Mission Statement

Xavier University of Louisiana is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is the promotion of a more just and humane society. To this end, Xavier prepares its students to assume roles of leadership and service in society. This preparation takes place in a pluralistic teaching and learning environment that incorporates all relevant educational means, including research and community service.

History

Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically Black, Catholic institution of higher education in the United States, was founded in 1915 in New Orleans by Saint Katharine Drexel and the religious order she established, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a community dedicated to serving African Americans and Native Americans. In 1970, control of the University was transferred to a joint lay/religious Board of Trustees. Norman C. Francis, a Xavier graduate and a nationally recognized leader in education and human rights, serves as president. Today Xavier continues its traditional commitment to educate well-rounded graduates positioned to become leaders serving communities across the country and around the world.

Overview

The University's major academic units include: the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards baccalaureate degrees; the College of Pharmacy, which awards the Doctor of Pharmacy degree; and the Graduate School, which awards masters degrees in Education, and Theology. The Drexel Center is a community outreach and continuing education program.

In all, Xavier offers degrees in some three dozen majors on the undergraduate, graduate and professional degree levels.

Enrollment

Xavier's enrollment is more than 4,100 students, having nearly doubled over the past 15 years. 

Approximately half of Xavier students are from the New Orleans area, while the remainder come primarily from the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Memphis, Atlanta, St. Louis and New York City. Students come from 40 states with heavy representation from the regional states of Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee. Nearly three percent are international students. Approximately 90% of the University's enrollment is African American and 40% is Catholic, reflecting its historic mission of educational service to the African American Community. Some 31 percent of the undergraduate students reside in campus housing. 

Entering classes have exceeded 700 for the last several years, including a record 900 this past fall. During the past few years, new freshman majors have fallen into the following categories: Natural Science 74%, Social Sciences and Education 11%, Business 7%, Arts and Humanities 5%, and others 3%.

Faculty

Eighty-six percent of Xavier's full-time faculty of 215 have earned doctorates or equivalent terminal degrees. 

Chemistry professor JW Carmichael was named National Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advance and Support of Education from 537 nominations submitted by colleges and universities across the nation. He has also been honored with the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award for his innovations in teaching science. Art Professor John T. Scott, a Xavier graduate, received the "genius" award from the MacArthur Foundation for his special creativity and talent. Spanish professor Michael White, another Xavier graduate and a Jazz musician/historian, received the Royal Norwegian National Music Medal of Honor from the King of Norway, marking the first time the honor had been given to a foreigner. Xavier faculty members are involved locally and nationally in their fields of specialization.

National Recognition

Xavier has been designated a Model Institution for Excellence by the National Science Foundation. 

Xavier ranks nationally in the number of Black undergraduates receiving degrees in the physical life and health sciences.

Xavier has also become especially successful in the health field, as a 'top producer' of placing African Americans into pharmacy school. Xavier has educated nearly 25% of the 6,000+ black pharmacists practicing in the United States.

Xavier ranks first in the nation in placing African American students in medical schools, including such prestigious institutions as Harvard, Northwestern, Baylor, Emory, Meharry and Tulane. Xavier pre-medical students are accepted into medical and dental schools throughout the country at better than twice the national average. Some 92% percent of those Xavier graduates who enter medical and dental schools go on to become practicing physicians or dentists.

Xavier's accomplishments have been featured in various national publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, The Chronicle of Higher Education and USA Today.

The New York Times Selective Guide to Colleges observes that "Xavier is a school where achievement has been the rule, and beating the odds against success a routine occurrence."

Alumni

Successful Xavier graduates can be found in virtually every career field and profession.

Advanced Degree and Career Placement Emphasis

Countering a national trend of declining African American enrollment in advanced degree programs, high numbers of and percentages of Xavier graduates go on to professional and graduate schools. The rate has averaged almost 40 percent over the last six years, helping address the national shortage of African Americans with Ph.D.s or other terminal graduate and professional degrees. 

Building on its success in preparing students for health-related fields, Xavier has established this strategic goal: to increase the participation of minority students in graduate degree programs and in the careers to which they lead in all academic disciplines and in educational settings of all levels. To achieve this goal, Xavier has established a graduate placement office and secured grants to link faculty and students in mentor/teaching/research programs aimed at recruiting Xavierites as future Ph.D.s. 

Xavier will continue its efforts to meet the nation's demand for scientists, health professionals, engineers, computing specialists, school teachers, college faculty and leaders in the arts, government business and other professions.

Student Life

In addition to the rich social and cultural setting of New Orleans, the office of Student Services provides a wide spectrum of activities. There are opportunities for students to develop broad competencies in personal growth and development, interpersonal development, leadership and service development, environmental and cultural development, and understanding and commitment to social justice. The University offers a variety of academic, service and professional organizations in addition to special interest clubs and historically black fraternities and sororities. Xavier is a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and offers intercollegiate sports competition in men and women's basketball, tennis and cross country. 

Major Courses of Study

Xavier is a liberal arts college committed not only to helping you obtain the training needed to get a good job, but also making sure you have the breadth of knowledge needed to appreciate all aspects of culture. Regardless of their major, all Xavier students take required courses in history, foreign language, literature, science, mathematics, philosophy, art, music, social science, speech, African American studies and theology

The following majors are offered:

Business
Accounting
Finance
Management
Marketing
Economics

Education
Art Education
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education 
English Education
Health/Physical Education
Mathematics Education
Music Education (Instrumental)
Music Education (Vocal) 
Science Education (Biology)
Science Education (Chemistry)
Social Studies Education
Special Education
Speech Pathology Education

Humanities
Art
English
French
History 
Mass Communications
Music
Music Performance (Instrumental)
Music Performance (Vocal)
Philosophy 
Pre-Law 
Spanish
Speech Pathology
Theology

Science 
Biochemistry
Biology
Biology/PreMed
Chemistry
Chemistry/PreMed
Computer Information Systems
Computer Science
Engineering
Mathematics
Physics
Pre-Pharmacy/Pharmacy
Statistics

Social Sciences
Political Science
Psychology
Psychology/PreMed 
Sociology