American International College

For other educational institutions with similar names, see American International University.

American International College (AIC) is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts.

American International College

Motto	Post Tenebras Lux
Motto in English	"Light after Darkness"
Type	Private university
Established	July 18, 1885; 139 years ago (1885-07-18)
Academic affiliations	Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield
President	Nicolle Cestero
Undergraduates	1,723
Postgraduates	454
Location	Springfield , Massachusetts , U.S. 42.1126°N 72.5578°W / 42.1126; -72.5578
Campus	Urban, 58 acres (23 ha)
Colors	Black and yellow[1]
Nickname	Yellow Jackets
Website	www.aic.edu

Historical postcard depicting Daughters of the American Revolution Hall located on the main campus

History

American International College was originally established on July 18, 1885 by Calvin E. Amaron who sought to create an institution of higher learning that would provide the local French Canadian minority with access to higher education.^[2]

Academics

The university offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including master's and doctoral degrees and certificates of advanced graduate study (CAGS). There are three schools which focus on their respective academic areas:^[3]

• School of Business, Arts, and Sciences: Bachelor's and master's degrees
• School of Health Sciences: Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees
• School of Education: Master's and doctoral degrees

Undergraduate students choose from 37 majors as they earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) or Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A). Certificates and other non-degree programs are also offered.

Athletics

See also: American International Yellow Jackets and American International Yellow Jackets men's ice hockey

A Yellow Jackets men's ice hockey game against Air Force in 2024

The school competes in NCAA Division II, and is a member of the Northeast-10 Conference for all but four sports. Additionally, the institution's wrestling program, which is the only NCAA DII program in New England, competes as an independent.

Among the exceptions is the school's men's ice hockey team, which is a member of the Division I, Atlantic Hockey America. The team participated in its first NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 2019 and defeated nationally ranked No.1 St. Cloud State in the first round.^[4]

AIC also has a college rugby program that was founded in 2009 and began play in 2010.^[5] The rugby program is part of the school's athletic department, has varsity status, with rugby scholarships available for students.^[6] AIC's men's team plays Division 1A in the Liberty Conference, while the women's team is a member of the NIRA.

Notable alumni

Politics

• Paul Babeu, Arizona sheriff
• Mark G. Mastroianni, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
• William D. Mullins, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives^[7]
• Richard Neal, member of the United States House of Representatives
• Mike Gravel, former Alaska Senator
• Michael C. Polt, US diplomat and former Ambassador to Estonia, Serbia, and Serbia and Montenegro
• Dianne Wilkerson, former member of the Massachusetts Senate
• James Worth, state representative^[8]

Athletics

• Jim Calhoun, college basketball coach
• Asnage Castelly, Olympic wrestler
• Mario Elie, professional basketball player and coach
• Harrison Fitch, college basketball player
• Dave Forbes, professional hockey player
• Fran Healy, professional baseball player and sportscaster^[9]
• Bruce Laird, professional football player
• Tom Rychlec, professional football player