Introduction

Brandeis University is an American private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, 9 miles west of Boston.

It was founded in 1948 as a non-sectarian Jewish community-sponsored coeducational institution on the site of the former Middlesex University. The university is named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Justice of the U.S Supreme Court. The institution offers more than 43 majors and 46 minors, and two thirds of the undergraduate classes have 20 students or less.

The university has a strong liberal arts focus and a quarter of its students coming from outside the United States. It was tied for 34th among national universities in the United States in U.S. News World Report 2016 rankings. Forbes listed Brandeis as 36th nationally for research and 37th for entrepreneurship. Times ranks it 185th globally while USA Today ranks it among the top 10 in the country for economics.

Academics

The schools of the University include: The Brandeis University College of Arts and Sciences, The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Rabb School of Summer and Continuing Studies, Brandeis International Business School

The College of Arts and Sciences comprises 24 departments and 22 interdepartmental programs, which, in total, offer 43 majors and 47 minors.

The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, founded in 1959, is noteworthy for its graduate programs in healthcare administration, social policy, social work, and international development. Internships, research assistantships and other hands-on experiences are available throughout the curriculum. The global and experiential dimensions of education at Brandeis are carried out through international centers and institutes, which sponsor lectures and colloquia and add to the ranks of distinguished scholars on campus.

The Brandeis University Press, a member of the University Press of New England, publishes books in a variety of scholarly and general interest fields. The Goldfarb Library at Brandeis has more than 1.6 million volumes and 300,000 e-journals. The library also houses a large United States Government archive. Brandeis University is a part of the Boston Library Consortium, which allows its students, faculty, and staff to access and borrow books and other materials from other BLC institutions including, Brown University, Tufts University, and Williams College.

Notable alumni

Eve Adler, Classicist, professor at Middlebury College

Mitch Albom, Sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press, author of Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Paula Apsell, Executive Producer of Nova, the longest-running science documentary series and winner of eight Emmy Awards

Mia Bauer, Co-founder of Crumbs Bake Shop, the largest cupcake chain in the United States

Jack Abramoff, Republican activist, founder, International Freedom Foundation, former lobbyist

Donna Arzt, Human rights attorney, law professor