Sacred Heart University (SHU)

Since its founding in 1963, Sacred Heart University has been guided by the principle of personalized attention to each student, providing the education and support needed for each student to develop and grow in mind, body and spirit. Across offered throughout the University's five colleges and three schools on its campus in Connecticut and locations abroad, students are prepared personally and professionally to make a difference close to home and globally.

Tradition meets innovation

As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, Sacred Heart University blends the with the cutting-edge skills needed for tomorrow's dynamic world. At Sacred Heart, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration meet real-world innovation, ensuring that students are not only prepared for the future, but also ready to shape it.

At Sacred Heart University (SHU), students are encouraged to innovate, lead and succeed as they connect and learn from expert faculty in state-of-the-art facilities and learning environments across the 311-acre suburban Fairfield campus and beyond.

At SHU, students build strong connections with faculty through real-life study and concrete research projects that address today's needs and anticipate the demands of tomorrow. Students work in interactive, innovative spaces in SHU's academic buildings; through online communities; in joint research projects; in advising sessions and through many academic clubs, organizations and activities. Faculty lead students on study trips across the globe, including ; a partner campus in Rome; and other study abroad options worldwide.

Excellent preparation leads to future success

More than 11,000 students attend the University's five colleges: Arts & Sciences, Health Professionals, CCNE-accredited Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, the AACSB-accredited Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, and the CAEP-accredited Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development. Within all five colleges, as well as the School of Computer Science & Engineering, School of Social Work and School of Communication, Media & the Arts, students engage in hands-on education inside and outside the classroom.

Students can gain real-world exposure to financial concepts, including trading, in the finance lab on —the former global headquarters of General Electric. There, students also develop fresh and innovative solutions to enduring and emerging challenges in the IDEA Lab, immerse themselves in the latest artificial intelligence technology in the AI Lab, or learn the tools to counter future threats in the Cybersecurity Lab. The Center for Healthcare Education features the latest technology available to health professions students, including cutting-edge equipment and laboratories, as well as a 24-bed nursing lab and 8 simulation rooms.

The University's commitment to experiential learning provides students with the tools and skills to pursue internships, clinical placements, independent study, service-learning projects and work study opportunities. SHU's campus is ideally located one hour north of New York City and 2.5 hours south of Boston. Students enhance their classroom work with real-life work experiences in world-class hospitals, nationally ranked elementary and secondary schools, Fortune 500 corporations and employers in Connecticut's creative corridor. Drawing on the rich resources in New England and New York City, students can gain research and internship opportunities, such as researching marine life in the Long Island Sound alongside faculty or interning at Madison Square Garden. These experiences help pave the way for a nearly 100% placement rate for graduating seniors in full-time jobs or graduate study.

Students encouraged to strive and thrive

A rich student life awaits at SHU. There are more than 100 student clubs and organizations, including dozens of active that provide opportunities to come together to socialize, as well as make a difference through philanthropic events and service projects. Further, you can gain leadership skills, prepare for your career, take up a new hobby, write for the student newspaper or work at the NPR-affiliated radio station, .

Students gather to cheer on athletes in the 33 NCAA Division I teams at the recently renovated and the . There are also opportunities to compete in more than 34 intercollegiate club sports. If you are drawn to the stage, the University's performing arts program is nationally recognized and led by a Tony-and-Grammy-nominated producer. In 2024, the opened to provide students with the latest technology and equipment to rehearse and stage modern performances. At SHU, aspiring performers prepare for careers in the arts through the theatre arts program (also available as an academic major), a choral program with various ensembles, a band & orchestra program that includes marching band, pep band, and concert band, and a dance program with a variety of ensembles and pro tracks.

More than 90% of freshmen live on campus, in residence halls that are modern and spacious, leading to a lively atmosphere and supportive residential experience. Nearly every day brings opportunities to participate in cultural, educational and social events and activities that enhance and enrich students' experiences at SHU.

At Sacred Heart, "Everyone here welcomes you like family!" This sentiment stems from a variety of students who attribute it to a close-knit "community of peers" and a willingness to be "very accepting...even if there are differences." They also chalk it up to an overall outgoing demeanor and suggest that the school's medium size might actually drive students to participate in order to have "a big campus community" because when you "get involved and meet people [it makes] it seem bigger." Other words frequently used to describe the student body include its "positive attitude" and good manners-"We are a door-holding campus"-and motivation to get involved in "loving and helpful" ways. As one student describes it, "I believe that no institution has students that love their school more than we do," a sentiment that's seemingly only grown in response to the pandemic. "Students have been even more kind and understanding of each other. It is a great community!"

Students at Sacred Heart continually mention opportunity, whether that's being active in recreational or intramural sports, getting involved in the mentorship of younger students and high-schoolers through programs like Best Buddies or buildOn, or pursuing additional academic interests like the new neuroscience club or SHU Innovate, which helps students discover technology and its social and ethical implications. It's rare to find a program that students aren't enthusiastic about, no matter how specific: "I am on the Irish Dance Ensemble, one of the greatest teams I've been a part of." And of course, there's a strong ministry outreach, described by some as "the soul and heart of campus," which "makes every single person feel welcome." In short, "SHU is fun. Class, work, fraternity. I love it here."