Anna Maria College is a private Catholic college in Paxton, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a women's college, but has been coeducational since 1973. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
In 1973, Anna Maria College became coeducational, and a year later, began graduate degree programs.[4] On April 3, 1980, the Sisters of Saint Anne ceased involvement in running the school, and a Board of Trustees was established.
In 2004, the college established the Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly.[5]
Academics
Anna Maria College has an average annual enrollment of around 1,500 students, which consist of mostly undergraduate and graduate students, as well as some continuing education learners.[6] Rooted in the traditions of Catholic education, the college combines liberal arts and sciences education with career preparation.
The college is divided among six academic schools: the School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Justice and Social Sciences; the School of Fire and Health Sciences; the School of Visual and Performing Arts; and the School of Humanities.[7]
Anna Maria College has thirteen Division III athletic teams, known as the AMCATS (Anna Maria College Athletic Team Sports), in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), including men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer; and women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The school is a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Football is played in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Anna Maria was also a charter member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), which it competed in from 1984 to 2011 before joining the GNAC.