The University

The Mission of Moravian University

Moravian's liberal arts education prepares each individual for a reflective life, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change.

History and Heritage; Accreditation and Compliance Statements; Affiliations

Moravian University was founded by and affiliated with the Moravian Church in America, a branch of a historic Protestant denomination dating from 1457 and emphasizing progressive liberal education from its beginning.

In 1732, settlers from Germany and Moravia (now a province of the Czech Republic) began coming to the New World. On Christmas Eve 1741, they founded the community of Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. Their concern for education led to the founding in 1742 of two schools, one for boys and one for girls. By 1759, the boys' school developed into Nazareth Hall Academy, which became instrumental in the founding of Moravian Theological Seminary in 1807. In 1858, the Seminary was reorganized as Moravian College and Theological Seminary and in 1863 was chartered as a men's college. The girls' school became known as Bethlehem Female Seminary in 1749 and was opened to students from outside the Moravian community in 1785, when it became a boarding school. In 1863, it was chartered as Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies and reorganized in 1913 as Moravian Seminary and College for Women.

In 1954, after nearly 200 years of parallel development, Moravian College and Theological Seminary and Moravian Seminary and College for Women merged to form a modern undergraduate coeducational institution, Moravian College. Moravian Theological Seminary, a graduate professional school of theology, remains a part of the corporate institution, offering a separate academic program but sharing the campus and its facilities with other undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate programs. In July 2021, Moravian College became Moravian University.

With this rich heritage of education, Moravian today is recognized as America's sixth oldest college, after Harvard University (1636), the College of William and Mary (1693), St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (1696), Yale University (1701), and the University of Pennsylvania (1740).

The early Moravians gave to the world a pioneer educator, John Amos Comenius, whose achievements and international recognition have caused him to be known as the "father of modern education." The statue of Comenius on the University campus, given to the Institution by Charles University of Prague in 1960 and rededicated by President Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia in 1991, is a symbol of Moravian's unique and diverse educational heritage.

One of the few American educational institutions in their third century of service, Moravian has a strong sense of identity and purpose firmly rooted in a long and rich tradition. That tradition is maintained today.

Accreditation and Compliance Statements

Moravian University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and approved for professional preparation by the American Chemical Society, the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the National Association of Schools of Music. The prelicensure nursing program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. The baccalaureate degree in nursing and master’s degree in nursing programs at Moravian University are accredited by Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE). Moravian Theological Seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Undergraduate majors in accounting, management, and economics, and the MBA and MSHRM degrees are accredited by The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Telephone: (267) 284–5000
website: http://www.msche.org/
E-mail: info@msche.org  Spanish: españolinfo@msche.org

Pennsylvania Department of Education 
333 Market Street 
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Main Information Number: 717-783-6788 
TTY Number: 717-783-8445
https://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Committee on Professional Training
American Chemical Society
1155 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 872-4589
FAX: (202) 872-6066
www.acs.org

National Association of Schools of Music
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: (703) 437-0700
FAX: (703) 437-6312
e-mail: info@arts-accredit.org

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
One Dupont Circle, NW Suite 530
Washington DC  20036
Phone:  (202) 462-6930
Fax:  (202) 785-8320
https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) 
11520 West 119th Street 
Overland Park, KS 66213 USA
Telephone: (913) 339-9356 
Email: info@acbsp.org
www.acbsp.org

Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) 
6850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100
Austin, TX 78731-3184
Telephone: (512) 733-9700
www.caate.net

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) 
2200 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850-3289 USA
Telephone: (301) 296-5700
www.asha.org

Notice

Moravian’s academic catalog contains the most accurate information available at the time of publication. Because the catalog is now published in an online format, it is updated regularly throughout the year, as appropriate.  Moravian reserves the right to change without notice statements in this catalog concerning, but not limited to, curricula, fees, rules, policies, scholarships and tuitions.

Emergency Procedures

Moravian has adopted an Emergency Preparedness Plan that provides contingency procedures for Moravian University administrators, staff, faculty and students in the event of a campus emergency.  For more information, please see the Campus Safety website.  The University has an Emergency Notification System that allows the institution to send immediate, time-sensitive voice and text notifications to students, faculty and staff in the event of a campus emergency. Students, faculty and staff can update their emergency contact information via AMOS.

Federal Compliance Statements

Program Integrity Statement

Beginning July 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education regulations to improve the integrity of programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA), as amended (the “Program Integrity Rule”), take effect. The Program Integrity Rule requires, among other things, that each college or university authorized to offer postsecondary education in one or more States ensure access to a complaint process that will permit student consumers to address the following:

1. Alleged violations of State consumer protection laws that include but are not limited to fraud and false advertising;
2. Alleged violations of State laws or rules relating to the licensure of postsecondary institutions; and
3. Complaints relating to the quality of education or other State or accreditation requirements.

Moravian University, as an institution authorized to provide postsecondary education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is committed to full compliance with the Program Integrity Rule, and provides the following confirmation to all current and/or prospective students:

Campus Crime. Moravian University abides by the Student Right-to-Know, the Campus Security Act of 1990 and the Higher Education Act Reauthorization of 2008. The University makes information concerning campus crime statistics available in printed form and electronically to the campus community each year. This information is also available to prospective students upon request.

Financial Information. Moravian's annual financial report is available for review by prospective students, alumni and the public upon request at the Treasurer’s Office.  It can also be found online under the Community and Visitors section, in the Resources – Financial Reporting and Information for Bond Holders.

Nondiscrimination Statement. Moravian University is a welcoming community that embraces and values the diversity of all members of the campus community. We acknowledge the uniqueness of all individuals, and we seek to cultivate an environment that respects, affirms, and defends the dignity of each member of the community. Moravian complies with all federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination in recruitment, admission, and employment of students, faculty, and staff. Inquiries concerning this policy may be directed to Mr. Mark Reed, vice president for finance and administration, Moravian University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018 (610-861-1360).

Retention. For the past five years, the fall-to-fall retention rate from first-year to second-year students has averaged 81%. The six-year degree completion rate for the last five graduating classes has ranged from71% to 76% with an average of 75%.

Students with Disabilities. Moravian University is committed to complying with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 by providing access to campus facilities and reasonable accommodations in programs, services, and classroom activities. Students with disabilities who require accommodation should contact the Accessibility Services Center to initiate services.

Complaint Process

Moravian University seeks to resolve all student concerns in a timely and effective manner. To that end, this complaint process serves as an ongoing means for students to discuss concerns or register formal complaints that pertain to alleged violations of State consumer protection laws that include but are not limited to fraud and false advertising; alleged violations of State laws or rules relating to the licensure of postsecondary institutions; and complaints relating to the quality of education or other State or accreditation requirements.

Moravian takes student complaints very seriously and works with students to resolve formal complaints in a timely manner.  If you have concerns related to academic programs, accreditation, academic advising, or academic records, please contact the Office of the Provost at (610) 861-1348 or academicaffairs@moravian.edu.  If you have concerns related to student and campus life, or residence life, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at (610) 861-1503 or studentaffairs@moravian.edu.  If you have concerns related to admissions eligibility or financial aid, please contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at (610) 861-1320 or admissions@moravian.edu.  For concerns regarding programs, policies, or procedures at Moravian Theological Seminary, please contact (610) 861-1516 or seminary@moravian.edu.  If you have concerns related to programs, policies, and procedures offered in Moravian College's Graduate and Adult Studies, please call 610.861.1400 or email us at graduate@moravian.edu. If you are not certain where to direct your concern, contact the Office of the Provost, and someone there will redirect you appropriately.

It is expected that students will fully utilize any/all of Moravian's administrative procedures to address concerns and/or complaints in as timely a manner as possible. On occasion, however, a student may believe that these administrative procedures have not adequately addressed concerns identified under the Program Integrity Rule. In those select cases, the following independent procedures are provided:

1. The Division of Higher and Career Education of the Pennsylvania Department of Education is prepared to receive and review complaints against any college, university, or seminary certified to operate in Pennsylvania, if the complainant has already followed the institution’s published grievance policy in an attempt to resolve the dispute, and did not receive a satisfactory resolution.  For a full description of the requirements to file such a complaint, please see the PA Department of Education website. 
2. A variety of other State agencies, State Boards, and national accrediting bodies which are involved in the evaluation and approval of institutional programs, or in the granting of professional certification or licensure, may also be contacted.  Those agencies are listed above, under “Accreditations.”

If you are currently enrolled, or anticipate enrollment, in an educational program that requires State agency or board authorization and/or licensure and do not see it listed here, please contact the Office of the Provost at: (610) 861-1348.

Affiliations

The University is a member of the American Council on Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, the Council of Independent Colleges, the New American Colleges Consortium, and the Annapolis Group.

Moravian University is one of the six institutions that constitute the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC). The other members of the consortium are Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, and Muhlenberg College. Under the leadership of a board of directors and an executive director, LVAIC's mission is to broaden educational opportunities for students, offer professional development for faculty and staff, achieve greater economy and efficiency of operation, establish a structure for regional planning, and provide a vehicle for relating to the community. Collaboration permits smaller colleges and universities to retain the many advantages that flow from humanly scaled institutions while providing many services and opportunities often associated with larger but less personal schools. LVAIC administers a cross-registration policy that makes it possible for students, faculty, and staff to take courses at other member institutions at no additional tuition charge. It coordinates a women's studies program and a continuing studies program in the humanities. LVAIC promotes reciprocity in student admission to many campus events and programs, sponsors a consortial professors program that enables faculty to teach at other member schools, and offers summer foreign study in language and culture at five locations. The consortium operates an interlibrary loan service and shared administrative services and purchasing initiatives. More than 35 groups and committees with representatives from the member institutions meet with LVAIC staff on a regular basis to share in consortial planning and programming.

The Moravian Campus

Bethlehem, Moravian’s home, is an attractive tree-lined city of 75,000, central to the greater Lehigh Valley community, whose population totals more than 700,000. Known as the Christmas City, Bethlehem is home to a growing number of corporations and businesses in service and technology fields.

It is a city that has blended culture and commerce, progress and preservation. Among its cultural highlights are the Bach Festival in May, the ten-day Musikfest in August, which draws more than 1,000,000 visitors annually, the Celtic Classic in September, and the events and displays of the Christmas season, which attract many thousands of guests from all over the world. A special Christmas event is Moravian's annual candlelight Christmas Vespers in Central Moravian Church, attended by more than 6,000 people.

Most University activities and instruction take place on the Main Street Campus. Here, in a residential setting, are classroom buildings, residence halls, administrative offices, the University student center, athletics and recreation facilities, and the University library.

In Fall 2017, the institution dedicated the new Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Health Sciences Building, a 55,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility housing the Helen Breidegam School of Nursing, and the departments of Public Health, and Math and Computer Science.  Highlights of the building are the virtual cadaver lab, informatics lab, and lo- and high-fidelity nursing simulation labs.

In Spring 2016, the institution opened a new Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center at 1441 Schoenersville Road. This 33,000 square foot facility houses Moravian's Department of Rehabilitation Sciences as well as a St. Luke's University Health Network Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy outpatient facility.

The Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex, at the center of the Main Street campus, opened in 2003. Connected to Collier Hall of Science, this 55,100-square-foot complex features two tiered classrooms, six 48-seat classrooms with flexible seating, two computer classrooms, a computer science laboratory, a data and statistics laboratory, a psychology observation cluster, an experimental teaching classroom, three seminar rooms, and student research areas. It contains faculty and staff offices for the Departments of Education, Mathematics and Computer Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Collier Hall of Science, a 72,000-square-foot structure, houses the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Nursing, and Physics and Earth Science. Collier Hall provides 35 laboratories for teaching and student-faculty research, the Dana and Mellon lecture halls, classrooms, and faculty offices.

The Haupert Union Building provides dining and food court services, lounges and entertainment space, meeting rooms, offices for student organizations, Student Life, Arena Theater, and Prosser Auditorium for lectures, performances, and other events. It also houses the Center for Leadership and Service, part of the leadership initiative that began in the 2003-2004 academic year.

Reeves Library contains seating for 400, shelf space for 400,000 volumes, individual study carrels, seminar rooms, and the Center for Moravian Studies. The library's electronic services include searchable databases and links to peer-reviewed web sites in numerous academic areas, as well as tutorials on research skills such as searching, evaluating sources, and documenting scholarship. Reeves Library is part of an interlibrary loan system with the other colleges of the Lehigh Valley, giving Moravian students access to more than 2,000,000 volumes.

Moravian's Athletics and Recreation Center includes Johnston Hall and the Timothy M. Breidegam Field House. Johnston Hall's gymnasium is the focal point for indoor athletic events, including home games of the Greyhound men's and women's basketball teams. Its 1,600-seat indoor arena also is used for convocations, concerts, and a variety of other campus and community events. It contains a weight-lifting room. Breidegam Field House, adjoining Johnston Hall, includes an indoor track, a weight room and fitness center, an aerobics and dance studio, and four regulation multipurpose courts for intramural and recreational sports. Outdoor athletics facilities at the nearby Steel Field complex include football fields and stadium, an all-weather track, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts, and a field house. Additional fields for intercollegiate competition, intramurals, and informal play are located near University residence halls.

The Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus on Church Street, eight-tenths of a mile south of the Main Street Campus, formerly housed Moravian College for Women. The campus is in the heart of the city's colonial historic district, where Moravian settlers constructed buildings of renowned beauty and endurance. Church Street has been identified as one of the 10 most distinctive historic streets in America, with the Single Brethren's House (1748) considered to be one of the best examples of Colonial Germanic architecture in the country. Given the rich tradition of the Moravians' love for music and art, nothing could be more appropriate than for Moravian's academic center for these two disciplines to be located on this historic site. The Hurd Center for Music and Art encompasses six buildings, including the Single Brethren's House and the Payne Gallery, as well as Foy Concert Hall, which was added in 1982. The Hurd Campus provides a variety of classroom, practice, recital, performance, and exhibition spaces in a unique and beautifully restored setting. There are three residential options for students on the Hurd Campus: Main Hall (all women), Clewell Hall (all men), and the HILL (a co-ed residence built in 2009); and one dining facility (Clewell Dining Hall).

The Hurd Campus is bounded by Monocacy Creek, a long stretch of natural beauty; the attractive downtown shopping area; and Bethlehem's contemporary public library and city government offices. All these harmonize with the stone and brick historic structures, making Church Street an unparalleled example of the progression of architecture in America over the past two and a half centuries.

The University provides transportation to enable students to travel between campuses.

The St. Luke's University Hospital campus is across the Lehigh River, approximately a mile from the Hurd Campus. Moravian University students utilize the Priscilla Payne Hurd Education Center, Trexler Hall, and the hospital facilities of this campus. Allied health and nursing students also use facilities throughout the Lehigh Valley operated by St. Luke's University Health Network.