Rollins College: A Comprehensive Overview of Degree Programs and Academic Excellence

Rollins College, a private liberal arts institution in Winter Park, Florida, offers a wide array of degree programs designed to cultivate well-rounded leaders and global citizens. Founded in November 1885, Rollins is Florida's fourth-oldest post-secondary institution, maintaining independence, a nonsectarian stance, and coeducational principles from its inception. With a commitment to interdisciplinary learning, personalized mentorship, and boundless opportunities, Rollins provides students with the tools to excel on the global stage.

A Foundation in Liberal Arts

At Rollins, the emphasis on liberal arts education is evident in its curriculum and approach to learning. The Rollins Foundations in Liberal Arts (RFLA) courses are designed to help students develop skills that are applicable not only in the classroom but also throughout their lives. The interdisciplinary approach encourages students to craft a meaningful academic career, combining major and minor degree programs with special programs that extend learning beyond the classroom.

Rollins College Conference (RCC)

The Rollins College Conference (RCC) course serves as an entry point into the world of liberal arts. This discussion-based seminar class is taken in the first semester of a student's freshman year and features a support team focused on acclimating students to their new surroundings. The professor for this course serves as the enrolled students' academic advisor until they select a major and choose a new advisor from the corresponding department.

Undergraduate Programs: A Diverse Range of Majors

Rollins College offers approximately 30 undergraduate majors, catering to a wide range of interests and career aspirations. U.S. News & World Report highlights the diversity of options, from Latin American and Caribbean studies to computer science, biochemistry, theatre arts, and dance. The most popular majors at Rollins College include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Social Sciences; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; Visual and Performing Arts; Psychology; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; English Language and Literature/Letters; Education; and Natural Resources and Conservation.

Interdisciplinary Learning

Rollins' major and minor degree programs are designed to be mixed and matched, allowing students to get specific about what fuels their curiosity and build connections that will carry over into their professional lives. This interdisciplinary approach is a hallmark of the Rollins experience, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Read also: Alumni Traditions

Special Programs and Fellowships

Rollins offers a range of special programs and fellowships designed to help students level up before they even graduate. These programs amplify the college's commitment to service, problem-solving, and innovation. Some notable programs include:

Honors Degree Program: This program allows top students in each entering class of the College of Arts and Sciences to complete a series of special interdisciplinary seminars, replacing approximately two-thirds of the school's general education requirements.
Women in Finance: This initiative opens doors for female students to secure internships and explore career pathways in the finance sector.
Original Scholarly Research: Rollins offers students the opportunity to participate in original scholarly research that is typically only available at the graduate-school level.

Graduate Programs: Advanced Studies for Career Advancement

Rollins College's Crummer Graduate School of Business offers an M.B.A. program. Rollins offers a range of graduate programs designed to help students take the next step in their career and make an increased impact in their community. Through Rollins’ range of master’s degree programs, students will develop the expertise to advance in their profession and gain the knowledge and experience to create lasting change in their community. From our personalized learning environment and elite accreditations to our expert faculty and community connections, Rollins is the perfect place to pursue a graduate degree.

Master's Degree Programs

Rollins offers a range of graduate programs designed to help students take the next step in their careers and make an increased impact in their communities. These programs include:

MBA: Earn an MBA at Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business, the No. 1 MBA program in Florida.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Help people living with mental health challenges lead healthier, happier lives.
Counseling: Develop the confidence, expertise, and skills to address and advise on complex interpersonal issues.
Liberal Studies: Explore civilization’s most influential texts while developing the skills to respond to today’s most pressing issues.
Public Health: Advance public health knowledge, prevent disease, and promote health locally and across the globe.
Communication: Develop the expertise to research, execute, and measure communications initiatives for a range of industries.
Teaching: Gain the knowledge and experience to inspire the next generation while growing in an in-demand field.
Elementary Education: Develop the skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver high-quality instruction in middle schools and high schools (grades 6-12).

Accelerated Master's Degree Programs

Rollins’ accelerated master’s degree programs allow qualified students to simultaneously earn undergraduate and graduate credits toward one of six master’s degrees on an expedited timeline. Students develop in-demand knowledge, skills, and expertise in less time and for less money.

Evening Educare Program

Rollins’ new Evening Educare program offers free, high-quality childcare to Graduate Studies students. The program, which is housed on campus, allows children to learn while their parents learn.

Read also: Rollins Scholarship Guide

Hamilton Holt School: Programs for Working Adults and Transfer Students

The Hamilton Holt School offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in a variety of majors as well as several graduate degrees. Rollins’ Professional Advancement programs were designed specifically for working adults and transfer students with busy lives. The classes are conveniently timed to suit schedules, the hybrid format blends the best of in-person and online classes, and the part-time and full-time tracks allow students to earn their degrees at their own pace.

Flexibility and Support

Rollins is committed to helping students balance school and work. Its hybrid model combines the best of in-person and virtual learning environments. Classes start later so students don’t have to rush to make it on time. Rollins also offers a free evening educare program at the Child Development Center on campus so children can learn while their parents learn.

A Supportive Learning Environment

Rollins College prides itself on providing a supportive learning environment for its students. The student-faculty ratio is 12:1, and 61.8% of classes have fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 85%.

Faculty Mentorship

In small classes, big things happen. Through open discussion, hands-on learning, and close-knit mentorship from faculty who know student goals and dreams, students emerge as confident critical thinkers ready to make their mark.

Study Abroad: A World of Opportunity

A vast majority-more than 70 percent-of Rollins students study abroad at some point during their college journey. The college offers scores of options, from exciting jaunts over spring break to action-packed summer programs to immersive full semesters abroad. All three schools at Rollins offer international courses to destinations such as London, Sydney, and Madrid, among others. Some programs are offered directly through Rollins, while others are offered through partnerships with other colleges and universities.

Read also: Explore Rollins College Jobs

Campus and Facilities: A Beautiful and Innovative Learning Community

Rollins College is considered one of America’s most beautiful college campuses, and its campus is beautiful for dozens of reasons beyond its stunning lakeside location and sunny weather. From discussion-based classes to a brand-new applied learning center, the campus provides a unique educational experience.

Historic Buildings and Landmarks

The Rollins campus features Spanish and Mediterranean Revival style architecture. Some notable buildings and landmarks include:

Chase Hall: Built in 1908 and named for Loring Augustus Chase. It was built using white sand-lime brick with stone trim and a Ludowici tile roof.
Hooker Hall: Named after Edward Payson Hooker (1838-1904), the first president of Rollins College.
Knowles Memorial Chapel: A historic chapel on the Rollins campus. Ground was broken for the chapel on March 9, 1931, and the cornerstone was laid on May 12 of the same year.
Olin Library: Dedicated in 1985, with a US$4.7 million grant from the F.W. Olin Foundation.
Pinehurst: Originally a women's residence hall, over the years transformed into a men's dormitory, co-ed dormitory, the home of President Ward, a Library, chemistry lab, infirmary and then classroom.
The Annie Russell Theatre: A historic theater in Winter Park, Florida, located on the premises of Rollins College.
The Bush Science Center: Has state of the art SMART classrooms, faculty offices, and 38 teaching and research laboratories for the physical and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and computer science.

The Rollins Walk of Fame

The Rollins Walk of Fame, which circles Mills lawn, consists of stones taken from places connected to historic people. Holt officially dedicated the Walk of Fame in October 1929, originally calling it the Memorial Path of Fame.

Athletics: A Tradition of Excellence

Rollins' Athletic Tradition includes 23 National Championships and 67 Sunshine State Conference titles. The school sponsors twenty-three varsity teams. The most successful sport in the history of Rollins is Women's Golf. They have 13 national championship titles.

The rowing teams compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association and Florida Intercollegiate Rowing Association while the sailing squad competes in the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association. The Rollins water skiing teams compete in NCAA Division I, the only school program to do so.

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