What is Universities: Definition and 269 Discussions

A university (Latin: universitas, 'a whole') is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
The word university is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars".The first universities were created in Europe by Catholic Church monks. The University of Bologna (Università di Bologna), founded in 1088, is the first university in the sense of:

being a high degree-awarding institute;
having independence from the ecclesiastic schools, although conducted by both clergy and non-clergy;
using the word universitas (which was coined at its foundation);
issuing secular and non-secular degrees: grammar, rhetoric, logic, theology, canon law, notarial law.

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  1. S

    Schools Russian universities reputation and entry requirements question

    Hi everybody. I have completed a BSc Honors in physics degree from a public sector Pakistani university, and am considering my graduate school options. I had a few queries I've been unable to find good answers to: 1) How does a 2-3 year MSc from a good Russian university compare to a 2...
  2. J

    Schools For those looking at Canadian Universities

    I found this on my University's website and decided to share it with all of you! Here are new rankings for Sciences and Engineering based solely on academic research in Canada. http://www.physics.sfu.ca/assets/uploaded_files/rankings201-3.pdf It explains their methodology of obtaining...
  3. S

    Schools Picking universities - finding it difficult

    Hi, I completed two years of my undergraduate Physics study at Imperial College London (2009-2011). Since then, I have interrupted my studies until 2013 due to financial difficulties. Now, I'm looking to transfer to Canadian universities and I have a list of 22 universities which I want to...
  4. S

    Programs Applying to Universities for Astrophysics and Particle Physics

    I am a high school student. i am applying to universities for admission next year. I really like physics. I want to study both astrophysics and particle physics. How can i do this? And which universities offer dual degrees/majors in both these fields? I also heard of a new field astroparticle...
  5. I

    Schools Duration of PhD in Canadian Universities

    Hi! How long would it take to attend a Physics PhD at a Canadian university? I mean, a PhD without a Master. 4-5-6 years? I am not able to figure out from the web! Thanks :-)
  6. I

    Schools How are British degrees viewed by American Universities?

    This is about applying from a British undergraduate to an American graduate. How is a British degree viewed by an American university? Is a British applicant with a 1st Class Degree viewed just as favorably as an American candidate with GPA 4.0? Is there anything that goes in favor of the...
  7. S

    Schools Ranking US Universities according to their physics research

    Hello I have asked similar questions in the past but am having a lot of trouble with this!: I am welcoming all advice on finding good official ranking tables of US Universities according to the quality and volume (and perhaps other metrics as well!) of their scientific research. For...
  8. Q

    Schools Universities with PHD programs in Quantum Information Theory

    I will finish my Master studies in theoretical physics next year, and I want to do a PHD in Quantum Information (my main interest). I want to apply to universities in the UK and Germany (right now I restrict myself to these two countries). What are the universities you know of, that have Quantum...
  9. A

    Internship, Moroccan Universities, and Graduate School: My Story

    This is my first day, first post and first... A little bit about myself. I just finished my second year in EE in a Moroccan university and presently on an internship. I would like to ask 3 questions after going through this wonderful forum. 1. How many internship months should someone...
  10. S

    Schools Likelihood to enter foreign universities for Physics Ph.D

    Hello, I'm currently studying under an integrated M.S. program, majoring in Physics (Math as additional subject), and later wish to do Ph.D in theoretical Physics (broadly in particle physics). I know that universities look at factors like GRE score, reference letters, GPA, etc. as criteria...
  11. R

    Schools Mathematics at Parisian universities

    Is anybody here knowledgeable about the system in Parisian universities? –I have a couple (or maybe a bit more) of questions which I don't seem to get clear answers from the internet, rather mixed ones. The first one is concerning Paris 6 (UPMC) and Paris 7 (Diderot). I know they both are in...
  12. U

    Schools Best US Universities: UC Davis, CU Boulder, UT Dallas, UIUC, UW Madison & More

    If possible, pls mention in order of superiority: Univ of California- Davis Univ of Colorado Boulder Univ f Texas- Dallas Univ of Illinois- Urbana Champaign Univ of Wisconsin Madison Syracuse Univ George Washington Univ Univ of Rochester Univ of Connecticut Michigan State Univ...
  13. G

    Universities: institutions of higher learning or institutions of profit$?

    Today I just received my "Higher One" debit card for any future refunds that my university will need to give me for anything. I just read the terms and conditions for this card, and there are $2.50 ATM fees for every ATM withdraw not at a specified ATM (of course the specified ATMs are very...
  14. N

    Schools Small Liberal Art Colleges Vs. Big Universities

    Is it better to go to a small liberal art college or a big university for someone who is looking to pursue a research career in physics? Discuss.
  15. R

    Schools Choosing between Universities for Physics undergrad

    Hello, I am a Canadian Grade 12 high school student (in the GTA) and I plan on pursuing a career in theoretical physics academia. I have been accepted to the University of Toronto and to UC Berkeley and am trying to decide between the two. From what I understand when applying to a...
  16. H

    Schools Universities in Scotland: Physics

    Very soon I will be applying to universities and I have found the destination I wish to study at. This location would be Scotland. Has anyone studied at a university in Scotland before? Been to one? Or (the most important question I have) could you recommend a specific one? After having...
  17. M

    Schools Undergrad Research - Small vs Big universities

    What are people's thoughts of undergrad research (in science and/or engineering) in small versus big research universities? It seems to be me that, in big, top 10 research universities (with a few exceptions), because of the huge number of grad students, professors extremely busy and well-known...
  18. M

    Schools Undergrad Research - Small vs Big universities

    What are people's thoughts of undergrad research (in science and/or engineering) in small versus big research universities? It seems to be me that, in big, top 10 research universities (with a few exceptions), because of the huge number of grad students, professors extremely busy and well-known...
  19. S

    Which Universities Use Apostol's Mathematical Analysis Text?

    Which universities or instructors---anywhere in the world and particularly in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, or India---use or have used Tom M. Apostol's landmark textbook on Mathematical Analysis? Are there any video lectures from a course based on the text available on the...
  20. Wellesley

    Schools Top Astrophysics/Astronomy Universities (USA)

    Hi everyone, My brother is starting to look at colleges and I was wondering if anyone had input on the top astrophysics/astronomy schools in the nation. He's rather set on going to the University of Arizona as he claims it is a good school. However, other "good" schools remain unclear...
  21. M

    Math Teaching Math. in universities

    Hi, I'm teaching IGCSE/IB Mathematics here in Egypt for a few years for middle/high students (BSC in Mathematics from the Faculty of Science - Mathematics section) but recently I started getting "financially" bored from teaching in schools and dealing with teens and I want to take it a step...
  22. W

    Schools Distance universities. How they work, etc?

    Can I have a engineering graduation without leaving my house? How it works?
  23. E

    Schools What universities worldwide offer nuclear engineering programs?

    I live in Canada, but the number of nuclear engineering universities we have is quite sad. Does anyone know where I could find a list of universities offering nuclear engineering degrees? I don't just mean universities in the US, because I have already found plenty of lists of American...
  24. D

    Schools Which universities have great teachers?

    Greetings, I am the eleventh grade doing the IB program in Karachi, Pakistan. I was wondering which universities around the world have good Mathematics/Physics teachers. I am open to pretty much any country, although I am a Canadian Citizen. If anyone can tell me where I would get the best...
  25. W

    Schools Foreign born Ph.D's in the US universities

    So I looked up some numbers on wikipedia, and it turns out that over half of the people going for PhD's in science and engineering in the USA are foreign born, and I was surprised to see that over 80% of the postdoctoral chemical/materials engineering students were foreign born. Why are these...
  26. G

    Why don't universities start more of their own open access journals?

    Interesting article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/29/academic-publishers-murdoch-socialist It does have a point. Why do academic publishing companies run a monopoly on scientific information when much of it is funded by tax payer dollars?
  27. O

    Schools Applying to universities - is math/physics degree an overkill?

    I have been told that, if I like both math and physics then I should do a math/physics programme, and I certainly agree with that. However, it seems like math/physic degree is a bit challenging. Especially considering the fact that my thinking process is a lot slower than anyone else. (My IQ is...
  28. A

    Schools List of Full Scholarship Universities for Sci/Eng

    This is a list of schools with (some type of) full scholarship programs that offer majors in science and engineering. The programs vary from school to school, so see the individual school for the details. I'm sure this list isn't complete. These are just the schools I've come across from a...
  29. M

    Ontario Universities for Software Engineering

    Helloo everyone, I'm in Grade 12, Vancouver, B.C. Actually I'm planning to apply to Universities in Ontario under "Software Engineering" for next year and need your guys help in deciding the best Universities. Apart form Waterloo(UW) and Toronto(UofT) - which i'll be definitely applying to -...
  30. D

    Schools Academics at European Universities and Career Tracks

    I'm looking for some advice. I'm currently taking a fair amount of mathematics and physics courses in my second year of college. I'm not really sure what I want to do yet. If I end up majoring in mathematics, I may just find a field where I can apply what I've learned. The same goes for physics...
  31. T

    Schools Top US universities in physics|Undergrad

    I'm in a sort of dilemma here, but I wanted to know about what fellow PF members feel about the different universities in the USA. Which of the top universities are good at pure sciences, especially physics with respect to teaching and research at the undergrad level? Is it true that Caltech has...
  32. R

    Schools US universities accepting 15 years of education?

    I know this question has been asked a million times,but i haven't been able to find an answer for this. I am a Physics Undergrad and looking forward to pursue MS in Physics from US,but I have only 15 years of education (10+2+3). Most schools require qualifications comparable to a U.S...
  33. W

    Schools UWaterloo vs Universities of Ottawa and Carleton

    Hi everyone. I'm a high school student in Ottawa, Ontario. I am thinking about going into engineering. Here in Ottawa there are 2 universities - uOttawa and Carleton. Both are good universities and have decent industry connections. If I choose to stay in my city then I will be much better off...
  34. C

    Schools Admission process in Russian universities

    The admission to Russian universities is open. Here is some information on general steps of application for a study in Russia. For getting in contact with the university you may send just of the documents by E-mail. Application packege consists of application form (persnal data), copies of...
  35. A

    Schools Terminal masters program in physics (US universities)

    Hello everyone! Being new to the community, this is my first thread... What i need to inquire is that which US universities offer a terminal masters program in physics? Thanks in advance. Abhishek
  36. M

    Schools What Do Top Universities Require for Admission?

    Hi, I'm 14 and going into high school and need to know what course to take now so when the time comes, I will have the right credits for university and the proper grades. I'm looking to study either astrophysics, quantum physics, or theoretical physics. I'm looking to get into these...
  37. L

    How universities make money through research

    Hi there, I am interested in understanding how the money process works for an University. I guess that the main income comes from student fees (I am referring to private-or-almost ones), then why would an university do research? I can figure out a naive mechanism: research brings...
  38. rootX

    Power Engineering & AI Universities in North America: Research & Connect

    What are some good universities in the fields of power engineering and AI in North America for higher education, masters or phd? I guess I can contact my local professors to find about it or get myself familiar with recent developments and contact the authors. So far, I only been trying find...
  39. R

    Schools Are universities reducing the number of Physics PhD students they take on?

    I heard that at my university only three of twelve condensed matter professors are taking on new PhD students this year, and was told that it's similar in other departments, as well (this latter claim is unverified). This came as a surprise, especially after hearing at the beginning of the...
  40. Q

    Schools Universities with double-slit experiment?

    I have read that some universities with strong physics programs have equipment setup for the double-slit experiment in order to occasionally demonstrate to undergraduates and for experimental purposes. Does anyone know which universities these might be in the US and Europe?
  41. M

    Schools Do Middle League Universities Produce Influential Research and Engineers?

    In popular science and works of fiction the only meaningful research and engineering comes from the top universities. This is very depressing for me as I'm only going to go to a middle league university (University of the West of England or De Monfront). Can anyone provide examples of people...
  42. F

    Free Video Lectures from universities, all Math and Physics courses

    Like with all the opencoursewares universities have opened, is it possible that you can just visit their lectures if you miss class? I have visited pretty much every universities and videos out there and have made a list PreCalculus& Algebra Physics PatrickJmt KhanAcademy First Year...
  43. Z

    Schools Which California University Should I Choose for My Exchange Program?

    Hi there, I'm currently a French student in Physics (I'm interested in fields as particle physics, quantum, cosmology) and would like to do my last undergraduate's year in the USA. It exists an exchange program between the USA and some French universities located in Paris and its region. Have a...
  44. P

    Schools Good astrophysics/astronomy universities?

    What are some good astrophysics/astronomy universities in the US? About top 15? I know Chicago, Caltech, MIT, and Princeton(?) is good. I'm going to major Astrophysics/astronomy and will apply to college next year and I want to know where I can apply for those majors. Any suggestions?
  45. K

    Schools Elitist attitudes by going to prestigious universities?

    So I have a couple of friends who attend waterloo and they really feel that if they attend waterloo that they're better than the people who attend other universities in ontario. They're in engineering and i guess waterloo is apparently reknowned for engineering but i just feel like sometimes...
  46. W

    Schools Swiss Universities: Find Theoretical Physics Programs

    Hi, I´m planning to apply to some swiss universities so if there is anyone familiar with Swedish universities who can tell me. Where to go for theoretical physics, Lund or Uppsala? Thakx
  47. J

    Schools Undergrad physics courses in European universities

    Hi there, I'm Rafid and I'm a highshool student from Bangladesh. I would like to pursue a physics major in my bachelors studies. I have searched some universities in Sweden, all of which are great, but the language of instruction for all of them is Swedish. Are there any good universities...
  48. Simfish

    Do universities delete the webpages of professors who die?

    And if they do, have there ever been exceptions? Sometimes, the webpages contain some really valuable content. :(
  49. S

    Schools Retaking courses at different universities.

    I am currently at a university and will be moving to another, the university that I am at has a really poor analysis sequence(due to the teacher being incompetent at teaching). I am wondering if it's detrimental to me to take the analysis sequence at my current university since I almost...
  50. N

    Schools Top Astrophysics Universities in U.S.

    Does anyone know what the top universities with astrophysics programs are? I was looking over University of Chicago and University of Arizona lately, but which one would you consider to have a better program?
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