state-supported military college located a few miles from downtown Charleston, S.C. The Citadel was founded in 1842 to train men as citizen-soldiers to be leaders in civilian life and to serve the military in time of need. Cadets from The Citadel fired the first shots of the American Civil War and have served in all United States conflicts since the Mexican War. The campus occupies more than 100 acres (40 hectares) and is bordered by the Ashley River and historic Hampton Park. Undergraduate enrollment is about 2,000. Out-of-state enrollment is limited to 50 percent of each entering class. Students are housed in barracks and are required to participate in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), with no active-duty commitment. Applicants must be under 21 years old and in good physical condition. The college is not religiously oriented, but the school encourages students to participate in religious services of their choice. The school was all male until the 1990s, when it was forced to admit a woman whose case forced The Citadel into the center of a national debate on the legality of single-sex educational institutions. The academic calendar is divided into semesters. Almost all of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. Programs of study include arts and sciences, business, civil and electrical engineering, computer science, and education. Exceptional students can participate in the honors program, which features special courses and seminars. About a fifth of graduating students immediately pursue advanced studies. The Citadel also conducts adult education classes and offers master's programs. The Citadel Bulldogs participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (except football, in which they compete in Division I-AA). The intramural sports program is quite extensive. Students also can participate in various performing arts groups and the student-run newspaper. School colors are blue and white. |