Montclair State University Top Questions

The academics at Montclair can be challenging but I never worry because the professors are extremely helpfully and dedicated to helping you succeed. There are also multiple tutoring services on campus and in the residents halls.

They are moderately challenging. Although, they have heavy fulfillment for graduation requirements.

some of the classes can be really tough but some classes have such great professors that i don't feel like I'm sitting in a class

Invigorating and challenging but there is always someone there to support you when needed.

Montclair has recently become a lot more competitive in accepting students. Strong candidates for admission have a 3.0 GPA or greater. As far as academics go, Montclair has a lot to offer, but it really depends on the student to take advantage and make the most of it. I chose to be a part of the Honors program, which has pushed me to take more rigorous classes and to challenge myself academically. Being a part of the Honors program means you take Great Books I and II instead of College Writing I and II, so the focus is on analyzing, questioning, and interpreting literature instead of learning how to write good papers. The Honors program accepts students that already know how to write well. As an Honors Student you also must take 20th Century Civilization and Contemporary Civilization, as well as an Honors Seminar in Science unless you are a science major. These classes all cover general education requirements that students must take anyway in order to graduate. Honors students must also take 3 other elective classes - meaning you must take 8 total Honors classes to graduate as part of the program. Many of the professors teaching these classes are highly qualified and also very highly regarded by the academic community. Many of the classes have been my favorites out of my two years at MSU so far. Outside of the Honors program, from my experience a lot of the rigor of the class depends on the professor and also how much initiative the student takes. Many students will search ratemyprofessor.com to find the easiest class they can take and therefore they choose to be underprepared for a competitive workforce in the real world after graduation. Something I have really enjoyed was choosing to live with other Honors students the past two years. We were able to form strong friendships and study groups to help and push each other. Living communities like the Honors one I was part of exist for other subjects like the Arts, Science and Math, LGBT, Men's Interests, Women's Interests, Language Immersion, etc. I have really liked nearly all of my professors at MSU so far. They are very warm, welcoming, and eager to help students. Most of them knew my name after the first couple classes and many offered their home phone or cell phone numbers in addition to email and office hours for students to take advantage of if they had questions. That's not to say that they hold your hand though. They expect you to be a responsible adult and manage things for yourself but they are happy to be available for students to reach out to them if help is needed. Still, there will always be students who just try to slide by. The easiest class I've taken so far was French I and that was because my professor did not push the students and the students in the class were extremely lazy. Like I said, it is really up to the student to make the most of it. I believe I've been able to accomplish that so far by being a part of the Honors program, taking on a minor, and always pushing myself to do my best. Due to this, I have a 3.9 GPA and I will have completed 90 credits by the time I start class again this fall, meaning I'll be a senior by credits entering my third year as a junior. If I was only doing my major and not the Honors program or my minor I probably would have been able to graduate in 3 years. Take advantage of all the opportunities offered to you and make the most of it!

All of them

There are small classes and big classes, but I feel like the professors try their hardest to get to know names. The best way for them to know your name is by approaching them before and after class, or by answering most of the questions they ask. I am currently a Chemistry major and after speaking to the chairperson here and finding out that it is the second largest major on campus behind biochemistry I wasn't surprised to learn that the chemistry department has people in the office more commonly than other departments on campus.

This school is a great place to get a degree and also to find opportunities outside of academics. The teachers are always open to help and classes are hard but worth the stress in the end. The most important thing the school offers is great internship opportunities and make it almost impossible to leave the school without a job with a great education.

The professors at Montclair State University know me by my name. At the beginning of the semester, they ask you for your goals and accomplishments in order to get to know you better as a student. They are always available to speak to you outside of the classroom. Class participation is encouraged. There are many opportunities to do research with some of the professors. I have had the opportunity to work with a professor outside of the classroom at an elementary school in the past. My favorite classes have been all of my family and child studies classes and education classes because they focused on child development, psychology, families, and techniques to teach students within the classroom setting. Students tend to study more before midterms and a month before the semester ends. Usually, the course work at the beginning of the semester is easy to manage. Most students have intellectual conversations outside of class. I have seen students get together for hours while focusing on a single topic that was mentioned in a class. The majority of the students are not competitive, but there is a large amount of perfectionist at Montclair State University. My major is Family and Child Studies. This major prepares students for careers working with youth and families in various settings. There are three concentrations available for students to focus on: teaching, social services, or child-life specialist. I am part of the Teacher Education Program at Montclair State University. I am focusing on kindergarten through fifth grade and also Child Advocacy. I believe that the academic requirements are set high. Students need to focus and think critically in order to pass classes. Overall, the education at this school is geared toward equipping students to become professionals in their desired field of study.

The academics are excellent. I am majoring in Communication Studies, and the professors do a good job engaging the students in the material. Most importantly, the information that is learned from each class can easily be used in everyday interactions with other individuals. This can be highly beneficial in and out of the classroom as well as future career choices.