University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Reviews
The University of Pittsburgh is well-run and well organized school. The school offers an array of majors, minors, and certificates. Not only are there great academic offerings, but amazing extracurricular activities as well. Pitt's campus is beautiful, especially with the Cathedral of Learning right in the middle of campus, which has a rich and interesting history. Highly recommend this university.
The University of Pittsburgh is well known for its medical and engineering programs. Having its own medical center UPMC, allows nursing students to gain experience on-site. Many of its science programs are research-driven as well, giving students a chance to assist faculty in real science rather than strictly staying in the classroom setting. Class sizes are large but often include a lecture accompanied by small group sessions with graduate students acting as teaching assistants who can clarify content presented in the lecture and help manage assignments given by the professor. The professors I studied under, both within and outside of my major were excellent. They were clearly experts in their fields, able to explain complex concepts, and come up with examples from personal experience where need be. In my specific major, I found the faculty friendly, involved in the classroom and proactive outside of teaching. For fine arts, classes were smaller, and more personalized as a result. Studio classes tend to be long, allowing for students to have a chance to start their projects in class, and gain feedback while their art pieces are still in progress. The school has a dedicated studio arts building, which houses the facilities needed for classes, and also acts as a student gallery for projects made throughout each class. This building also has a library of art history and journals, and a professional gallery where student and faculty exhibitions are often displayed. Academics aside, The University of Pittsburgh sports a beautiful urban campus. Shopping and dining is right by many academic buildings, while its location makes getting to other areas of the city quite easily. As a student, many local museums and cultural spots in the area are free or discounted, and well worth going to. Students also get close to unlimited transportation on Pittsburgh busses, allowing easy access to locations of interest which are further away from campus. The school has its share of recreation as well, featuring fun classes such as dance, student clubs, and a large number of extracurricular events.
I would highly recommend this program for students wanting to pursue a job in the medical field, such as physician, PA, or nursing. In the program you are not only able to get your bachelor's degree, but also your Paramedic,. The program is very time consuming, but exposes you to multiple areas of the medical field outside of emergency medicine during your clinical rotations. I was able to work as a Paramedic my senior year, which helped me save money for graduate school, while completing my bachelors. The professors are very caring and spend a lot of one-on-one time with students and get to know them very well on an individual level. Unfortunately there is not much you can do with this degree other than becoming a paramedic without going back to school. I would high recommend this school and major to anyone planning on pursuing a career in the medical field.
Throughout my time at University, I have found Pittsburgh to be an impressive and unique platform for social change. A nexus for academics and professionals dedicated to serving community interests, Pittsburgh provides a dynamic setting for intellectual agents of social innovation. From the time I first stepped on Pitts campus for my accepted students day back in 2013, I knew that I wanted to study at the University of Pittsburgh for the next four years. The outstanding reputation of Pitt's School of Social Work for undergraduate juniors and seniors appealed greatly to me. Pittsburghs status as the number one social work program in Pennsylvania is formidable, and proved to be a striking influence on the social services field in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The School of Social Work truly reflects Pitt's stature as a leader in education. The schools dean, Larry E. Davis, pioneers his students as they conduct notable research topics, especially in the field of child welfare. The abundant resources that the University of Pittsburgh offers only strengthen the quality of one's education. I spent several hours pursuing research in the Buhl Social Work Collection and Library, as I made selections from the available 12,500 monographs and 141 serials. Additionally, I had the honor to take one of Professor Keith Caldwells classes. As a University of Pittsburgh alumni as well as Director of the BASW program, he truly inspires his students to become involved in both their academic and civic community. The University is filled with over 300 clubs ranging from academics to intramural sports, I was apart of the 125 member BASW Club, which allowed us a group and platform that helped to foster social change in our society. During the application period as a high school senior, The University of Pittsburgh was my first, second, and third choice, and I am ecstatic that they chose to accept me. My goal to become a social worker was exponentially amplified by studying at the University of Pittsburgh.
If you're willing to do more than the bare minimum to graduate, the University of Pittsburgh is the school for you. It's tough enough where even students who can wake up 2 hours before a test and cram will have a tough time passing, but it's laid back enough to allow you to pursue extra curricular activities and really enjoy the city you are in. I fell in love with the campus because of the environment within and around the school. The campus is right in the heart of Pittsburgh with easy access to downtown, neighboring colleges and eventful communities. The campus is it's own city within a bigger city where there is always something to do. You're not secluded from the "outside world" where you're surrounded by just students and professors which gives the campus it's own character. It's almost impossible to walk down the street without seeing Pitt police or some type of measure of security, so to me, the campus felt safe. In terms of academics, I wanted to go to a school that wouldn't just feed me material from books or lectures. I wanted to be prepared for the real world. Pitt did just that! We had case studies with real Pittsburgh businesses, site visits, co-op and internship opportunities. It was almost impossible to not have some type of hands-on experience in your area of interest. Everyone was your ally because everyone wanted to see you succeed. That's Pitt pride. Every school has areas of improvement and Pitt is not excluded from that. However, I don't think I'd be where I am today if I didn't choose the University of Pittsburgh. Hail 2 Pitt!
Attending the University of Pittsburgh was the best choice I've ever made. Attending college is all about finding your identity, and the faculty at Pitt does all it can to help you find yourself. Going to school in the city of Pittsburgh (and more specifically in the borough of Oakland) was everything I could have imagined. And on top of everything else, the amount of school spirit displayed throughout campus (as well as exhibited by both the faculty and by my fellow students) brought me a sense of honor to attend this great university.
Through my journalism career I have lived in the Middle East for six years and been able to travel to a dozen countries. I owe this experience to my professors and advisors at the University of Pittsburgh, and the rich, diverse urban environment of the campus itself. Pitt was the most affordable of the three universities I applied to, but I do not believe I would have had a better undergraduate experience at a more expensive school. My professors in political science were top-notch, particularly in the field of comparative politics, and my journalism professors had real-world experience and were incredibly helpful in terms of career advice and networking. I had unbeatable opportunities working at the student newspaper, which publishes five days a week, and because of the city location there were many events to cover -- great preparation for a career in journalism. Pittsburgh was an excellent place to study, especially Oakland, which is is a gorgeous area and in many ways feels more like the city's center than downtown Pittsburgh, with the stunning Cathedral of Learning and other iconic buildings. The city has been rated as the most "livable" city in the U.S. so there are many off-campus opportunities for housing and part-time work. There are countless cultural events and attractions, like the Andy Warhol Museum, and the student discounts on events and bus fares that you receive through Pitt are extremely helpful to enjoying the city to the fullest. And if you like sports, it's a great city. (If you're like me and you aren't interested, they can also be easily avoided!) At Pitt and living in Pittsburgh I studied alongside students from other states and countries, with different religious and ethnic backgrounds, and from different races and income levels. This was important for a career in journalism and for life. When you see the Cathedral of Learning every day at campus -- students view it as their compass, literally and figuratively! -- and you realize that you're one of those lucky enough to study and take classes there, you might feel a bit like you're on top of the world.
Pittsburgh is a booming city, and it is an exciting time to be studying at the heart of the city at the University of Pittsburgh. My classes were all very challenging, and I was able to earn a degree from a prestigious institution that has helped me immensely in my job search after graduating (I got hired the day after graduation!) One thing I wish I had understood about Pitt before choosing to attend, was that it is a heavily research-based university with large class sizes. This means that most of the professors are there to do research first, and to teach second. This was extremely palpable in my science classes (which the majority of my classes were). The professors would sometimes express annoyance at the students when class got in the way of their research. Also, most of my classes had 200-300 students. If you wanted to know the professor, you had to track them down during office hours, and classes were extremely competitive. The bell curve was often used (sometimes in a beneficial way to round up everyone's exam scores, but sometimes averages of exam scores were rounded DOWN to meet the bell curve). This was extremely frustrating. Looking back now, I am thankful for the opportunity to attend Pitt, but I would have chosen a school with smaller class sizes so that I had the ability to get to know my professors and work with them one-on-one (or in smaller groups). Pitt is a fantastic public university, though, and I know that my time there prepared me for where I am now at in life. If you are into research and large classes, then this school would be a good fit for you! If you are looking for a bit less competition (especially in the sciences) and want smaller class sizes to wrestle through material with your professors, then a smaller department or smaller school would be a better bet for you.
During my four-year undergraduate career, the University of Pittsburgh offered me everything I wanted, and even more that I didn't know I needed. Not only was the student body composed of driven and excited learners, but the campus was built around ensuring that all students prospered. The advising help was phenomenal and even helped me decided my career path and get accepted to a doctorate program after graduation! My professors were spirited about the curriculum and evidently well-versed in everything they taught. There is nothing about my undergraduate career here at Pitt that I wasn't satisfied with.
The University of Pittsburgh's Biological Sciences (B.S.) department sets out to prepare students for medical school. Although I did not pursue medical school I did gain invaluable knowledge of my field and important laboratory skills that aided my ability to get a job right after graduation. The campus and city are exciting and always full of fun activities to take part in.
