Franklin University Switzerland
Franklin University Switzerland is a nonprofit, private, independent liberal arts university in Lugano, Switzerland. Founded in 1969, Franklin is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe and the first to be established in Switzerland. Franklin offers Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees accredited in both the United States and Switzerland. Prospective American students can apply to Franklin University Switzerland through the Common Application.
Accreditation
Franklin is accredited in the US by MSCHE and in Switzerland by OAQ.History
Chartered in 1969, Franklin University Switzerland was born out of the former Fleming College and founded as a non-profit, independent, post-secondary institution under the name of Franklin College Switzerland. When the Swiss University Conference accredited Franklin as an accredited institution, its name was changed to Franklin University Switzerland. The institution is named for Benjamin Franklin, the United States' first ambassador to France. It has stressed, since its incarnation, the importance of international studies as the basis for a strong, global education.Franklin University Switzerland obtained United States accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 1975, confirmed most recently in 2010.
Campus
The main campus, acquired in 1985, is composed of a private villa with attached library, auditorium, and classroom wing, surrounded by a wooded park. Also on this campus is a dining hall called the "Grotto". In 2005 the university acquired an additional campus nearby, adding administrative, education, athletic, social and residential capacity. The current campus spans. The Franklin campus is residential, and is on a hillside overlooking the town of Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, Switzerland.Franklin University Switzerland has nine residence buildings, seven in Sorengo and two in Lugano.
- Airone is in an old hotel directly between the main campus and North Campus with singles and doubles. All rooms have their own bathrooms and some of which have kitchenettes. The ground floor houses the office of Student Life, and one of the student lounges, the "Falcon's Nest".
- Alba is in Lugano 5–10 minutes from North Campus on the way downtown.
- Ciliegi is directly across via Ponte Tresa from Airone. This is the smallest residence on campus, in apartment-style doubles.
- Leonardo da Vinci is on the grounds of North Campus; this is the only all-freshman student dormitory.
- Giardino, nestled below the Sorengo monastery: This residence is mainly multiples with some triples for freshmen.
- Panera is on the main campus grounds next to the Grotto with apartment-style triples. Each apartment consists of four rooms: a bedroom, bathroom, separate kitchen, and a large common room with three desks and a couch. The Panera Lawn is a common meeting place and hang out for many students, no matter what residence they live in.
- The final two buildings are the as-of-late unnamed New Buildings located across via Ponte Tresa from Panera. New Building A has four bedroom apartment-style housing, while New Building B has two, three, four, five, and six bedroom apartments, some of which are two stories. All rooms in both New Buildings have arguably the biggest kitchens on campus with at least one bathroom per two students. New Building B offers a noise-free, substance-free rooming option with an emphasis on healthy living for students.
Programs of study
- Art History and Visual Culture
- Communication and Media Studies
- Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Science
- French Studies
- History
- International Banking and Finance
- International Economics
- International Economics with an emphasis in Political Economy
- International Management
- International Management with an emphasis in Finance
- International Management with an emphasis in Marketing
- International Relations
- International Relations with an emphasis in Political Economy
- Italian Studies
- Literature
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Social Justice and Sustainability
- Visual and Communication Arts with an emphasis in Fashion Studies
- Visual and Communication Arts with an emphasis in Studio Art
Academics
Franklin's curriculum promotes international awareness and critical thinking, and emphasizes an interdisciplinary and liberal arts perspective. The majority of courses are taught in English, with the exception of language courses, including upper-level language courses on film, culture and literature. Students must achieve proficiency in Italian, French, Spanish, or German, through fulfilling a three-year language course sequence.In addition to the language requirement, a core curriculum consisting of Intercultural Competencies, International Engagement and Social Responsibility is at the forefront. A full year's worth of study in these three categories is a requirement. Courses in mathematics and writing are required as well.
The most popular majors at Franklin are International Management, International Relations, Environmental Studies, Communications and Media Studies and International Economics, respectively.
The average class size at Franklin is 16, with no class exceeding 30 students.
Franklin is accredited in Switzerland by Swiss Accreditation Council and in the United States of America by Middle States Commission on Higher Education. They have also been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education as accredited foreign university in China.
Academic Travel Program
The Academic Travel Program is an integrated part of the Franklin University Switzerland curriculum and is included in tuition, with supplemental fees required for a few destinations. Academic Travel is a credit-bearing degree requirement in which students study topics relevant to a particular place or places and then go with their class to study on location for two weeks. Travel is led by faculty members and relates to the academic expertise of the individual professor and to his or her knowledge of a given country or area.All students, including semester and year-abroad students, are required to participate in the Academic Travel Program. Academic Travel is a graduation requirement and an integral component of each semester of study. The graduation requirement for Academic Travel is fulfilled by completing four travel courses. Students usually fulfill the requirement by participating each semester of their first two years at Franklin. Students who enter with 30 transfer credits must take a minimum of two consecutive Academic Travel courses.
The travels are themed around academic studies relating to the location visited and the professor guiding the travel. Economics, art history, literature, business and marketing, international relations, environment, sustainability and history are among common themes investigated through travels.
Academic Travel destinations have included the Baltic states, Botswana, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Iceland, India, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Italy, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States.
Student life
Student life at Franklin consists of an emphasis on independent travel in Switzerland and greater Europe, and of student associations, residential life, and interaction with Swiss-Italian culture in Lugano.Athletics
Franklin University Switzerland offers students a wide variety of sports and fitness programs, as well as activities to promote a healthy lifestyle. Some on-campus sports facilities include the Tone Athletic Center, two volleyball courts, a basketball court and a soccer field. Organized athletic activities include Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Basketball, and Lugano Street Dance. Students are also encouraged to start athletic programs. Student-led activities have included Field Hockey, Yoga, Cross-fit, and Self-Defense.Since 2000-2001 Franklin's men's soccer team has competed in the National Swiss Division. The team competes with other clubs in the league from the Canton of Ticino. Franklin University Switzerland is currently the reserve team for the local club FC Paradiso, making it Franklin FC Paradiso II. In spring 2012 the team won its fourth Fair Play award. The team trains twice a week and competes on the weekends in the fall and spring semesters — home games are played on Friday nights. The players have a mid-season break from December to February. During this period the school hosts an indoor soccer tournament open to all Franklin students, faculty and staff.