students to complete 16 credits in the Development of Western Civilization, a major part of the college's core curriculum. In the spring of 2021, it enrolled 4,128 undergraduate students and 688 graduate students for a total enrollment of 4,816 students.
In athletics, Providence College competes in NCAA Division I, and is a founding member of the original Big East Conference and Hockey East. It was part of the original six other basketball-centric Catholic colleges which broke off from the original Big East (today's American Athletic Conference) to form the current Big East at the start of the 2013–14 academic year.
== History ==
=== Founding ===
In 1917, Providence College was founded as an all-male school through the efforts of the Diocese of Providence and the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. The central figure in the college's incorporation was Matthew Harkins, Bishop of Providence, who sought an institution that would establish a center of advanced learning for the Catholic youth of Rhode Island.
Opening …
