About Temple University

Mission Statement

Temple University is a national center of excellence in teaching and research with an international presence. Our talented faculty and broad curriculum of nearly 300 academic programs provide superior educational opportunities for academically talented and highly motivated students, without regard to their status or station in life. Temple's richly diverse student population and the dramatic growth of our residential campus community of student scholars enrich the educational and extracurricular life of our people.

While the University especially serves students from Greater Philadelphia, it is enlivened by a rapidly increasing number of students from across Pennsylvania, throughout the nation, and around the world. We maintain an international presence with campuses in Tokyo and Rome and programs in London, Beijing, and six other locations worldwide.

A long-time leader in professional education, Temple prepares the largest body of practitioners in Pennsylvania; we are among the nation's largest educators in the combined fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatry and law.

In addition, we offer more than four dozen doctoral and more than 100 master's degree programs that contribute to research and scholarship. Temple seeks to create new knowledge that improves the human condition and uplifts the human spirit. To achieve this goal, we maintain our commitment to recruiting, retaining, and supporting outstanding faculty that prize diversity of thought, excel in scholarly endeavors, and support the aspirations of capable students.

A View of Temple University

As a comprehensive, public research university, Temple University offers a commitment to teaching combined with a desire to learn from new experiences. The university is dedicated to new technologies and cutting-edge research built upon decades of practical experience in the field.

Located in the heart of metropolitan Philadelphia, Temple’s Main Campus reflects the history and diversity of over 125 years of educating men and women. Since its humble beginnings in 1884, Temple University continues to affirm its commitment to learning, teaching and living with the help of dedicated faculty and staff, as well as the construction of various facilities, including state-of-the-art "smart" classrooms in Tuttleman Learning Center; the Liacouras Center (a thriving sports, entertainment and recreation complex); the TECH Center (one of the largest on-campus computer facilities of its kind in the United States); Alter Hall (the new home for the Fox School of Business and Management); and the Tyler School of Art building.

As an internationally-recognized institution, Temple has earned its reputation. Temple’s commitment to teaching and research has attracted top faculty members to each of its 139 bachelor’s degree programs, as well as to its professional, master's, and doctoral programs. A recent university initiative has resulted in the hiring of many new faculty members from top institutions across the country. Temple professors are committed not only to research and teaching but to their students as well. A small student-to-faculty ratio ensures that students and professors develop a close rapport that enhances the learning experience.

Temple’s campus extends further than its North Philadelphia roots. It offers campuses and programs of study in Center City Philadelphia, Ambler, Fort Washington and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Temple University Health Sciences Center, located just two miles north of the Main Campus, is home to the Temple University School of Medicine, the Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, and the School of Pharmacy. It also includes the Temple University Hospital, a world-class medical facility. The Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine is located two miles southeast of the Main Campus. Temple’s appreciation for diversity and international experiences is reflected in the various international programs offered at the university. Temple has campuses in Rome and Tokyo, as well as opportunities to study on almost every continent in countries such as Brazil, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, India, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Spain. Additionally, on campus, programs such as the Latin American Studies Semester provide an in-depth study of foreign cultures right at home.

Temple understands that the college experience is not limited to what happens in the classroom. To that extent, the university offers an array of recreational and cultural activities that reflect the diversity of its student body. There are dozens of student-run organizations in health, business, recreation, politics or religion that fit the student’s background or desire to learn. There are also many social and professional Greek associations to join. Temple’s traditional Spring Fling and Cherry and White Day invigorate the campus every year. The university offers art galleries on the Main Campus as well as in the Old City cultural district. Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance offers a wide variety of music and dance recitals and concerts throughout the year at on-campus and off-campus locations. The university has men’s and women’s teams that compete in a variety of intercollegiate sports, including basketball, crew, fencing, gymnastics, and track and field, most at the national-collegiate level. Temple University also offers a variety of intramural sports and sports clubs for its students. New on-campus student housing and the attractively-renovated Howard Gittis Student Center underscore Temple's commitment to enriching campus life. In fact, more students now live on campus than at any point in Temple’s history, reflecting a broader change of the university from a commuter school to an expanding residential community. 

Off campus, students can explore all that Philadelphia has to offer. The city is home to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Students can tour the historic neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Mall, the birthplace of the country. The city also offers world-class theater from touring Broadway shows and local performances at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Philadelphia Sports Complex in South Philadelphia showcases a variety of entertainment opportunities. Students can catch any of Philadelphia’s professional sports teams and minor league teams in action, as well as concerts by any band or artist imaginable. Large or small, in the city or around the world, on the field or in the classroom, Temple University gives students every opportunity to grow as individuals, learn in a variety of unique settings, and explore the possibilities.

The University: Where We've Been and Where We're Going

Temple University was founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell H. Conwell as an outgrowth of his ministry at the Baptist Temple. Dr. Conwell wanted to make higher education available to all capable and motivated students regardless of their backgrounds and finances. His college began as informal classes for seven people and was first housed in the meeting rooms of his church.

Over 125 years later, having emerged as a major educational enterprise, Temple University continues the Conwell mission. Today, Temple enrolls about 39,000 students, is the 27th largest university in the United States and is one of the nation's leading centers of professional education (law, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and podiatric medicine).

Temple is a world-class center of teaching, research, and health care. The university is identified in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as one of only a hundred or so public institutions nationally (and one of seven in Pennsylvania) that are designated as a "Research University - High Research Activity." Temple serves as a vital research center for the United States government and is one of the three national survey research facilities.

From its roots in the historical and cultural richness of Philadelphia, Temple has become a major international university. With seven regional campuses as well as foreign campuses in Tokyo, Japan, and Rome, Italy, Temple attracts about 39,000 students from across the nation and around the world. In addition to its campuses in Tokyo and Rome, Temple has connections to campuses on virtually every continent, and its professors are known both nationally and internationally.

Through its 17 schools and colleges, Temple University offers academic programs on both undergraduate and graduate levels. There are 2 associate degree programs, 139 bachelor's programs, 124 master's programs, 60 doctoral programs, and 7 first professional programs. In addition, there are 14 undergraduate level and 34 graduate level certificate programs. In the 2008-09 academic year, Temple University awarded 8,265 degrees as follows:  12 Associate's degrees, 5,605 Bachelor's degrees, 1,501 Master's degrees, 339 Doctoral degrees and 808 first professional (J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.P.M., Pharm.D.) degrees.

The university is proud of its distinguished faculty, many of whom possess national and international reputations. These award-winning scholars and teachers offer students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels the education and training they need to succeed. At the undergraduate level, the average class size is 28, and most of these classes are taught by senior faculty. One of the nation's major centers of teaching, research, and service, Temple is one of three public research universities in Pennsylvania and the second largest in the state. It is a leader in medicine and biomedical research, and the Temple University Health System, Inc., provides the most advanced care for thousands of residents throughout the region.

Temple has also been a leader in bold curricular initiatives. It was one of the first public research institutions to establish a rigorous, university-wide Core curriculum in its undergraduate schools and colleges. Temple has recently launched the new General Education program for incoming freshmen. Temple also has received national recognition for its Learning Communities, in which incoming freshmen form small groups according to their majors and interests. In addition, the university's Honors program is a model for other colleges and universities as it engages students in intellectually-stimulating and challenging coursework throughout their undergraduate career.

Temple University is a member of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania and is supported by student tuition; annual appropriations from the Commonwealth; federal grants; gifts from alumni, corporations, and friends; and income from endowments. The university is governed by a 36-member Board of Trustees.

Temple University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education. Most of Temple's schools and colleges have received additional accreditation from other agencies, noted in each school and college's section of this Bulletin.

For more information on Temple University, visit the university’s home page at www.temple.edu, view the Temple University Factbook at www.temple.edu/ir/factbook/ir-factbook.html, and see more about Temple at www.temple.edu/about/index.htm.

The Undergraduate University Policies specified in this Bulletin cover all students taking courses at all Temple University campuses worldwide. Maps and descriptions of Temple University’s Pennsylvania campuses are provided in the Campuses section of this Bulletin.