Finding class: A fall guide for Arts and Sciences students
Discover UC's Uptown campus, from Blegen Library to Zimmer Hall
By Rebecca Schweitzer
Traversing the University of Cincinnati's Uptown campus can be daunting for the uninitiated.
Bordered by Clifton Avenue, Martin Luther King Drive, Jefferson Street and Calhoun Street, the urban campus spans 253 acres and is home to more than 40,000 students.
Incoming freshmen in UC's College of Arts and Sciences face a particular challenge because, unlike other colleges whose classes are largely confined to a single building, A&S classrooms can be found on all four corners of campus. From anthropology to women's studies, A&S classes take place in no fewer than 12 different buildings situated across grounds that Forbes magazine has called among the most beautiful in the United States.
One of the most iconic of these buildings, McMicken Hall (2700 Campus Way), is located on the west edge of campus, overlooking Clifton Avenue. Here students from an assortment of majors meet for courses from the communication, English, history, journalism or philosophy departments.
UC College of Arts and Sciences' McMicken Hall. Credit/Beth Vleaminck
Blegen Library (2602 McMicken Circle), in the southeast corner of campus, hosts the college's renowned Classics Department — one of the most active classics research departments in the United States — where students study Greek civilization, Roman history, mythology and more.
Head to the northwest corner of campus to find the Geology-Physics Building (345 Clifton Court), or due east to the Edwards Center (45 W. Corry Blvd.), which houses the Psychology Department.
A&S Classics Department in Blegen Library. Credit/Beth Vleaminck
The departments of anthropology, geography, environmental studies and Middle Eastern studies can be found in Braunstein Hall (2825 Campus Way), a classical Art Deco building which flanks McMicken Hall to the north.
Find the classrooms, labs and offices of the biological sciences, chemistry and neuroscience departments in Rieveschl Hall (318 College Drive), next door to Langsam Library. The iconic Crosley Tower (301 Clifton Ct.) on the north edge of campus houses political science, sociology, international affairs and international human rights.
Braunstein Hall with Crosley Tower in the background, north side of UC campus. Credit/Beth Vleaminck
German studies, Romance and Arabic languages and literatures, Asian studies and European studies are housed in the Old Chemistry Building (2855 Campus Way), familiarly called "Old Chem," which is one of three classical buildings that comprise Schneider Quadrangle, or "the Quad." The Quad was named for Herman Schneider, the founder of co-op education.
French Hall (2815 Commons Way), located near Sigma Sigma Commons, is home to Africana studies, Judaic studies, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, interdisciplinary studies and mathematical studies as well as the Center for Exploratory Studies, for students who remain undecided, and A&S Undergraduate Advising.
Other courses for students can be located in Zimmer Hall (315 College Dr.), Swift Hall (2766 UC MainStreet, also part of the Quad), or 60 West Charlton, home of the African American Cultural and Resource Center (60 W. Charlton).
Students take a break in hammocks on Sigma Sigma Commons, near French Hall, on the east side of UC campus. Credit/Beth Vleaminck
The newest addition to the collection of A&S buildings is Clifton Court. This building is anticipated to be completed in 2022 and will be located on the corner of Clifton Ave and Clifton Ct. as additional classroom and office space for students and educators.
For A&S students navigating Uptown Campus, there is a lot of ground to cover, but UC's transportation options have you covered, from shuttle services to the electric scooters you will find on almost every corner. Find out more about getting around campus here.
Looking for specific directions? Find a UC Uptown Campus map here.
Featured image at top: Aerial view of UC's Uptown Campus.
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