides on-campus housing for 577 of its 1,034 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Great Plains Athletic Conference for major sports.

The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 239 male students received the aid (men were 65% of those receiving aid) and 129 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 35% of students receiving such aid) .

Graduate School Focus

Briar Cliff offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Master.

The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Single Postbaccalaureate (Education).

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)

ART STUDIES (1 awarded)

• Art/Art Studies

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (79 awarded)

• Accounting
• Business Administration and Management
• Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services
• Business/Commerce
• Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration
• Management Information Systems and Services

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (1 awarded)

• Computer Science
• Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (3 awarded)

• Environmental Science

DESIGN (7 awarded)

• Graphic Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (2 awarded)

• Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (16 awarded)

• Art Teacher Education
• Education
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
• Secondary Education and Teaching

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (6 awarded)

• Social Work

LIBERAL ARTS (14 awarded)

• English Composition
• English Language and Literature
• History
• Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
• Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Political Science and Government
• Social Sciences
• Sociology
• Spanish Language and Literature

MATHEMATICS (1 awarded)

• Mathematics

MEDIA (6 awarded)

• Journalism
• Mass Communication/Media Studies

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY (8 awarded)

• Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
• Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist

MUSIC (3 awarded)

• Music

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE (38 awarded)

• Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (20 awarded)

• Health and Physical Education
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART (0 awarded)

• Commercial and Advertising Art
• Film/Video and Photographic Arts

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (1 awarded)

• Theology/Theological Studies

SCIENCE (19 awarded)

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences
• Biology/Biological Sciences
• Chemistry

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (13 awarded)

• Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (9 awarded)

• Psychology