Becker College
Worcester, Massachusetts
With nationally recognized programs in nursing, video game design and animal studies, Becker College prepares graduates for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. The College offers a wide range of quality undergraduate, graduate, and adult evening programs, offered online and on-campus. On-site clinics (animal care and mental health counseling) and labs (nursing SIMs and crime lab) provide students with hands-on training.
Becker College is one of the oldest institutions in the U.S., founded in 1784 with a charter signed by American revolutionaries John Hancock and Samuel Adams. It is a private, co-educational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, with small class sizes and close, personal attention. It is accredited by NEASC.
Get to know Becker College
Student Activities
- Dance
- Drama/theatre
- International Student Organization
- Music ensembles
- Musical theatre
- Student government
High-Impact Practices
- First-Year Seminars and Experiences
- Common Intellectual Experiences
- Learning Communities
- Writing-Intensive Courses
- Collaborative Assignments and Projects
- Undergraduate Research
- Diversity/Global Learning
- Service-Learning, Community-Based Learning
- Internships/Coops/Practicums
- Capstone Courses and Projects/Senior Experience
College Highlights
EXPLORATORY FIRST YEAR
Exploratory First Year is an option students can choose if they are uncertain about what they want to major in when they start at the College. The program helps students explore the industries represented in eight of the majors that Becker College offers degrees in and assists them in selecting a major program of study.
SEMESTER IN THE CITY
Semester in the City is a semester-long internship through the College for Social Innovation that give students a chance to make an impact in the community while preparing for life after graduation and earning college credit. Social Innovation Fellows spend a rigorous 30+ hours per week with a leading Boston-area non-profit, business or public sector agency working on current social issues, including health, education, social justice and the environment.
SEMESTER AT SEA
Semester at Sea gives students an authentically-nautical experience and voyage with a full curriculum. This “floating classroom” has all aspects of a college campus – class schedule, professors, residence life staff and deans. Voyage travel can reach up to 10 countries and range in length anywhere from summer-long to more than a semester. Classes are diverse, while some are relevant to the location being travelled to.
STUDY ABROAD
Study Abroad is a great way to learn. There are a number of study abroad options, as well as Service Trips to Haiti, Jamaica, and other locations provide students with the opportunities to gain cultural immersive experiences while doing good for others. Becker helped build the Be Like Brit orphanage in Haiti following the earthquake.
CLASS SIZE
The number of sections of each class size.
2-9: 106 | 10-19: 133 | 20-29: 114
30-39: 35 | 40-49: 4 | 50-99: 10 | 100+: 0
ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Nonresident aliens: 15
Hispanic/Latino: 150
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 130
White, non-Hispanic: 1,278
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 12
Asian, non-Hispanic: 43
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 1
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 61
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 107
Total Enrollment: 1,797
CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
With three unique Centers and Institutes, Becker College melds future-focused ideas and practice to enhance what students study with intense and targeted experiences.
- The Colleen C. Barrett Center for Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship serves as the hub for innovation, business, gaming, entrepreneurship and interactive media. It houses Becker’s popular game design program, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality lab, and esports team.
- Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI) is a statewide center for academic cooperation, entrepreneurship, and economic development in the digital and video games industry. MassDiGI’s New Ventures Center provides valuable business support services, including workspace, to entrepreneurial students and video game and high-tech startups.
- Yunus Social Business Centre @ Becker allows students to gain experience and knowledge in social business practices. It is the first-of-its-kind at a U.S. institution of higher education.
HANDS-ON TEACHING
Becker puts theory to practice at its hands-on teaching facilities on campus, offering students real-world practical skills that will set them apart from other graduates in the field.
- The Lenfest Animal Health Center has served as a teaching clinic for students in Becker’s animal studies programs for over 30 years. Becker offers one of the only programs in the country that operates a working veterinary clinic on campus, providing students with resume building and hands-on learning opportunities. Becker is one of only three private colleges in New England to offer American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited undergraduate programs in veterinary technology
- The Counselor Training Clinic at Becker College offers outpatient counseling services to children, adolescents and adults, and serves as a training site for Becker graduate students who are pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling. All services are closely supervised by licensed mental health professionals.
- The John Dorsey Crime Scene Lab teaches students the basics of blood spatter, hair and fiber analysis, plaster casting, fingerprint detection and collection, and crime scene sketching and mapping techniques. The John J. Dorsey, Sr., Crime Scene Lab is one of only a handful of teaching facilities of its kind in the nation.
- The Nursing simulation lab resembles a hospital room. It allows students to apply what they have learned in the classroom in real-life settings, making them confident and ready to complete their clinical hours off campus.
ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS
Becker has a variety of articulation agreements for undergraduate students planning to earn a graduate degree after finishing a bachelor’s degree at the College.
Graduate schools include:
- Regis College – MS in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Ross University – Doctor of veterinary medicine
- University of Massachusetts School of Law Dartmouth – 3+3 program leading to a Juris Doctor degree
- Western New England University School of Law – 3+3 program leading to a Juris Doctor degree
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
School of Animal Studies & Natural Sciences
- BS Veterinary Science – available concentrations:
- Veterinary Technology
- Laboratory Animal Science
- Pre-Veterinary
- BS Equine Studies
- BS Biology
- AS Veterinary Technology
- AS Animal Care
School of Design & Technology
- BS Business Administration – available concentrations:
- Computer Information Systems
- Data Science
- Management
- Marketing
- BS Esports Management
- BS Sports Management
- BS Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- BS Applied Computer Science
- BA Interactive Media Design – available concentrations:
- Game Art
- Game Design
- Game Development and Programming
- Game Production and Management
- BA Integrated Media and Graphic Design
School of Nursing & Health Sciences
- BS Nursing
- BS Exercise Science – available concentrations:
- Health and Fitness
- Pre-Physical Therapy/Health Science
- AS Nursing
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- BA Liberal Arts
- BS Integrated Studies
- BS Criminal Justice – available concentration:
- Homeland Security
- BS Legal Studies
- BS Forensic Science – available concentrations:
- Forensic Psychology
- Criminalistics
- BA Psychology – available concentrations:
- Addictions Counseling
- Applied Behavior Analysis (non-licensure)
- Mental Health Counseling
- Pre-Med/Health Studies
- BA Early Childhood and Youth Education
School of Graduate and Professional Studies
- Certificate – Applied Behavior Analysis (non-licensure)
- Certificate – Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling
- AS Business Administration
- AS Human Services
- AS Law and Criminal Justice
- AS Early Childhood Education
- AS Liberal Arts
- BA Liberal Arts
- BS Integrated Studies
- BS Business Administration (offered online or on campus) – available concentration:
- Management
- BA Early Childhood and Youth Education
- BA Psychology – available concentrations:
- Addictions Counseling
- Applied Behavior Analysis (non-licensure)
- BS Forensic Science – available concentrations:
- Forensic Psychology
- Criminalistics (coming Spring 2019)
- BS Legal Studies
- RN-BSN Nursing
- MFA Interactive Media
- MA Mental Health Counseling
RESIDENCE LIFE
Percent of students living on campus.
First-time, first-year (freshman) students: 77%
Undergraduates: 48%
Campus housing options.
Coed dorms
Apartments for single students
Theme housing
Gender inclusive
CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Students have scores of opportunities to get involved and find something that they enjoy at one of the College’s 25 clubs and organizations. Student groups include esports, dance, drama, pre-veterinary and cosplay clubs, the Black Student Union, the International Game Developers Association, and We are Global, amongst others.
LECTURES AND COLLOQUIUMS
School of Design and Technology Colloquium Series invites scholars and professionals to present lectures on topics of interest and importance to the Becker community, as part of the College’s commitment to provide each student with a transformational learning experience. The Colloquium series encourages academic inquiry and discussion with leading experts.
The Franklin M. Loew Lecture Series is a public forum that invites scholars and professionals to present on topics of interest and importance to the Becker community and the public.
SCHOOL LOCATION
Students live and learn on two campuses. The Worcester Campus is situated in Massachusetts’ second largest city; the nearby Leicester Campus is in a rural New England town. A campus shuttle provides convenient transportation between the two. Worcester offers a city life bustling with music, theater, art, sporting events, and great restaurants. The Leicester Campus is home to animal studies and other programs, the Lenfest Animal Health Center—the teaching hospital for veterinary students—and athletics facilities and fields. The Equestrian Center is located in nearby Paxton. Becker’s two campuses are within driving distance to major airports, ski and hiking locales, and the ocean.
ATHLETICS
Becker is an NCAA Division III institution offering a variety of co-curricular activities, including 17 varsity sports. Hank the Hawk is the College’s mascot.
- Women’s Sports: Field Hockey, Soccer, Tennis, Equestrian, Volleyball, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Softball, Lacrosse
- Men’s Sports: Football, Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Lacrosse
AGILE MINDSET
Becker prepares students for the future by encouraging adaptive learners with entrepreneurial skills. Students will cultivate skills in empathy, divergent thinking, social and emotional intelligence, and learn to create value in a changing society. All of this is part of the Agile Mindset academic model to future-proof students. Therefore, the Core curriculum is infused with components of the Agile Mindset that include developing competency in critical thinking and analysis, sensitivity to ethical and moral issues in society, and appreciation of artistic endeavors.
CAREERS
Becker’s approximately 17,000 graduates have gone on to work full-time for major employers such as Blizzard Entertainment, Department of Homeland Security, and University of Massachusetts Medical School, or have opted to pursue advanced degrees at institutions like Columbia University, Tufts, and Georgetown.
ALUMNI
Some of Becker’s notable alumni include: Colleen C. Barrett, former president of Southwest Airlines, and Ryan Canuel, founder and CEO of Petricore, a video game startup led by Becker graduates.
Admission
ADMISSIONS FACTORS
Very Important
Rigor of secondary school record | Academic GPA | Standardized test scores
Important
Class rank
Considered
Application Essay | Recommendation(s) | Interview | Alumni/ae relation
FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 490 | 75th Percentile: 590
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 480 | 75th Percentile: 580
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 20 | 75th Percentile: 26
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 18 | 75th Percentile: 25
ACT English
25th Percentile: 19 | 75th Percentile: 26
ACT Writing
25th Percentile: 6 | 75th Percentile: 6
Tuition & Cost
Tuition: $35,600
Fees: $3,600
Room & Board: $13,800
Contact Becker College
Contact Admissions
www.becker.edu/admissions
(508) 373-9400
admissions@becker.edu
Campus Location
61 Sever Street
Worcester, MA 01609