The Academic Experience

An IU Bloomington education is bold and innovative—and prepares you to be, too

“Dream no small dreams.”

Those words by legendary former IU president Herman B Wells capture the power of an IU education.

We encourage your big ambitions. We empower you every way we can. We give you as many opportunities as possible—in the IU academic experience and Hoosier life—to learn, get experience, grow, and prepare for the rest of your life.

Like you, we don’t rest on our laurels. We’re always exploring, discovering, innovating. Because we feel the same way about our university that we do about your potential: The sky’s the limit.

Make your IU experience what you want it to be

Whatever your passion is, we want to help you find it and dive right in—starting with our designed-to-be-combined academic programs. Focus deeply on one field and take advantage of every academic opportunity we have for you, or cast your net wide and explore several interests, no matter how far-flung. Either way, our faculty and advisors will support you, and so will your peers.

Explore our degrees and majors

A strong foundation and specialized skills

Our curriculum ensures that undergraduates develop essential skills—such as critical thinking, communication, and problem solving—and a deep understanding of the human condition, plus in-depth knowledge and skills in their chosen field.

Accomplished faculty who teach, mentor, and inspire

A faculty member gestures to a projected image during a class.

Our faculty members are pioneers in their fields. They are researchers who identify and take on grand challenges facing society, and who make new discoveries all the time, often with students’ help. They are teachers who take pride in sharing their expertise. And they are mentors whose investment in your success is palpable in every class, one-on-one meeting, and work session.

Debate foreign policy with Richard Lugar, who served 36 years in the U.S. Senate. Investigate the subtle cues that influence women’s success in science, technology, engineering, and math careers with experimental social psychologist Mary Murphy. Brainstorm best practices for data privacy with cybersecurity expert Fred Cate. Who will your mentor be?

A tradition of innovation

Our academic offerings are constantly evolving to meet new needs in the state, nation, and world and to prepare you for the careers of tomorrow.

Recently we’ve created several new schools, including the School of Global and International Studies and The Media School. We’ve expanded our online programs. And the School of Art and Design and our program in intelligent systems engineering launch in fall 2016. It’s a good time to be a Hoosier.

Learn more about our new schools and programs

An interdisciplinary approach to advancing knowledge and solving problems

An IU education spans traditional boundaries. From our research centers to the Liberal Arts and Management Program to the Integrated Program in the Environment, our faculty members and students unite across disciplines because they recognize that big goals require diverse teams.

No challenge is too big for us. That’s why we’re investing $300 million over five years in our most ambitious research program ever: Grand Challenges, which will develop transformative solutions for some of the planet’s most pressing problems.

Learn about our Grand Challenges program