University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco offers a well-rounded education that prepares students not only for successful careers but also for fulfilling lives. A baccalaureate degree is issued upon the successful completion of a 128-credit curriculum consisting of 44 credits in core requirements chosen from six specified categories, with the remainder of credits being taken as part of major requirements and electives. The academic year is based on two semesters, with summer sessions and a winter intersession also available. USF101, a 1-unit course available to first-semester undergraduates, helps students learn about USF's Jesuit mission, join the campus community, navigate the university's academic requirements and resources, and map their paths to graduation.

The university has 1,239 full-and part-time faculty members; 95.6 percent of full-time faculty hold doctoral or terminal degrees in the fields they teach. USF fosters a close relationship between students and faculty members. This is reflected in the small classes (fewer than 25 students), the low student-to-faculty ratio (13:1), and the faculty members' availability for advising. The main focus of faculty is on classroom teaching and working with students on research. Classes are not taught by student teachers or teachers' assistants.

USF offers 103 study-abroad programs in 45 countries all over the world, including internship-specific programs and field study programs. Students explore their options with advisers in the Center for Global Education.

USF accepts Advanced Placement (AP) credits, as certified by the College Board's Advanced Placement Program exams, the International Baccalaureate program courses, and the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students in the College of Arts and Sciences may earn a bachelor's degree in three years with a combination of Advanced Placement credits and an academically rigorous schedule.

The USF Pre-Professional Health Committee serves to guide and recommend students to medical and dental professional schools as well as to schools for pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, and podiatry. A student may complete the premedical or other pre-health science requirements as part of, or in addition to, the requirements of an academic major. The Pre-Professional Health Committee assists students with the application process, collects and mails recommendations to professional schools, conducts interviews in preparation for application, and endorses approved candidates via a committee letter of recommendation sent to all professional schools selected by the student.

The St. Ignatius Institute offers a core curriculum based on the great books of Western civilization. Any undergraduate student, regardless of major, may take Institute courses to meet core curriculum requirements. The university also offers Army ROTC, which offers scholarships for qualified applicants and continuing students.

The university offers these special academic programs:

In the USF Honors College, the first of its kind at a Jesuit university, top students from all majors come together to tackle real-world problems. The students work with distinguished scholars and artists and can apply for funding to conduct research and travel abroad.

The Muscat Scholars Program offers incoming first-generation, first-year students mentors and support to navigate the ins and outs of college life.

The BASE (Black Achievement Success and Engagement) program supports and inspires black-identified students. Created at the request of USF students, BASE encompasses a rigorous scholars program, resource center, and living-learning community.

USF is planning to launch an engineering program in the fall of 2020. The university plans to expand engineering to include more women, more people of color, more voices of innovation, and more ethical, compassionate leaders.

Career Services and Placement

USF uses its location, alumni base, and strong relationships with industry leaders to help connect students to internship and career opportunities in the Bay Area and beyond. Top employers regularly visit campus. Students visit the Career Services Center to research potential employers, get help with their resumes, and take part in practice interviews. USF alumni report an average mid-career salary of $110,600. They can be found working for organizations like Apple, Google, Deloitte, Tesla, and Teach for America. USF graduates rank among the top 3% in the U.S. for their earning potential. But they don't only do well in the world. They change it for the better.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers both B.A. and B.S. degrees. The School of Management offers B.S. degrees. The School of Nursing and Health Professions offers a direct-entry, four-year B.S. in Nursing for qualified high school and transfer applicants. Major programs include accounting, advertising, architecture and community design, art history/arts management, Asian studies, biology, chemistry, communication studies, comparative literature and culture, computer science, critical diversity studies, data science, design, economics, English, entrepreneurship and innovation, environmental science, environmental studies, finance, fine arts, French studies, history, hospitality management, international business, international studies, Japanese studies, kinesiology, Latin American studies, marketing, management, mathematics, media studies, nursing, performing arts and social justice, philosophy, physics, politics, psychology, sociology, Spanish, theology and religious studies, and urban studies.

USF offers 71 minors and special programs, including astronomy; African studies; Asia Pacific studies; Catholic studies and social thought; ethnic studies; film studies; honors college; Jewish studies and social justice; Latin@/Chican@; Middle Eastern studies; neuroscience; 4+3 dual degrees in law, premedical, and other pre-professional health studies; public relations; a five-year dual-degree teacher preparation program that results in teacher certification at the elementary or secondary level; and the School of Management honors cohort program.