Misericordia University is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
Catholic university in the
Dallas, Pennsylvania area, United States.
It was founded by the
Religious Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan is a religious institute of pontifical right, dedicated to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It was established in 1973, in response to the renewal called for in the Second Vatican Council ...
in 1924 as College Misericordia; in 2007 it became a university and changed its name. The university offers
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...
,
master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
and
doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
degrees as well as post-master's and post-bachelor's certificates.
The university operates a campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it offers an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in partnership with Orbis Education.
History
The Religious Sisters of Mercy were of the order of Mercy founded in Dublin in 1831. The Sisters vowed to be of service to the impoverished, sick and uneducated. The Sisters of Mercy came to the Wyoming Valley area of Pennsylvania in 1875, continuing their mission of praying, teaching and caring for the sick. The sisters established a school for children and a night school for adults in the coal mining region.
On September 15, 1924, the Sisters of Mercy established Luzerne County's first four-year institution of higher learning, the College Misericordia, on nearly of land in Dallas, Pennsylvania, purchased by the sisters for this purpose in 1914. The institution's name comes from the Latin word ''
misericordia,'' meaning "mercy". When the college opened, it had 37 students.
Misericordia continues to be as a university, a broad-based liberal arts and pre-professional studies institution offering education to those of all faiths. The university has been co-educational since the 1970s and offers graduate programs. Today, Misericordia University is located on the original grounds, but has expanded to , situated in a suburban setting from downtown Wilkes-Barre.
On August 24, 2007, the institution completed the transition from college to university and became Misericordia University.
Campus

The majority of the university grounds, and all of the
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
,
are in
Dallas Township.
The university has a small property in
Dallas Borough.
Between 2009 and 2021, numerous changes have been added to the campus:
* The Shakespeare Garden: Misericordia University features the only
Shakespeare garden in northeast PA and won a 2011 Greening Award from the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is a nonprofit organization that promotes horticulture-related events and community activities. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of 2021, PHS has more than 13,000 members.
PHS wa ...
* Pauly Friedman Art Gallery
* The College of Health Sciences - Passan Hall
* Insalaco Hall
* Metz Field House
* MacDowell Hall
* Gildea Hall
* Alumnae Hall
* McGowan Hall
* McHale Hall
* Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Science Center
* Anderson Sports Center
* Multi-Purpose Dome (2024)
The census-designated place is in the
Dallas School District.
Academics
Misericordia gives students a choice of 32 majors in three Academic Colleges:
* College of Arts and Science
* College of Health Sciences and Education
* College of Business
Guaranteed Placement Program
Misericordia's Guaranteed Placement Program (or GPP) is a development program pertaining to a student's education.
Established in 1999, the GPP assists students entering the workforce or graduate school after graduation. Students participate in the GPP for all four years of their college experience. If they do not receive a job offer or are not accepted into graduate/professional school within six months after graduation, the university gives them a paid internship in their chosen field.
BA to MA in English
Launched in September 2014, the Misericordia University/University of Reading BA to MA in English is a five-year program in which students complete a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Misericordia and a one-year Master of Arts degree in English Language and Literature at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. Students may study for an MA in Children's Literature or English, including pathways in Renaissance studies, Victorian Literature and Culture, or Modern and Contemporary Writing.
Student life
Misericordia University has 41 clubs, service organizations and special interest organizations.
Special Organizations: Assistive Technology Research Institute; Diversity Institute; Ethics Institute of Northeast Pennsylvania; Institute of Gerontology (Aging Religious); Institute of Law and Religious Life; Institute of Sacred Scripture.
Special Programs: Alternative Learner's Project (ALP) for students who learn differently; Center for Service Learning; incorporating community service into academic study; Distance Learning Program, providing college level courses to students in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania; Fun and Fitness Program, providing a variety of athletics and other activities for the community at the Anderson Sports-Health Center; Cultural Events, providing a variety of programs usually at no cost to the community. The Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children Program, a unique program that empowers economically disadvantaged single mothers by providing the opportunity to complete a college degree.
Student Government Association
Misericordia's Student Government Association is a student-run, student-elected executive board which represents the students at Misericordia University. Members of the board and delegates represent the students on various college committees. Student Government also is the governing body of the various clubs on campus and keeps records of each club's activities. The Student Government Association is made up of eight members.
English Department
''Instress'' is the campus' annual literary magazine published each spring. It prints original material by students and members of the university community.
Athletics

Misericordia University teams are nicknamed the ''Cougars'', and currently compete in the
NCAA Division III
NCAA Division III (D-III) is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships to student- ...
,
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 15 sports (13 men's and 13 women's). It has 220 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from ...
and the
MAC Freedom within the
Middle Atlantic Conferences
The Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) is an umbrella organization of three List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conferences that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division III, Division III. The 1 ...
. Women's sports include basketball, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, swimming, softball, cross-country, cheerleading, lacrosse, tennis and track and field. Men's sports include basketball, football, soccer, swimming, cross-country, baseball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
The school has had an athletics program since 1932, when it introduced intramural sports.
Notable alumni
*
Karen Boback, member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.
It ...
*
Mike Dunleavy,
Governor of Alaska
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
*
Jon Ford, member of the Indiana Senate
*
Dave Kern, professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
player
*
Maria Pallante, United States
Register of Copyrights
The Register of Copyrights is the director of the United States Copyright Office within the Library of Congress, as provided by . The Office has been headed by a Register since 1897. The Register is appointed by, and responsible to, the Librar ...
References
External links
*
Athletics website
{{authority control
Catholic universities and colleges in Pennsylvania
Sisters of Mercy colleges and universities
Universities and colleges established in 1924
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Universities and colleges in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Former women's universities and colleges in the United States
1924 establishments in Pennsylvania