Susquehanna University: Academic Programs and Opportunities

Susquehanna University, a private liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, offers a variety of diploma programs designed to provide students with transformative learning experiences. Founded in 1858, Susquehanna is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is committed to providing students with a strong foundation in the liberal arts, as well as opportunities for hands-on learning and global experiences.

A Broad Range of Academic Programs

Susquehanna University offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees, as well as combined-degree programs with other universities such as Case Western University, Columbia University, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Washington University in St. Louis. The university's academic programs are housed within four schools: the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences, and the AACSB International-accredited Sigmund Weis School of Business.

The ten most popular majors for graduates include:

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
English Language and Literature/Letters
Visual and Performing Arts
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services

Innovative Central Curriculum

Susquehanna University's innovative Central Curriculum challenges students to think beyond the obvious, expand their horizons, and grow with confidence. The university's active learning philosophy ensures that every student is immersed in hands-on opportunities from the moment they arrive on campus. Learning isn’t just something that happens in the classroom - it’s an experience.

GO Program

The GO Program, as part of a school policy adopted in 2009, requires all Susquehanna students go off-campus for cross-cultural learning. More than 97% of Susquehanna students go global for their cross-cultural requirement. Students dive into meaningful research, land competitive internships, and explore the globe while being supported by professors who know their name and care about their goals.

Read also: Applying to Susquehanna University

Teacher Intern Program

The Teacher Intern Program at Susquehanna University is designed to be supportive and flexible, catering to individuals interested in transitioning careers or enhancing their current roles. The university is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to provide the program.

Program Features

Supportive Community: A community dedicated to your success.
Flexibility: Designed for career transitions and professional development.
Pennsylvania Department of Education Approval: Ensuring program quality and recognition.

Application Process

To apply for the PA Intern Certificate, candidates can apply online through the TIMS system. If a letter of intern candidacy is required for a job application, the program director can provide one upon request.

ESL Program Specialist Certification

Educators can add English as a second language (ESL) Program Specialist PreK-12 certification to an initial certification in another content area.

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Candidates with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be conditionally accepted after completing 12 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Tuition and Withdrawal Policy

All teacher intern coursework will be charged at the teacher intern rate of $685 per credit hour for the academic year 2026-2027. Tuition costs are subject to change according to university increases. Withdrawing from Susquehanna University may affect your tuition, fees and financial aid in the teacher intern program.

Field Experience and Student Teaching

The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires field experience totaling 190 hours, prior to student teaching, including 150 hours of pre-student teaching interaction with teachers and students. Consideration for field experience credit may be given for recent experience working with children in an instructional setting. Student teaching, as a teacher intern, requires a minimum of 12 weeks/12 credits. These are full-time assignments arranged through the Director of the Teacher Intern Program. School sites for student teaching are selected from school districts within a 50-mile radius of Susquehanna University and are planned early in the semester prior to the actual student teaching experience. Candidates will collect and upload required items through an online portal.

Read also: Susquehanna Tuition & Fees

Sigmund Weis School of Business Programs

The Sigmund Weis School of Business offers a variety of programs designed to prepare students for success in the business world.

Professional Sales Program

The Professional Sales program is an interdisciplinary program that draws on the strength of the Communications Department and the Sigmund Weis School of Business and provides students the opportunity to earn either a major or a minor in professional sales. Susquehanna University has two degree programs in professional sales. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree is a liberal arts degree earned in the university’s School of Humanities, incorporating a solid communication foundation into professional sales studies. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree is earned in the Sigmund Weis School of Business. Combining a professional sales degree with a business foundation will equip students to excel in the competitive field of sales and contribute effectively to any organization. Candidates for the Bachelor of Science with a major in professional sales successfully complete the business foundation courses. No grade below a C- will be accepted toward graduation for foundation courses; upon earning a grade below C- in a foundation course, the student must retake the course the next semester in which it is offered. The Professional Sales minor provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the sales function in an organization, and prepares them for a career in sales through a mix of business and communication classes. The sales function is vitally important as it is the only revenue generating function in an organization. The minor in Professional Sales requires a total of 16 credit hours: 12 credit hours of required courses and 4 credit hours of elective classes. No credits from this minor can double count towards a student’s major.

Business Foundation Courses

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science with a major in professional sales successfully complete the business foundation courses as follows and 22-26 semester hours of professional sales courses listed below.

Communications Foundation Courses

Combining a professional sales degree with a communications foundation can lead to a powerful skill set for success in various industries. Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in professional sales successfully complete the 24 semester hours of communications foundation courses as follows, and 28-32 semester hours of professional sales courses listed below.

Course Offerings

MGMT-196 Global Business Perspectives: Provides an introduction to liberal studies and college life, as well as an overview of business functional areas, career opportunities and the Sigmund Weis School curriculum.
MKTG-100 Principles of Marketing: Examines markets and segments, as well as product, price, promotion, and channel variable decisions.
ECON-105 Principles of Macroeconomics: Introduces aggregate economics and emphasizes current issues such as unemployment, inflation, monetary and fiscal policies, and international economics.
MGMT-202 Business Statistics: A basic introduction to data analysis, descriptive statistics, probability, Bayes’ Theorem, distributions of random variables, and topics in statistical inference.
MGMT-240 Principles of Management: Examines the essentials of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
MGMT-322 Legal Environment of Business: The legal environment as it relates to business.
COMM-215 Professional Selling: Provides students with a practical understanding of the principles of selling, the sales process, and the experiences and skills essential to become successful at selling.
MGMT-210 Career Planning: This course focuses on identifying and clarifying individual values, skills, interests, and personality type to develop suitable career objectives, placing emphasis on the connections between career preparation, academic choices, and co-curricular activities.
ACCT-200 Financial Accounting: Provides an introduction to the basic concepts and standards underlying financial accounting systems.
COMM-315 Advanced Professional Selling: This course seeks to develop students’ sales skills and knowledge of the selling process to a professional and competitive level.
ACCT-330 Managerial Accounting: Provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts and commonly used tools in managerial accounting.
FINC-340 Corporate Finance: Examines the theory and practice of corporate financial management.
COMM-325 Sales Management: This course examines the personal selling component of marketing from a management perspective.
MGMT-480 Strategic Management: The capstone course for business seniors that integrates much of the knowledge they gain from earlier courses.
MGMT-370 Negotiations: Develops skills in negotiation, joint decision making and joint problem solving through analysis of the negotiating process, frequent negotiation exercises, case analyses and interaction with professional negotiators.
MGMT-498 Internship: A learning experience that cultivates a student’s academic and professional development through valuable work experience and the integration of classroom-acquired knowledge by working at a firm, corporation, government agency, or nonprofit organization.

Campus Life and Resources

The Susquehanna University campus spans 297 acres in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and includes more than 50 buildings, primarily in the style of Georgian architecture.

Read also: Susquehanna University Employment

Student Life

The student-faculty ratio at Susquehanna University is 12:1, and the school has 63.1% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 83%.

Traditions

First-Year Students' Move In Day: Welcomes first-year students by sending team members to help carry new students' belongings into their dorm rooms.
Thanksgiving Dinner: Held prior to students leaving for Thanksgiving vacation.

Clubs and Organizations

There are eight religious life organizations at Susquehanna. WQSU, The Pulse, is the institution's 12,000-watt radio station, making it the third most powerful college radio station and the tenth most powerful non-commercial radio station in Pennsylvania. Broadcasts can be heard at a 70-mile radius, which is approximately one-third of the state of Pennsylvania.

Athletics

Susquehanna competes in 23 varsity sports in Division III of the NCAA. In 2022, Susquehanna won the Landmark Conference President's Trophy for the best overall athletics program, which is based on conference regular-season and postseason competition. The athletics complex includes a 51,000-square-foot field house, 3,500-seat Amos Alonzo Stagg Field at Doug Arthur Stadium, Douglas Arthur '49 Field, Clyde H. Jacobs Fitness Center, 1,100-seat Orlando W. Houts Gymnasium, and a natatorium. The football team competes in two annual trophy contests.

tags: #Susquehanna #University #Diploma #Programs