Working at Clark University
 

A relentless force for positive change

Founded in 1887, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university committed to scholarship and inquiry that addresses social and human imperatives on a global basis. It is the place where Robert Goddard invented the modern rocket, where Sigmund Freud delivered his only lectures in the United States, and where current students stake their claim to the Clark motto, “Challenge Convention. Change Our World,” which is the rallying cry that inspires our community every day.

Located in the heart of New England — Worcester, Massachusetts — Clark University educates its approximately 2,200 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students to be imaginative and contributing citizens of the world, and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort.

A university on the cutting edge of higher education

Clark is a world-class research university that is small by design, giving students the rare opportunity to contribute to pioneering research projects and to benefit from hands-on experience, close collaboration with peers, and the individual mentorship of faculty.

LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark’s pioneering model of higher education,  compelling students to thrive in authentic world and workplace settings, and preparing them for lives and careers of consequence. Clark is the only university to make the development of “capacities of effective practice” an explicit learning requirement for its undergraduates. Critical to success in today’s world, these capacities include imagination, self-directedness, resilience, and the ability to manage diversity and uncertainty. A Clark education reflects a belief in the enduring value of liberal education, as well as the University’s efforts to more deeply attune students’ learning experiences to the profound changes underway in our economy, our society, and our democracy.

The Clark graduate experience reflects the importance of “engaged scholarship” — an innovative educational approach that connects students to the people and organizations intimately familiar with (and working to address) the issues they are passionate about, and that places a premium on effecting measurable outcomes.

Committed to research that advance knowledge and impacts society

The Clark University faculty is composed of world-renowned researchers who foster a culture of excellence in the next generation. At Clark, faculty and students are given the freedom and flexibility to pursue projects that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The University’s focused areas of research excellence are backed by strong Ph.D. and master’s degree programs that engage graduate students from around the world in such areas as biology, chemistry, economics, geography, psychology, urban education, management, environmental science and policy, Holocaust and genocide studies, and international development and social change. Clark faculty, students, and staff continually develop new ways of thinking and acting that have a positive impact on the lives — and livelihoods — of people throughout the world.

Clark's research profile is enhanced by the presence of a variety of research institutes and centers that build on a foundation of interdisciplinary scholarship: the Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise, the George Perkins Marsh Institute, the Higgins School of Humanities, the Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education and the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Redefining our place in the world by immersing our community in it

Clark has redefined what it means to be a university in today’s interconnected world, forging robust partnerships with universities, educators, researchers, and business and community leaders at home and abroad, enabling its faculty and students to conduct in-depth research, work collaboratively to take on global concerns, and make a tangible difference. This diverse community of educators, researchers, and scholars challenge and inspire each other with their perspectives, insights, and determination. They are creative thinkers eager to defy conventional wisdom, devise inventive solutions to complex problems, and roll up their sleeves to get things done.

Clark itself plays a critical role in the health and well-being of its urban community, known as Main South, through the University Park Partnership — a national model for neighborhood revitalization. Working in tandem with the city of Worcester, Clark has been a change agent in the areas of housing and physical rehabilitation, education, economic development and social and recreational opportunities for residents. The University Park Campus School, which Clark operates in collaboration with the Worcester Public Schools, boasts an estimable record of high achievement and was recognized by President Barack Obama for its record of academic success.