Established in 1881 as a liberal arts college which has morphed into a composite university, this pioneer institution enjoys an excellent reputation for providing high value education

One of the pioneer liberal arts private universities in the American hinterland, Drake University (estb. 1881) is sited in Des Moines, the capital of the farmland state of Iowa. Currently this fully accredited co-ed varsity offers more than 75 undergraduate majors and several graduate study programmes to 5,221 students, including 200 from abroad. Its six colleges and schools including arts and sciences; business and public administration; education; journalism and mass communication; law; and pharmacy and health sciences offer an education that blends a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with carefully designed professional programmes. Consequently it’s not surprising that during the past five years 95 percent of Drake graduates have found professional employment or entered graduate school. 

Nor is it surprising this pioneer university enjoys an excellent reputation. The US News & World Report magazine has consistently ranked Drake U among the top three regional universities in the midwest. Moreover Peterson’s Guide to Competitive Colleges and Barron’s 300 Best Buys in College Education rate Drake as among the best values in higher education.

The student-teacher ratio at Drake is an enviable 14:1 with 93 percent of professors holding the highest degree in their fields. Comments Tom Delahunt, vice president for admission and financial aid at Drake: “The distinguishing characteristic of Drake is that it is a combination of a liberal arts college and university i.e it offers high quality postgrad and doctorate education as well. Moreover ours is a generous college. Eighty eight percent of students receive financial aid.”

Des Moines. The capital of Iowa, Des Moines (pop. 400,000) is the political and business hub of the state. A thriving fast-expanding city with live links to its agricultural backyard, Des Moines offers students great opportunities for internships or to start a career, enjoy modern art, classic architecture, experience metropolitan amenities or explore scenic bicycle trails. The city’s diverse offerings include antique shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques of the historic Valley Junction; downtown’s lively East Village and Court Avenue districts; a zoo, science centre and art museum and one of the top ten US arts festivals.

The climate in Des Moines changes dramatically during different times of the year. Temperatures are high in July and August; cold in January and February. The most likely time for snow is from mid-November until mid-March.

Campus facilities. Drake’s 150-acre campus nestles in a residential neighbourhood in the heart of Des Moines. It offers numerous coffee houses, local and chain restaurants, an art house, movie theatre, grocery and drug stores- all within walking distance of the campus. On the verdant campus, contemporary laboratories, auditoriums and seminar halls supplement state-of-the-art classrooms.

Cowles Library, the main university library, houses a collection which includes more than 550,000 books and journals, 94,000 federal and state government documents, 777,000 microform records, 70 electronic databases, approximately 15,000 scholarly online journals, as well as DVDs and music CDs.

Sports facilities include indoor and outdoor tennis courts, indoor racquetball courts, an indoor track, weight training rooms and a swimming pool. The Wellness Center offers daily aerobics classes and healthy lifestyle seminars. Moreover students can participate in more than 160 clubs and social organisations, ranging from student, government and professional societies to intramural sports.

Other facilities include a university bookshop, a pizza and sub shop, two Starbuck outlets and Drake’s own Cool Beans coffee house.

Admission. To enroll into Drake’s undergrad degree courses on a full-time basis, students must successfully complete Plus Two and achieve a TOEFL score of at least 530 (paper based) or 197 (computer based). Students with scores between 480 and 530 or 157 to 197 may be approved to enroll in both degree courses and English classes, each on a part-time basis. Students whose TOEFL scores are less than 480 or 157 will have to enroll in English classes on a full-time basis. Although it is not mandatory, overseas students are strongly encouraged to write the SAT-I (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT especially if they want to be considered for scholarships.

For further information write to the Office of Admissions, Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50311 4505. E-mail: admission@ drake.edu. Website: www.choose drake.edu.

Accommodation. Drake has eight residence halls for undergraduate students. The Stalnaker, Crawford, Carpenter and Herriott Halls are located on the northwestern corner of the campus and are referred to as quad halls because of their close proximity to each other, their common design features and size similarity. The quads house first-year students. Each hall of residence has 24 hour-desk service, laundry facilities, mail service, storage space and is wired for cable TV and internet access. Several residence halls have kitchens for student use.

Degree programmes. Drake offers more than 75 undergraduate majors and several graduate programmes in its six colleges and schools: arts and sciences, including fine arts; business and public administration; education; journalism and mass communication; law; pharmacy and health sciences.

The Drake curriculum is characterised by an integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. It consists of three components: a first year seminar, a set of areas of inquiry requirements and a senior capstone. Students are required to complete all three. 

Scholastic options at Drake

Drake offers more than 75 undergraduate majors and several graduate programmes in its six colleges and schools. They include: 

College of Arts and Sciences. Anthropology/ sociology, art and design, astronomy, biochemistry, cell & molecular biology, biology, chemistry, computer science, English, environmental science and policy, ethics, history, international relations, law, politics and society, mathematics, music, neuroscience, philosophy, physics, politics, psychology, religion, rhetoric and communication studies, sociology, study of culture and society, theatre arts

College of Business and Administration. Accounting, actuarial science, economics, finance, general business, information systems, insurance concentration, international business, management, marketing

School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Advertising, electronic media, magazines, public relations, documentary production concentration

School of Education. Elementary teacher education, secondary teacher education

College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Doctor of pharmacy, PharmaD and MBA, PharmaD and MPA, PharmaD and Law, diabetes concentration

Drake Law School. Law

Bill of costs

Tuition $21,000; Room (double) $3,000; Board $3,170; Technology fee $250; Student activity fee $112 (Total $27,632)

NB US$=Rs.44

Summiya Yasmeen