Viriginia Intermont Ranked in U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges

Virginia Intermont College is ranked again in U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges. Intermont is classified as a comprehensive college by its granting more than 50% of degrees in pre-professional areas outside of the traditional liberal arts.

“That Virginia Intermont is ranked as a comprehensive college simply signals that it is still true to its original vision: building strong professional training on a broad educational foundation and identifying a need in higher education then moving decisively to meet that need. From adding four year dance and equine majors in the 70’s to adult evening program in the early 90’s to adding culinary arts in the anticipation of the demands of that service industry, VI recognizes the opportunities and moves to meet them,” Dr. Michael Puglisi, Vice President for Academic Affairs said.

The Bristol, Va., college which requires a strong liberal arts core for all students is nationally recognized for its programs in equine studies and photography and digital imaging. New programs have recently been added in culinary arts, pre-medicine and pre-physical therapy, legal studies with concentrations in criminal justice, legal assisting and legal studies, public policy and administration and international business are new program scheduled to begin fall 2003. The college’s business majors include concentrations in management, marketing, office technology, and business education. Related majors are organizational management and computer information management. Practitioners in social work and legal studies as well as numerous educators graduate each year. Most of the college’s departments require internships or experiential learning before graduation.

U.S. News and World Report defines comprehensive colleges as “institutions that focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs – in the liberal arts, which account for fewer than half of their bachelor’s degrees, and in professional fields such as business, nursing, and education. There are 324 comprehensive colleges, ranked within four regions: North, South, Midwest and West.”
A private, four-year, coeducational liberal arts-based institution, Virginia Intermont is affiliated with Baptist General Association of Virginia. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, Associate of Science and Associate in Arts degrees, the college offers several professional programs, as well as humanities, arts, social science, and natural science curricula. Virginia Intermont also serves regional adults through flexible course offerings in its Adult Degree Studies Program.