Wilkes University

What is the history of Wilkes University?

Wilkes University began in 1933 as the junior college of Bucknell University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It became independent as Wilkes College in 1947 and adopted the name Wilkes University in 1990, reflecting its expansion into graduate and professional education.

The institution is named for John Wilkes, an eighteenth-century English political figure. Its development from a two-year college into a university helps explain its present mix of undergraduate liberal arts, business, engineering, health professions, and graduate programs. The campus remains closely tied to downtown Wilkes-Barre rather than occupying a separate suburban site.

What are the faculties and departments at Wilkes University?

Wilkes University offers undergraduate majors alongside graduate and professional programs. Its academic offerings span the arts and sciences, business, engineering, education, nursing, and pharmacy.

Undergraduates can consider fields such as biology, communication, psychology, accounting, mechanical engineering, and nursing. The Nesbitt School of Pharmacy offers the Doctor of Pharmacy, while the Passan School of Nursing is part of the university's health-professions offerings. Education programs serve prospective and practicing teachers. Students comparing programs should look beyond the major name: clinical placements, teacher-certification requirements, laboratory sequences, and professional-degree prerequisites can substantially affect scheduling and total time to completion.

Wilkes reports a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1. That institution-wide measure describes enrollment relative to instructional faculty; it is not a promise about the size of a particular class or access to a particular professor.

What is the location of Wilkes University?

Wilkes University is in downtown Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania. Its campus occupies several city blocks near local businesses, civic institutions, and the Susquehanna River.

The downtown setting gives students access to community organizations and potential internship sites, but it also means that walking routes, parking, and travel between buildings are worth considering. Commuting is a substantial part of campus life: institutional figures indicate that about 42% of students commute. First-year students may register or park a car on campus, subject to university parking rules. For longer-distance travel, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport serves the region; students should plan separately for transportation between the airport and campus.

What is the mission and vision of Wilkes University?

Wilkes University describes its educational purpose in terms of liberal learning, individualized attention, scholarship, and engagement with the wider community. These are the institution's stated priorities, not independently measured outcomes for every student.

That mission is reflected in a curriculum that combines professional preparation with work outside a student's major. Prospective students can evaluate how the stated emphasis on individual attention works in their intended program by examining advising arrangements, required courses, clinical or laboratory access, and opportunities to work with faculty. Wilkes is a private, nonsectarian university; its mission is not framed around a required religious affiliation.