Academics
Where Aspirations Are Unstoppable
It starts in the classroom, where you’ll be challenged to do your best thinking while being open to intrepid thoughts and ideas. It extends to laboratories and academic centers across campus, where you’ll collaborate with faculty to apply the latest insights from your discipline to pressing contemporary problems. It reaches beyond campus, where internships, community involvement, and global experiences bring theory into contact with the real world.
And it takes place within a community that holds you up so that nothing holds you back. Your future is open. Get ready for it here at Drake.
Browse All Majors and Programs
With more than 85 majors, 150 undergraduate programs, and 20 graduate degrees, there are countless paths forward as a Bulldog. Uncover yours.
Plan Your Next Adventure
No one’s passion takes a back seat at Drake. Here, you’ll lead the way, with close faculty mentorship, advisors, and a culture of engagement guiding you along every path you identify.
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Programs offered across seven colleges and schools.
:1
Student-to-faculty ratio, giving you professors who know where you’re going and are committed to helping you get there.
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Of 2024 undergraduate students reported having an internship or practical experience compared to the national average of 60%.
Our Colleges, Schools, and Programs
We recognize that imaginative thinkers and doers emerge across all disciplines and environments. Whether you plan to advance a business, make the next scientific discovery, fight for justice, or teach future generations, Drake's colleges, schools, and continuing education programs are ready for you.
College of Arts and Sciences
Explore creativity through theatre or studio art. Solve problems using the latest tools of science. Delve into the human mind or learn a new language. Tackle the big questions and shape the world.
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Get hands-on professional training to impact lives through the health professions. Discover undergraduate, graduate, accelerated, and matching programs in the health sciences, nursing, occupational therapy, athletic training, and pharmacy.
Law School
Prepare to serve the cause of justice. Through the nation’s only first-year trial practicum and a busy legal clinic, you’ll build vital professional experience while representing clients in the Des Moines community. Degrees offered include the JD, LLM, and MJ.
School of Education
Learn to empower student outcomes and lead educational organizations. The School of Education offers programs from the B.S. to the Ph.D. level, including online and accelerated options.
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Tell captivating stories while becoming an effective, strategic, and ethical communicator. Undergraduate and master’s programs let you center your preparation around advertising, journalism, public relations, or another medium built upon creative messaging and connection.
Zimpleman College of Business
See business beyond profits and branding to idea generation and community resilience. Get real-world experience in a vibrant regional business hub as you complete undergraduate or graduate training in accounting, marketing, analytics, and more functional areas.
Bright College
Leap forward toward your dreams in an affordable associate degree program modeled to help you thrive. Enjoy a close community, comprehensive guidance, and a predictable, manageable schedule that fits your life.
Drake Online
A convenient online format with dedicated advisors supporting you along the way lets you advance your career without interrupting it.
Continuing Education
When you’re invested in new knowledge and challenges, we offer multiple options to spark your growth and add to your credentials, whether you’re a business executive, professional educator, or a curious lifelong learner.
Drake Distinctives
From the classroom to the lab and from campus into the community and world, the Drake experience helps you understand and define who you are, propelling you toward boundless opportunities.
The Drake Curriculum
Dive deep into your chosen field while building upon a foundation of liberal arts. Required courses from diverse areas of inquiry prepare you for global citizenship in a complex world.
Internships
Outside the classroom, you’ll see where your knowledge and ideas can be used to tackle society's most complex challenges. From the buzzing capital city of Des Moines to the quiet prairies of the Midwest, future CEOs, sustainability experts, and social justice advocates are getting to work.
Leadership Development
Cultivate your capacity to drive change. Multiple unique programs at Drake help you learn and practice your leadership skills while you make an impact on campus and in the community.
Global Engagement
Broaden your perspective. From the annual Global Citizen Forum conference to study abroad programs in 70 countries, you’ll find opportunities throughout your time at Drake to open your mind and heart to the world.
Research at Drake
You don't have to wait to dive into an area you're passionate about—you can begin research projects as early as your first year. You’ll collaborate with faculty or pursue independent research, creating new knowledge in biotechnology, marketing, child welfare, education, civility, or another field.
Student Testimonials
Academic Services and Support
This is where Bulldogs find a whole community encouraging them and their dreams. Access comprehensive resources and services that help you not only exceed your potential but also navigate every twist and turn to get there.
