<p>I would like to know what UVA is good at? Do they have a strong government and foreign affairs department?</p>
<p>Would be grateful for your help!</p>
<p>which country are you from?
i'm also an int'l student, @ UVA.
UVA is strong at humanities, social sciences (including gov't & foreign affairs), architecture and business.</p>
<p>Agree that strengths are non-science...though at grad level med school is good.</p>
<p>Hong Kong :)
I am planning to study goverment and foreign affairs there. Do they have a good faculty in govenment and what are the most popular majors? Thanks!</p>
<p>UVA itself is good, and with access to DC I am sure its departments are more than fine.</p>
<p>How does virginia compare to michigan, if one was not to study in the sciences?</p>
<p>Great Business program</p>
<p>English!!!!!! UVA has an EXTREMELY good English program. :)</p>
<p>Virginia probably stronger than Michigan in non-sciences. As noted english, religious studies, etc. Michigan is much bigger. Much colder. Athletics better at Michigan.</p>
<p>Michigan is MUCH better in all of the social sciences--anthro, econ, psych, soc. etc. Uva main advantage is that it is smaller --for whatever that is worth. It gets pretty cold in CV in the winter. It's not the deep south.</p>
<p>Comments on another board from UVa parent:</p>
<p>From: gcoupar Jan-22 12:53 pm<br>
To: ALL (1 of 5) </p>
<p>21526.1 </p>
<p>I found US News college guides extremely usefull in helping me select schools for my son and daughter. My daughter started last fall at the University of Virgina (UVA). However, we have found serious issues at the school with availability of classes and she has ended up taking credits that are not relavent for her major. At orientation we found the school down right dishonest about the situation and other parents we have talked to have had the same problems.</p>
<p>The US News guides do not appear to give any indication that UVA has a problem and rates the school quite highly, or did I miss something? </p>
<p>Has anyone else experienced similar problems with UVA? Any advice? My son is also at a highly rated school but has never had a problem getting classes.</p>
<p>The UVa parent in a follow-up post wrote:
"My daughter will only manage 8 credits this semester that match her Biology major. By the end of her first year she will not have taken a single Biology class."</p>
<p>They have a separate architecture school, so that's one of their strong points. UVa is good at a lot of things.</p>
<p>Agree that getting classes at UVA can be tough if you don't have any seniority...AP credits have been a help to my son who is 1st yr there. Although he did drop a class and had a difficult time adding anything desirable.</p>
<p>More UVa problems--campus crumbling. I posted my own opinion that the place looked down at the heels last year. Now the Uva administration has recognized the potentially vast problems.</p>
<p>Seriously Barrons, it's not that bad. UVa is old after all. Furthermore, the University has just begun funding a huge architectural overall of the University including new construction such as the South Lawn Project, Arts Precinct, and Sports Precinct. </p>
<p>UVa is using the money it's currently raising from its $3 billion campaign to cover the cost. The backlog from the state funding is yet another example of why UVa along w/ William & Mary and Virginia Tech want to become "charter universities" and become independent from the vagaries of state funding.</p>
<p>I'm sure your school, Wisconsin has its own problems too.</p>
<p>Barrons & GoBlue, in regards to classes, UVa still manages to graduate 92% of its students. Michigan - 84%, Wisconsin - 77%. It seems that your schools have a greater problem with not getting the classes you need.</p>
<p>I am not familiar with Wisconsin or UVA in terms of getting into classes, but at Michigan, I never had any problems enrolling into any class. The graduation rate at Michigan is due to the way Michigan structures its curriculum. Also Michigan accepts some students who are in over their heads, either academically or financially and those students end up dropping out after their sophomore ot junior year.</p>
<p>Globalist,
I was surprised when I read the post from UVa parent in the other forum. I have contact with a couple students at UVa, and a few at Michigan and Wisconsin. None of them complained about not getting the classes they wanted. Class shortage is a common problem with State U's, especially with incoming (real) freshmen as they have the lowest priority. But usually it only means that you are stuck with early morning or late evening classes in the first semester. I thought that was what happened to UVa parent's daughter. Her reply was what I posted here.</p>
<p>Another poster blamed it on the state budget cut in 2003-04...and that the problem should be short-term as UVa is taking steps to improve the situation this year:</p>
<p>"...State funding to UVa took another major hit with a reduction of $15,000,000 over last year for 2003-2004 and a cumulative reduction of over $40,000,000 or around 30% of state funding since 2001. Tuition has been increased to offset about 60-70% of those losses and other funds have been tapped to add another 10% or so. Funding for basic instruction has been maintained at a fairly flat level, but other areas such as student services and maintenance have been cut significantly."</p>
<p>I was wondering when you would jump out and defend your Alma Mata 8^).</p>
<p>Haha............LOL</p>
<p>Barrons,</p>
<p>I know for a fact that this happens at UNC and Michigan. My Michigan alum friend complained about getting into classes he wanted all the time. I even experience this at Columbia. It happens at most big universities, but rarely at the LACs and smaller universities.</p>