<p>Various posts on these forums list colleges that have strong undergrad departments in various majors. However, they usually don't indicate what makes the department strong. If someone is seeking a strong department in a certain field, what should he/she look for? What teaching arrangements/methodologies? What facilities/equipment? Other resources? Size (#minimum number of professors, # of majors, etc.)? Essential courses? Breadth, depth of course offerings, subfields? Research opportunities? Internships? etc. etc.</p>
<p>If you believe your department is strong, or you know what makes for a strong undergraduate department generally in your field, what are those factors? Do this for the various disciplines at the undergraduate level about which you are knowledgeable.</p>
<p>excellent fellow students
accomplished faculty
acessible faculty
good teaching
excellent resources
research/scholarship opportunities
wide selection of courses
courses available when you need them
culture that makes students the top priority
friendly faculty but high expectations</p>
<p>I think of it more as a one-line answer:</p>
<p>Strong success of the department’s undergrads in their next endeavor, whatever it is, “makes” a strong department in your major, if you desire that next endeavor for which the school is known.</p>
<p>Various schools and departments can become known for, or specialize in, particular outcomes, e.g., admission to specific types of grad schools, starting salaries, professional success, and so on. So if one has an identified goal, those schools/departments whose graduates do especially well at attaining that goal can be identified and targeted.</p>
<p>E.g., CalTech undergrads later earn PhDs in physics at the highest rate in the country; therefore, CalTech has a strong undergrad physics department, if a PhD in physics is your goal, no matter what the underlying contributing details are (which then don’t really need to be investigated).</p>