Ithaca College

What is the history of Ithaca College?

Ithaca College began in 1892 as the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, founded by violinist William Grant Egbert. It later expanded beyond music, adopted the Ithaca College name in 1931, and developed into a college offering programs in the arts, sciences, business, communications, education, and health fields.

The college's move from buildings in downtown Ithaca to its South Hill campus during the twentieth century shaped the institution students encounter today. Music and performance remain prominent, but they are now part of a broader academic organization. Applicants comparing Ithaca with a stand-alone conservatory should note that its performing-arts programs operate within a multidisciplinary college.

What are the faculties and departments at Ithaca College?

Ithaca College organizes its academic programs into five schools: the School of Business; the Roy H. Park School of Communications; the School of Humanities and Sciences; the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance; and the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Students can pursue bachelor's degrees in fields ranging from biology, psychology, and computer science to accounting, journalism, film, music, and theatre. The college also offers selected graduate programs, including programs in health-related and other professional fields. Some majors involve auditions, portfolios, clinical preparation, or carefully sequenced courses; admission to the college does not necessarily settle every program-specific requirement.

This organization gives students opportunities to study across disciplines, but changing majors may have different implications in a tightly sequenced program than in a more flexible liberal-arts major. The academic catalog is the appropriate place to compare degree requirements, prerequisites, and available minors.

What is the location of Ithaca College?

Ithaca College is in Ithaca, New York, on South Hill above the city. The campus is distinct from Cornell University, which is also in Ithaca; the two are separate institutions with different admissions, academic, and housing systems.

Ithaca has a college-town setting with downtown shops, arts venues, and access to the Finger Lakes region. Students should account for the hill between campus and downtown when thinking about walking, buses, and winter travel. Local bus service provides an alternative to driving, while Ithaca Tompkins International Airport serves some regional air travel. First-year students may register or park a car on campus under college rules, although having a car is not essential to every student's routine.

What is the mission and vision of Ithaca College?

Ithaca College describes its educational purpose in terms of theory, practice, and performance: connecting classroom learning with applied work and the communication of ideas. That approach is particularly visible in performance, media, business, and health programs, but it is an institutional aim rather than a guarantee of any particular experience.

The college's stated priorities emphasize intellectual development, creativity, and learning through engagement. It is a private, nonsectarian institution, not a college organized around a required religious curriculum. Prospective students can test how the stated philosophy applies to a specific major by looking at its required projects, performances, research, fieldwork, or internships.