Stetson University Reviews

"Do NOT attend this university for mathematics. It is clear that the professors have absolutely zero mathematical ability or deeper understanding of mathematics. For senior research, I solved an open problem in mathematics. I was repeatedly told by faculty that my problem I was attempting was impossible. They gave me a C for it believing it was “incorrect”. The same paper got me accepted to Oxford University’s mathematics program and cancer research team. DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU ARE A STRONG STUDENT!!!"

"Tenored professors at Stetson demonstrate an unwillingness to teach the students and pass along the knowledge needed in a real world work environment. The majority of them are lazy in posting grades and make reviewing graded exams extremely difficult, to the point where one eventually gives up."

"I attended Stetson School of Music during a time in which many professorial legacies were in full swing. Such a school depends on high quality professors coming and spending their entire career there as high turnover greatly disrupts the work of a small conservatory such as Stetson School of Music. And it really is the music conservatory of the South. The professors I studied one on one with all had multiple decades of teaching and performing experience and never did I take a music class with a teaching assistant and barely an adjunct. As a result I gained a wealth of knowledge from all of them and The School of Music has grown in reputation and stature with such experience at the helm. Unfortunately, within a period of about 10 years, they've all retired and though the University is probably relieved over not having to pay their salaries, it's been impossible to replace them in kind. Therefore it seems the School of Music is in a season of restructuring and growth. Long known for its choral program, the retirement of longtime choral conductor Duncan Couch brought several conductors who've come and gone after a few years. Currently run by a husband and wife duo Timothy and Sandra Peter and coming from the nationally renowned Luther College, they have brought stability to the program and will probably be the next teaching legacy at the school. With Timothy recently promoted to Dean he currently conducts the top choir of the school, The Concert Choir, with Sondra serving as an "Acting" Director of Choral Activities. What the future holds for that position and whether or not the top choral professor of the school can also serve as the Dean (unusual for a school of this caliber) remains to be seen. Really, though the most glaring thing about the school that will be obvious to any new student making the rounds among the university departments of music in the South, is that Stetson is without a legitimate, modern performance hall or theater of any kind. Though proud of the historic chapel, Lee Hall, indeed it is a 100 year old space with wooden pews and temporary staging that in recent years has proven inadequate for a 21st century music school. Perfect for vocal and piano recitals it truly is a Recital Hall, but woefully inadequate for large ensembles both choral and instrumental. A much too loud and echo-filled room for university level choral singing, it brings the same challenges for a symphonic orchestra and the University Wind Ensemble, known for requesting players to bring their dorm comforters with which to drape over the balcony and walls as to bring the room down to a kinder acoustic. Such inadequate performance facilities is the school's biggest drawback and is currently the only department of music in the South without a legitimate performance space. Hopefully soon, a new Performance Hall will be built. However, if you want to study towards an undergraduate degree where you will be studying with full professors and have one and one personal access at all times, Stetson is your school. Many fine singers music teachers come from this fine school."

"I thoroughly enjoyed my experience studying music and Spanish at Stetson University. The smaller school environment provided opportunities to connect with professors. The music department had a warm environment, professors were kind, and the education I received was excellent. The music theory classes are thorough, and provide a solid foundation for students desiring to study music at the graduate level, or to study other topics requiring intense analyzation and critical thinking skills. Currently I am working on a PhD in marriage and family therapy, and the skills I learned during my music education translated well to the critical thinking research requires. Stetson also has a wonderful classical guitar program. The professor (Dr. Robinson) helps students to reach their full potential. Playing in guitar ensembles was a very enjoyable experience. Multiple performance opportunities, encompassing both solo and ensemble experiences, provided occasions to hone performance skills. I also had the opportunity to study Spanish at Stetson. The professors in the Spanish department were extremely kind and helpful. Additionally, Stetson University provides several opportunities to study abroad and experience life in various Spanish-speaking cultures. I felt that many of my professors, in both the music and foreign language department, genuinely cared about their students. Stetson also provides extracurricular opportunities to connect with other students. There are multiple clubs and organizations that allow students to connect and build relationships. Also, Stetson University is located in a quaint little town with an adorable downtown area just walking distance from the university. Restaurants, coffee shops, and cute stores are very close to the university. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at Stetson University."

"Stetson's Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Geography is one of the best programs in the nation. The University offers a huge range of classes for students to narrow their focus in the field, and they can keep it broad if the student chooses to go that route. Professors have tons of experience in the field and always encourage students to follow their passions. Professors also offer tons of volunteering opportunities for students, to gain valuable experience in the field. Stetson's new Sandra Aquatic Center brings more emphasis on environmental science."

"Career Services did almost nothing to help me find a career or even a job after graduating. There was no job placement program. I was left to fend for myself after graduation. I did not hear from Stetson after graduation, except when it was to ask me for a donation! They were more than happy to take my money and give, ultimately, almost nothing in return. I left Stetson almost the same person as when I enrolled. And the kicker? They required I pay a $100 graduation fee just so that I could get my overpriced no-value diploma. Stetson University has taken a nose-dive in recent years with Libby."

"The Family Enterprise program offers incredible opportunities to grow personally and professionally while networking with world-class business leaders. Stetson University is a diverse community with ample opportunities for student involvement including Greek life, religious organizations, intramural sports, student organizations, study abroad options and a wide variety of interesting courses. Campus is only 30 minutes away from the beach and 10 minutes away from the St. John's river and natural springs."

"Stetson is charming, beautiful, and friendly - at first. Beneath it's nice exterior is a cold, money-grubbing campus with a lackluster faculty/student body personality and even worse academics. I transferred to this small private school from a community college hoping to be challenged, but so far I have learned nothing except that I've wasted my money and my time. The advisors are glorified professors who are not properly trained - the registrar, instead, is whom you should speak to about planning your classes. While there have been a few good professors, a majority of the ones in the English department focus on self-taught practices that are not mentioned in course descriptions. I did not plan on paying $56k a year to teach myself, thank you very much. Alongside that, the faculty members (department Dean, professors, dining services), aside from the Admissions Office and Registrar, are ridiculously unprofessional and unhelpful. Dining services do NOT cater to specific dietary needs, despite their claims. Buildings are beautiful on the outside, but are badly mantained within. For those who have even the mildest of allergies or fear of bugs(in dorms), beware. There are some fun things to do on campus, though they are mostly led by the school and students prefer to attend the Greek Life events instead (who still follow extremely outdated and sexist traditions). Weekends are when Stetson turns into a ghost town. The one thing I will commend Stetson on is it's safety. Never before have I felt so safe when walking to and from the library after midnight, as a woman, than I have on this campus. Public Safety is close to the heart of campus and there are many blue-light calling stations if you ever need help. Plus, security often patrols in golf carts to ensure the utmost safety of those at Stetson. From my experience as an English major, it's not worth the cost. I'd have transferred out by now if the credits would actually transfer appropriately from a private school to a public one. Unfortunately, I am stuck here."

"Stetson University challenged me to be significant during my undergraduate years and post graduate years. I have taken this challenge into my profession as an elementary education teacher. During my undergraduate years I was always surrounded and supported by professors who truly cared for my success. I wouldn't be the strong, confident leader that I am today if I didn't attend Stetson University and for that, I am forever grateful."

"Stetson prepared me for the practice of law, but I do wish they had driven home the importance of internships and participation in the journals and other publications more. I realize now how helpful that would have been, but I had no idea back then."

"Stetson is an overall fantastic academic institution. The faculty and staff are accessible and mostly interested in your success. While at Stetson, I participated in internships and a study abroad program, both being invaluable learning experiences. My only criticism of Stetson is the high cost - my student loan debt is through the roof, basically another mortgage. There is a real lack of acknowledgement that the school is saddling students with such a burden. Most students think they're going to be making a lot of money after graduation, and that is not always the case."

"College is the best years of your life. Try not to get enveloped in the course load and all the annoying things you have to do; enjoy every minute and do the things that you want and love to do. Take the courses you need to but take one course a semester that you like or just for fun to see what its like, it will give you a break from your harder classes and will feed your intellectual mind. Join clubs, go out some weekends, do your homework in a public place, get to know your professors, utilize the free services around campus, and just have a good time."

"Very small classes, options to specialize study, plenty of on campus activities."

"Overall an excellent and notable school. Solid education, helpful faculty, and first-rate academics."

"Great school and faculty! However, I do wish there were more class selection for students taking classes at night."

"Stetson University seemed like an amazing school at first; beautiful campus, nice teachers, lots of organizations but I learned differently within my first few months of attending. Stetson is a private school and most reading materials are overpriced due to the fact that are written by Stetson professors. This also means that hardly any credits would transfer over if you were to leave the school. The prices of tuition goes up by around 5% every year, leaving many people poor as well. It is as if Stetson is not even a college, it is a business. Students pay for everything, even the things they neither want nor need such as the Hatter Life Fee which goes into a group called Hatter Productions that is supposed to entertain the Students. Most of this money is spent on events that at most 100 students attend even though it is a school with 4,000 students. There are other things that are expensive as well, such as meal plans. One meal plan went from $1,010 last year to almost $1,700 this year even though the food is still the same and the meal plan works in the same way. Another thing that would deter me from Stetson is the racism that occurs on campus. A lot of non-Caucasian students deal with it on a daily basis even from teachers yet because of the fact that Stetson does not have an anti-bullying policy nothing ever happens to the perpetrators of these acts. Once my friend had raw eggs thrown at him while walking back to his dorm after a class. Stetson says it is working on being more diverse yet it recently cut the budget for the diversity program by nearly 80%, giving most of that money to the Homecoming committee even though most upperclassmen never attend the events held within that week. There are some good things about Stetson though, such as that a lot of the professors work with you and are willing to help you. Some professors even see themselves as being on equal footing with the students and allow their students to call them by their first name. Stetson is also a place where connections can be made, due to the diversity program at Stetson called the Multicultural Student Council, everyone is welcome and helped within the walls of that building. Stetson has some good qualities but if I had known about its shortcomings I probably never would have attended."

"Great small liberal arts school located in an awesome small community! Pros: Small class size, diverse student population, and many fields of study. Cons: Expensive, not well known outside of the southeast, credits are difficult for transfers (both in and out.)"

"Pros: the subject matter is interesting, the professors are very approachable and understanding. Cons: not many opportunities for scholarships."

"I love this program because it affords a possibility of taking evening courses for part-time students so everyone can have an opportunity to receive a law degree even while having a full time job. They also offer expedited program for international attorneys which was one of the reasons I went to this school. Since I graduated from law school in Belarus and maintained good GPA the first year at Stetson I was awarded 29 credit hours towards my JD at Stetson! I love most of the professors and believe the education is extremely valuable at this school."

"I have been searching for a MAcc program from several different schools until I came across this school. I was pleasantly surprise to find a school of this statue offering an oline program. I contacted the admission advisor, she was quite helpful in tha application process. I would recommend this online program to all accountants who are looking to get their MAcc as well as their CPA. The drawbacks are, they classes fill fast, they have high standards for entry. If you do not have a 3.00 GPA and a GMAT of 500 above, they will not accept you."