History
Elms College, founded and incorporated as the College of Our Lady of the Elms, was a women's only college for many years. Opening its doors to men in 1998, the college now enjoys a diverse population of men and women. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield founded the college in hopes of delivering a Catholic, social justice-driven education to young Catholic women, largely of Irish and Polish descent, in the Greater Springfield area. Since becoming coeducational, Elms College has seen great growth in enrollment as well as academic and athletic programs. Affirming the founding tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Elms College challenges students to embrace change without compromising principle, to respond creatively to the demands of their chosen careers, and to advocate for people in need. Elms College is a community rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, and responsive to civic and social obligations.
Specialties
Elms College is a private Catholic coeducational liberal arts college founded in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, Massachusetts. Located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, Elms College grants associates, bachelors, master's degrees, certificates of advanced graduate study, and a doctor of nursing practice. Undergraduate programs include nursing, social work, biology, business, education, criminal justice, accounting, speech-language pathology, sports management, and computer information technology. Masters programs include education, nursing, business administration, management, accounting, healthcare leadership, autism spectrum disorders, and applied theology. Elms College also offers an accelerated second degree in nursing, as well as other accelerate degree completion programs in partnerships with Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College, Mount Wachusett Community College, Greenfield Community College, Quinsigamond Community College, and Berkshire Community College. The Elms College Blazers features fifteen different athletic teams for both men and women in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) including baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, volleyball, swimming, lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, and softball.