The University of Akron: World-Class STEM Education, Life-changing Experiences for Latin American Students

It’s been a journey filled with milestones since José Carlos García Barahona first joined The University of Akron. Originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, he graduated from the College of Engineering and Polymer Science in May with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Between his first day here and the day he donned his graduate cap, Barahona founded the International Student Organization, became president of his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, and served as a social media ambassador for UA.

In August, he won the prestigious Outstanding International Student Award by the Ohio International Consortium (OIC), in recognition of his academic excellence and significant contributions to the UA community. “I feel incredibly honored to have been selected for this award,” he says. “It fills me with UA pride and a renewed sense of purpose to keep pushing boundaries and giving back to my community, while striving for excellence in everything I do.”

That excellence Barahona speaks of is part of UA’s DNA. 

Our nearly 15,000 undergraduates who call UA home find their launchpad to success through quality academic programs and vast experiential learning opportunities. Source: The University of Akron

Akron, Ohio is dubbed the rubber capital of the world because of its long history of rubber and tire manufacturing. When Benjamin Goodrich, founder of the tire manufacturing company BFGoodrich, expanded his rubber factory in 1871 to the city, the industry boomed with demands for rubber tires. Today, the city has diversified into other materials, especially polymer and plastic products. 

Since The University of Akron (UA) is the top institution in North America for polymer science and plastics engineering, it draws ambitious talent like Barahona to its world-class teaching and research environment every year.

But polymer science is by no means UA’s only top program. Ranked among the top 10 best colleges and universities in Ohio (academicinfluence.com) and one of the best in the Midwest (Princeton Review), UA is a STEM-focused public university that offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

An engineering college with more than a century of academic excellence

The College of Engineering and Polymer Science stands out for several programs. This pioneering spirit persists in all its departments and schools: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Computer Science, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Department of Mathematics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering.

Whichever program you choose, you’ll work alongside other visionary minds to tackle the toughest challenges of our time. Through co-ops, internships, research, and design teams, you’ll gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to prepare for your future career or further study. As many as 99% of graduates here have found employment, attended graduate school, or began military service within six months of graduation. 

From UA College of Business to Fortune 500 companies and the Big Four accounting firms

Another nationally-ranked, globally recognized UA school is the College of Business. It has dual accreditation from AACSB for business and accounting – only 1% of business schools worldwide offer double accredited degrees, and UA has been one of them since 1966.

This Top 40 public undergraduate business school offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as two accelerated programs where you can earn both a bachelor’s and a law degree in just six years, saving a year of tuition and related costs. The accelerated degrees are the Economics/Juris Doctor Accelerated, BA and the Business Law/Juris Doctor Accelerated, BA. 

All programs are set to equip you for success. Around 1,000 alumni occupy executive positions throughout the country. They stand out for their career-readiness, thanks to the college’s leadership training and links with top employers, the likes of Fortune 500 companies and Big Four accounting firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG).

A favorite tradition among students at UA is SpringFest – an annual, all-day event filled with music, food and fun to celebrate the closing of another school year. Source: The University of Akron

Vibrant campus, city, and community

UA has over 300 student groups, fraternity and sorority life, a rec and wellness center, arts and culture, and school traditions. On the tracks, fields, and stadiums, there are 16 men’s and women’s varsity teams, more than 300 student-athletes, and even an esports college program ranked #2 in the US (dailygame.net). UA competes in the Mid-American Conference (the highest level of collegiate football) of NCAA Division I athletics, always accompanied by their kangaroo mascot, Zippy, one of six female mascots in the nation.

Whether you join one sport or several student groups, you are bound to discover new interests, new talents and new friends. In fact, UA’s Residence Hall Program Board was named Programming Organization of the Year for the Mid America Region of the National Association for Campus Activities in 2021 and 2022. “By being involved in student organizations and other extracurriculars, I obtained invaluable real-world insights that allowed me to improve my leadership and communication abilities,” says Barahona. 

Beyond campus, Akron has a strong Latino and Hispanic community with more than 13,000 residents living here. They all come together through organizations like Proyecto Raices, which is dedicated to providing educational and social support to children of Latino/Hispanic families. The organization also runs the Annual Akron Latin Festival where everybody can enjoy a day of food, music, dancing, and cultural performances, making the most of Akron’s vibrant downtown, serene parks, and friendly community. 

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