Academics
Claflin University in South Carolina is the state’s first HBCU, providing a quality liberal arts education to 2,000 undergraduates and graduates. Students can choose from 37 majors and incorporate career-focused programs, internships, and experiential learning to achieve what the university calls “Claflin Confidence”: a self-assured mindset that translates to the outside world. Professors at Claflin are accomplished educators and researchers, and the school encourages students to take part in collaborative research from the first day they set foot on campus. Learning by doing is a big part of a Claflin education, and service and community-based learning elements are integrated throughout the various curriculums. Global perspective is achieved via six global programs, including study abroad, faculty-led excursions, and global internships. The school’s strong dedication to the STEM disciplines is a main draw for many students, and Claflin is one of nine HBCUs included in the Student Freedom Initiative, which helps facilitate minority success in STEM fields through financial backing, tutoring, and internships. The university is also home to the South Carolina Center for Biotechnology, and the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program is a research-training program for underrepresented minorities who are looking to pursue a career in biomedical research.
Career
The university is as devoted to personal exploration as it is to academics, and it holds numerous events and traditions throughout the year, including Philanthropy Day, Fried Chicken Wednesdays, and a Black History Month Talent Show. Larger signature events include Founders’ Day, Homecoming, and the Freshman Parting Ceremony, when first-years say goodbye to their families and walk through the Arch of Confidence. Dozens of clubs and organizations are open to students, ranging from honor societies to concert choir to nine different Greek organizations, and each year a new Miss and Mister Claflin and their Royal Court are selected to represent the university. Panther pride is demonstrated at basketball games (Claflin is a Division II school). The school is related to the United Methodist Church, and services are held each Sunday at the campus chapel, along with a mid-week “Power Hour” service featuring speakers from the campus and community every Thursday night.
Culture
Claflin is one of three members of the South Carolina HBCU consortium The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program, which helps students develop 21st century workforce competencies via cocurricular and experiential opportunities. Many graduates choose to go to graduate school, and the university offers special preparation for graduate and professional school admissions tests, such as the GRE, DAT, and MCAT. The Cooperative Education Program at Claflin lets students gain a semester of supervised, paid practical work experience at a company related to the student’s major. Notable alumni include Cynthia V. Anderson, former COO of the U.S. Department of Energy; civil rights documentarian/photographer Cecil J. Williams; and gospel artist Bryan Andrew Wilson.
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