2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog

Mission and History

Mission Statement

Sacred Heart University, rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, embraces a vision for social justice and educates students in mind, body and spirit to prepare them personally and professionally to make a difference in the global community.



History

Sacred Heart University was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, second bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, to provide an institution of higher education that would serve the people of the diocese and region, regardless of sex, race, creed or religion. In October 1962, Bishop Curtis announced both the plan to open a college the following September, and its name, “Sacred Heart.” The choice of the name had a dual origin: it was the name of the bishop’s first pastorate in Bloomfield, N.J., and was a pledge from the bishop attesting to the value of such an institution.

 
Signs of the University’s growth and vibrancy are evident. Enrollment has risen from the original class of fewer than 200 undergraduate students to almost 10,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. Over the years, Sacred Heart has grown to become the second-largest Catholic university in New England and, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, one of the fastest-growing Catholic Universities in the country.

The University has enhanced the undergraduate student experience in many notable ways. In 1990, it accepted, for the first time, students who wanted the residential experience. Now approximately 93 percent of first-year students and 57 percent of all undergraduates reside in University housing.

New degree programs and majors in relevant disciplines are regularly added to our curriculum, and the University now offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Conn., and satellites in Stamford, Luxembourg and Ireland. The University consists of six colleges and three schools: College of Arts & Sciences, School of Communication & Media Arts, School of Computing, School of Social Work, the AACSB-accredited Jack Welch College of Business, College of Health Professions, the Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, St. Vincent’s College and Isabelle Farrington School of Education. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 385 Colleges–2020 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 252 Business Schools–2019 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theater.

The University offers Division I athletics with 32 varsity teams. The William H. Pitt Athletic and Convocation Center is available to D-1 athletes for training. The state-of-the-art Bobby Valentine Health and Recreation Center is open to all students and includes a suspended track, bowling lanes, a climbing wall and much more.


The campus currently comprises more than 300 acres of land, including The Great River 18-Hole Golf Course and the former global headquarters of General Electric, which is now SHU’s West Campus. West Campus houses the College of Education and the College of Business, including the School of Computing & Engineering and the new hospitality, resort and tourism program. West Campus is an innovative campus with a maker space for engineering students and incubator space where business students can work with local business people on projects.

An ever-widening outreach to the community balances the University’s commitment to academic excellence. More than 1,500 students, faculty and staff members volunteer in excess of 100,000 hours of community engagement each year.


 


 

Locations

Located on 56 suburban acres and adjacent properties in Fairfield, Connecticut, the main campus is just minutes from Exit 47 off the Merritt Parkway (Route 15), about one hour north of New York, and less than three hours south of Boston. Major extension sites of the University are located in Stamford and Griswold, Connecticut. The University also offers a Master of Business Administration degree and undergraduate study abroad in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Ireland.

 

Main Campus: Fairfield

Sacred Heart University 

5151 Park Avenue

Fairfield, CT 06825-1000

203-371-7880 Fax: 203-365-7607

 

West Campus: Fairfield

Sacred Heart University 

3135 Easton Turnpike

Fairfield, CT 06828

 

Center for Healthcare Education: Bridgeport

Sacred Heart University

4000 Park Avenue

Bridgeport, CT 06604

 

Sacred Heart University at Dingle

Green Street

County Kerry

Dingle

Ireland


Sacred Heart University at Griswold

Griswold High School

267 Slater Avenue

Griswold, CT 06351

860-376-8408 Fax: 860-376-1798

E-mail: christensenk@sacredheart.edu

 

Sacred Heart University at Luxembourg

7 rue Alcide de Gasperi

Chambre de Commerce – Bâtiment B, 1st Floor

L-2981 Luxembourg

Luxembourg

352-22-76-13 Fax: 352-22-76-23

E-mail: admissions@shu.lu

 

Sacred Heart University at Tandet Center

4 Hospital Place

Stamford, CT 06902