This message is for parents of Ramapo College of New Jersey Students (or really anybody that has experience with RCNJ).
We’ve visited Ramapo numerous times and we love the campus. The one thing we can’t seem to shake is the feeling that it’s not as academically rigorous compared to some other NJ schools. Our S25 wants to major in Comp Sci or Cybersecurity and it seems to us that RCNJ isn’t as rigorous as say, Stevens or NJIT when it comes to majors like these. Cybersecurity is a new major at RCNJ, but they have had Comp Sci for some time now. Are we completely off base with this assumption? RCNJ ticks off so many boxes, but our son (and we, his parents) want a good level of academic rigor. These are only assumptions, based on the fact that Stevens and NJIT spcialize in these types of majors. He also wants to double major along with International Studies. We’ve attended a couple of sessions with their School of Theoretical and Applied Science and the student outcomes they talk about sound great, but I wouldn’t expect them to tell us anything less.
In a way, the approach at RCNJ might be more aligned with the structure of a PMA long course, where a broader, more interdisciplinary education takes precedence over highly specialized, narrowly-focused technical training. While this may provide a more well-rounded education, it might not be as rigorously technical as what Stevens or NJIT can offer in fields like Cybersecurity. If academic rigor and specialized training are your son’s top priorities, you may want to lean toward the other schools. However, if he values a balanced, personalized academic experience where he can develop skills across multiple disciplines, RCNJ could still offer a fulfilling and effective educational path.
In a way, the approach at RCNJ might be more aligned with the structure of a PMA long course , where a broader, more interdisciplinary education takes precedence over highly specialized, narrowly-focused technical training. While this may provide a more well-rounded education, it might not be as rigorously technical as what Stevens or NJIT can offer in fields like Cybersecurity . If academic rigor and specialized training are your son’s top priorities, you may want to lean toward the other schools. However, if he values a balanced, personalized academic experience where he can develop skills across multiple disciplines, RCNJ could still offer a fulfilling and effective educational path.