Stetson University

School mission (as provided by the school):

Stetson University is a small private liberal arts university with a historic main campus in DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona, and a College of Law in Gulfport. From its founding in 1883, Stetson University has affirmed the importance of spiritual life and the quest for truth in its educational mission. The University motto, Pro Deo et Veritate ("For God and Truth"), is a symbol of this commitment, and expresses our determination to integrate the pursuit of a liberal education with the search for meaning in our lives and communities. Stetson today offers undergraduate and pre-professional programs in its College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business Administration, and School of Music. Graduate programs are offered in selected fields--Business, Teacher Education, Counselor Education, and English--and the College of Law offers the J.D. and Master of Law degrees as well as a joint J.D./MBA degree. Innovative graduate programs are also offered in new academic centers in the planned community of Celebration (Education and Business) and in downtown Tampa (Law). In all these programs, Stetson is committed to academic excellence, liberal learning, and the integration of values in the teaching-learning process. Through Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) grants, students complete a summer research project in the field of their choice while receiving a stipend. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to complete a research project prior to graduation. The research requirements in the College of Arts and Sciences have led to students receiving undergraduate awards such as the Truman scholarship and outstanding graduate school fellowships in the nation's leading research universities. Stetson's exceptional music program has produced many outstanding performers and music educators. A recent example is Donovan Singletary, a senior Voice major who won the National Council Grand Finals on the stage of the New York City Metropolitan Opera, singing with the Met Orchestra. The School of Music also offers students the opportunity to combine their degree in music with any other field offered by the university. A popular combination allows music students to earn a bachelor's in music and an MBA in Stetson's School of Business Administration. The Roland George Investments Program offers a unique program of advanced education in investment management that equips students for positions in financial institutions such as banks, trust companies, brokerage firms and investment advisory firms. Stetson students in the program assume full responsibility for active management of a portfolio valued at approximately $3 million. They also are national champions in an annual portfolio management competition, and perform their research in a state-of-the-art trading room which contains computing resources, software such as Bridge and Bloomberg, and a real-time ticker and data wall. Stetson's Family Business Center offers the nation's first major devoted to family enterprises. Established in 1998, the Family Business Center is known for its holistic model, which examines both family and business issues in running, owning and working for a family business. This program is focused on both the next generation from family businesses and those destined to be advisers to such organizations be that as an accountant, lawyer, or business adviser.
Stetson University offers a wide variety of international programs, including study abroad in France, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and Oxford in the United Kingdom. Stetson also offers three summer programs: intensive Spanish language study in Mexico, business in Austria, and liberal arts in Germany. There are internship opportunities in Germany, England and Latin America. In addition, each year professors lead short Off-Campus Programs abroad during semester breaks. Past programs have taken place in Turkey, Greece, England and the Czech Republic.