Known for leading small classes and using innovative, interdisciplinary and integrative curriculum, Appalachian faculty are dedicated to research and student mentorship and invested in new strategies and technologies.
Undergraduate Program Areas & Majors
Our interdisciplinary approach to inquiry-based learning begins with First Year Seminar and continues until graduation. From the moment you begin your Appalachian education, you’ll be expected to develop as a critical and creative thinker, an effective communicator, an inquisitive local-to-global learner and someone who understands and respects the responsibilities of community membership.
Visit the Undergraduate Admissions site.
Graduate Program Areas & Majors
Find out for yourself how getting a master’s degree from Appalachian combines academic mentorship, research opportunities and hands-on, field learning to prepare you for a successful professional future.
Visit the Graduate Admissions site.
Academic Excellence
As students prepare for a world of increasing interconnectivity, technological innovation and leadership demands that haven't yet been conceived, Appalachian offers our students opportunities for academic rigor and challenge, support for their development as scholars, and world-class resources.
Research
At Appalachian, research, scholarship and the production or performance of creative work — such as teaching, service and the arts — are crucial to both our institution and the communities we serve. Our faculty, students and staff expand the boundaries of their academic disciplines, discover answers to real world questions, enhance the quality of life in the region and beyond, enrich the K-16 classroom experience and contribute to economic development.
Choosing Your Path
No matter what path you choose at Appalachian, we emphasize a “community of learners.” In this challenging and transformational environment, students and faculty together ask questions, explore ideas and cultivate understanding. They examine what they believe and delve into new possibilities. Appalachian’s six undergraduate colleges, one music school, and one graduate school offer more than 150 degree programs offered on campus, with off-campus and online options as well.
Pre-professional Programs
Thinking about going to medical school, dental school, optometry school, veterinary school or law school? A degree from Appalachian will prepare you with a process of inquiry and learning skill set that will allow you to collaborate with your professional degree colleagues in new and innovative ways.
Certificate Programs
Appalachian offers certificate programs in many disciplines. These certificate programs are not degree programs. The primary purpose of these programs is to provide a student seeking additional expertise with advanced training in a specific area. Students who complete the required coursework will receive a “certificate of completion.”
Applying What You Learn
No matter what path you take to earning your Appalachian degree, you will find an active environment that supports your growth as a scholar and a leader. Our faculty will challenge you to participate in small-scale experiences that compel you to apply what you learn in the classroom, seek creative solutions and collaborate to enrich the world around you.
Sustainability
At Appalachian, we blend environmental stewardship, economic responsibility and social equity into a unique understanding of what it means to be a part of a sustainable society. This framework for scholarship and research, set against the backdrop of one of the most stunningly beautiful locations in the world, inspires our students to learn in innovative ways about themselves, about their communities and about the world.
Classroom to Community Connections
Everyone has a story. We understand that in seeking to learn about others, we will learn more about ourselves and become more compassionate and effective contributors to our classrooms, communities, families, businesses and societies. This spirit of inclusion means that we embrace the complexities of a rapidly changing world, ask hard questions and hold one another to high expectations.
Global Learning
Global learning at Appalachian means going beyond traveling abroad. From your first year experience to your last day, you’ll develop as a global citizen. This means being a keen communicator who is culturally aware and understands that global problems require local solutions, and local solutions are best developed with a broad spectrum of voices.
Internships
An internship is a culminating experience in your field with a qualified professional mentor. This is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the skills you’ve learned in your major, expand your competencies and network among industry professionals. There are many ways to find an internship, and Appalachian’s Career Development Center can get you started.
Academics Quick Facts
- 16:1 student/faculty ratio
- 27 - average class size
- 6 undergraduate colleges, 1 music school, and 1 graduate school
- More than 150 undergraduate and graduate degree programs
- 210,000 square-foot library
- 99% of full-time faculty have the highest degree in their fields
Faculty of Distinction
Of our more than 900 full-time faculty members, 99% hold the highest degree in their fields. The mentorship they provide our students is life-changing.Learn more >>
Research at Appalachian
Appalachian supports the research, creative and scholarly endeavors of Appalachian faculty, staff and students with many resources. Student research is fostered under the close mentorship of faculty experts.
The Value of an Appalachian Education
How will your Appalachian education prepare you for success in the job market and in life? Our alumni sound off:Learn more >>
Service-Learning at Appalachian
At the intersection of classroom learning and real world experience, a very powerful education occurs.
Learn more >>
Life and Career Success
Where can an Appalachian degree take you? Anywhere you want to go! Appalachian generates passionate and engaged alumni, who become leaders in their communities and chosen professions. They exemplify how an Appalachian education can and does make the world a better place. Learn more >>
First Destinations
Whether graduates seek immediate employment or an advanced degree after graduation, their Appalachian Experience gets them where they want to go.
Within a year of graduation *:
- 86 percent of undergraduates employed or enrolled in postsecondary education
- 93 percent of graduate students either employed or enrolled in postsecondary education
* from survey of 2015-16 graduates
Appalachian Graduates Add Value to the State Economy
In 2012-13, the accumulated contribution of former Appalachian students employed in the North Carolina workforce amounted to $1.4 billion in added state income to the North Carolina economy, which is equivalent to creating 23,372 new jobs.Learn more >>
Support and Resources
- Academic Advising
- Academic Affairs
- Academic Calendars
- Academic Integrity Code
- University Libraries
- Career Development Center
- Code of Student Conduct
- Collections
- Common Reading Program
- Course Catalogs
- Disability Resources
- Financial Aid
- Four-Year Guides
- Graduation Information
- GPA Calculator
- BCBSNC Institute for Health and Human Services
- Information Technology Services
- International Education and Development
- Learning Assistance Center
- MAP-Works
- Music Library
- Office of Research
- Orientation
- Records and Transcripts
- Registrar
- Services for Student Athletes
- Office of Student Research
- Student Accounts
- Office of Student Success
- Student Support Services
- Summer School
- Supplemental Instruction
- Tutoring Services
- University Writing Center
Additional Learning Opportunities
- Adult Basic Skills Summer Institute
- Brantley Risk and Insurance Center
- Cannon Music Camp
- Center for Appalachian Studies
- The Center for Entrepreneurship
- Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
- Energy Center
- Hubbard Programs for Faculty Excellence
- Kellogg Institute
- Martha Guy Institute
- Math and Science Education Center
- National Center for Developmental Education
- Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics (RIEEE)