Founded in 1942 in the scenic shoreline community of Fairfield, Connecticut, Fairfield University is Catholic in both tradition and spirit. As a Catholic university it welcomes those of all beliefs and traditions who share its concerns for scholarship, justice, truth and freedom, and it values the diversity which their membership brings to the university community.

The main goal of this Jesuit institution is to prepare undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students for leadership and service in a constantly changing world. A Fairfield education prepares students for life-long success measured by how deeply they challenge themselves and how they influence the world for the better.

A Fairfield education is a liberal education, characterized by its breadth and depth. It offers opportunities for individual and common reflection, and it provides training in such essential human skills as analysis, synthesis, and communication. The liberally educated person is able to assimilate and organize facts, to evaluate knowledge, to identify issues, to use appropriate methods of reasoning and to convey conclusions persuasively in written and spoken word.

The University also offers online learning that is flexible and easy for students. The online courses are especially effective for motivated students with an independent learning style. They are offered during the summer, fall, spring, and winter intersession. Most courses are taught using WebCT. Students can also choose online Bachelor’s and Certificate programs.

Fairfield University values each of its students as an individual with unique abilities and potentials, and it respects the personal and academic freedom of all its members. But it also develops a greater sense of community within itself, a sense that all of its members belong to and are involved in the University, sharing common goals and a common commitment to truth and justice, and manifesting in their lives the common concern for others which is the obligation of all educated, mature human beings.

University College's open enrollment allows students to begin taking classes immediately. There's no application process to enter any of University College's degree programs - admission is based solely on the academic performance while at the school.