The Colleges and Schools of the University of Missouri

At the heart of every university lies its academic community, a dynamic ecosystem where students and faculty come together to explore, innovate, and shape the future. Mizzou is no exception. As one of the most prestigious public research universities in the United States, MU boasts a broad array of colleges and schools, each dedicated to advancing knowledge across a spectrum of disciplines. This exhibition, highlighting the Colleges and Schools at MU, offers a window into the depth and diversity of the academic experience at our university.

Located on the first floor of the MU Student Center.

From the arts to agriculture, from medicine to business, each of MU's colleges and schools contributes to the university's mission of excellence in teaching, research, and service. This exhibition showcases the stories, achievements, and contributions of the following academic units:

College of Arts & Science is the oldest (est. 1841) and largest college at the University of Missouri. Since the university’s founding in 1839, its administrators have considered the liberal arts and sciences to be the foundation of higher education. Schools and departments classified under liberal arts and sciences were officially made part of the College of Arts and Science when it was named in 1907.

 

Swallow Hall after its construction in 1893 

Today, the College of Arts and Sciences is home to approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 500 full-time faculty, and nearly 2,000 full-time staff. Students in A&S have the advantage of a liberal arts education in the context of a comprehensive research university. Undergraduate and graduate students learn from some of the most well-respected historians, artists, authors, innovators, and scholars. In fact, 15 graduate programs in A&S are ranked in the top 100 programs nationally by U.S. News and World Report and the Museum of Art and Archaeology is a nationally accredited teaching and research museum (fewer than 3% of the nation’s museums have received accreditation). A&S boasts more than 70 undergraduate majors and approximately 50 minors, including some of the oldest—mathematics and classical studies—and newest—digital storytelling—degree programs.

Monte Grews (illustrator), first caricature for the College of Arts & Science after its founding in 1907. Published in Savitar, The MU Yearbook (Columbia: University of Missouri, 1908), 19.

College of Education and Human Development was one of the first state universities to establish normal instruction for teacher education at the collegiate level in 1867. It had 3 levels of instruction: the Normal School for instructing teachers; the Preparatory School for preparing students for university admission; and the Model School to demonstrate ideal teaching methods for students enrolled in the Normal School. The College of Education and Human Development is credited for enrolling some of the first women in education in 1867, among which was Mary Louise “Lulie” Gillet who graduated from the Normal School and the Gillett Residence Hall is named in her honor.

Mary Louise “Lulie” Gillett, University of Missouri’s first female graduate in 1870. Courtesy of The Magazine of the Mizzou Alumni Association, University of Missouri

 

The College of Education and Human Development has 5 departments—Department of Learning, Teaching & Curriculum, Department of Education Leadership & Policy Analysis, Department of Education, School & Counseling Psychology, Department of Special Education, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies—that house various programs in undergraduate and graduate degree paths, from art education, early childhood education, and higher education to Learning Technology and Library & Information Science. Notably, the MLIS degree is the Best Online Program for Graduate Education in 2021, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (CAFNR): The College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources (CAFNR) was formally established in 1870 and has undergone several changes. Today, CAFNR focuses on the core components of society that impact our food and living environments that work toward global sustainability. With over 14 undergraduate degrees and 9 graduate degrees, the College provides students with paths in Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Applied Social Sciences, Food Systems and Bioengineering, Plant Sciences, and Natural Resources. It also offers hands-on opportunities for students who can participate in the various services CAFNR provides, including Buck’s Ice Cream, Café at Eckles, Experiment Station Chem Lab, Mizzou Meat Market, Soil and Plant Testing Lab, and the Tiger Garden Flower Shop.

George Clinton Swallow, first professor and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources. Courtesy of the University Archives, University of Missouri.

School of Law was founded in 1872 and initially housed in Tate Hall. However, in the 1960s and 1970s the Law School grew, and their accreditation became threatened due to the cramped spaces in Tate, and a new building was constructed. Hulston Hall was opened in 1988 and now houses the School of Law classrooms, library, student-organized offices, and lounge and dining areas. Today, the Law School is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. It has 4 clinics, 3 centers, 9 dual degree programs, and 10 certificate programs in both Criminal Justice and Tax Law. Additionally, there are certificate options available for law and non-law students.

School of Medicine is the first publicly supported medical school west of the Mississippi River. It was first organized as a two-year school in 1872 and then expanded into a four-year program with a new medical center—University Hospital—in 1953. In 1901, the Parker Memorial Hospital opened as one of the first teaching hospitals in the United States.

Photograph of McAlester Hall, original home to the School of Medicine that the School of Health Professions was established under, ca. 1920. Courtesy of the University Archives, University of Missouri: C:1/141/18.

Today, the School of Medicine has more than 680 faculty physicians and scientists who educate more than 1,000 medical students, residents, fellows, and others seeking advanced degrees in medicine, as well as more than 1,000 undergraduate students. It has two campuses, one in Columbia and the other in Springfield, MO which opened in June 2016. Notably, MU’s School of Medicine graduates score consistently higher than the national average on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

College of Veterinary Medicine began in 1884 and progressed through 5 stages, leading eventually to a College of Veterinary Medicine. First, a course in veterinary science was offered, and then a department was formed. Next came a School of Veterinary Medicine in the division of Agricultural Sciences, which became a separate division, resulting in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The College was first held in Connaway Hall to house veterinary science faculty who taught courses to agricultural students on animal and poultry diseases, performed diagnostic and extension work, and produced animal vaccines. Notably, the first vaccine-virus laboratory was established in 1885 at the veterinary science department.

Dr. Edna Guibor, the first female graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine, 1952. Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri, Photograph Collection: P0030-1743.

Today, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers undergraduate and graduate degree pathways, including a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM) which was established in 1946. The degree curriculum provides hands-on training and experience in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, and the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. The College of Veterinary Medicine is a national leader in comparative medicine has the only nationally accredited diagnostic laboratory in Missouri and is only one of five in the Midwest.

Graduate School was first established as the Graduate Interdisciplinary School in 1896, but the first master’s degrees were awarded in 1846. Then in 1899, the first doctoral degrees were awarded. Today, the Graduate School is considered one of the nation’s top-tier institutions as a Research 1 University, or “Doctoral University with Very High Research Activity,” providing teaching, research, outreach, service, and economic development opportunities. With over 151 graduate degree programs and more than 70 research centers, institutes, and core facilities, MU’s Graduate School equips its graduate students with interdisciplinary research in a highly collaborative culture.

College of Engineering was not established as an independent school at the University of Missouri until 1906. In 1862, it began as a part of the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts until 1877 when it gained its first autonomy as a school under the direction of Thomas J. Lowry. However, when Lowry retired the School was placed under Agriculture once again until the beginning of the twentieth century.

MU Engineering pioneered some of the first engineering programs in the country. It was the first university to teach an engineering course west of the Mississippi in 1849 and it developed the first Electrical Engineering program in the United States. Professor Benjamin E. Thomas and his engineering students participated in this program’s development with the contribution of Thomas Edison’s generator in 1883. With Edison’s generator, Professor Thomas and his students demonstrated incandescent lighting for the first time on the Mississippi’s Western frontier and wired Academic Hall with electric lighting, which was the first building in Columbia to receive this new invention. However, this same electrical wiring burned the Academic Hall to the ground in 1892.

Professor Benjamin E. Thomas’s Electrical Engineering students working on Thomas Edison’s dynamo. Published in Mizzou Engineering Annual Report, 2019-2020 (Columbia: College of Engineering, University of Missouri, 2020), 22.

Today, the College of Engineering has undergraduate and graduate programs across 6 departments: Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering; Civil & Environmental Engineering; Electrical Engineering & Computer Science; Information Technology; Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering; Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.  

School of Journalism or the “J-School,” as it is often called, was established by Walter Williams in 1908 and was the first in the world to offer a journalism degree. It awarded the world’s first undergraduate degree (1909), master’s degree (1921), and doctorate degree (1934) in journalism. The J-School is still to this day the most renowned and is known for the “Missouri Method,” a hands-on philosophy of learn-by-doing that allows students to gain hands-on, career-ready experience. Students are able to work in 6 professional newsrooms, including an NBC affiliate, an NPR-member station, a digital-first community newspaper, and 2 advertising agencies. It is because of the “Missouri Method” that top editors, reporters, and other executives claim that MU graduates are among the best prepared to work and contribute to the field of journalism.

Walter Williams Hall and Neff Hall connected by Walter Williams Tower. Courtesy of the University Archives, University of Missouri: C:1/1818/1.

Trulaske College of Business was established in 1914 as a senior professional school and was named after distinguished alumnus, Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. Its programs were among the first in the nation to be accredited and it is a leader in offering doctoral degrees in business-related fields. With undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Accountancy, and graduate degrees in Finance, Accountancy, Management, and Marketing, the Trulaske College of Business provides students with exceptional experience in their respective field. In fact, several prominent business scholars are associated with the College, including H.G. Brown, D.R. Scott, and Thorstein Veblen, and Harry M. Cornell, Jr.

Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. in front of Jesse Hall. Courtesy of the Trulaske College of Business, University of Missouri.

To facilitate its students with exceptional learning experiences, the Trulaske College of Business erected Cornell Hall in 2002. It includes 17 classrooms, 3 computer labs, an executive and distance learning classroom, a 500-seat auditorium, a 125-seat lecture hall, 2 reception/multi-purpose rooms, and 8 small breakout rooms, as well as offices for faculty, staff, graduate assistants, academic support units, and research and service agencies. As of 2021, Cornell Hall also includes a Kaldi’s Coffee. The building was named after Harry M. Cornell, Jr., chairman emeritus of Leggett & Platt, Incorporated and MU alumni.

Sinclair School of Nursing was not officially recognized as a separate entity until 1994. The nursing program was first established in 1920 within the School of Medicine; however, its first nurses graduated in 1904. Eventually, a three-year combined curriculum of nursing, and arts and science courses were developed into a Bachelor of Science nursing degree pathway in 1940. Then the four-year BSN program was approved in 1950, the MS in nursing program began in 1968, and the PhD in 1994. These programs have expanded over the years to include an MSN, MS in Care Management, PhD in Nursing, and DNP in Nursing.

Honors College was established in 1958 as the first Honors College in the nation. It was brought forth by a committee of faculty who were interested in bringing together students and faculty to enhance the educational opportunities at the University of Missouri. Initially, the Honors College was a part of the umbrella of the College of Arts & Sciences, but in 1988 it transferred to the Office of the Provost. Since its establishment, the College has had several homes, starting at Kuhlman Court, a street south of Ellis Library, and then Conley House, and finally, Lowry Hall, its current location. Notably, the Honors College offered the first course at MU on Women’s Studies in 1971 that focused on women’s rights in American history. Today, the Honors College’s goal is to develop a broad interdisciplinary curriculum of study that is integrated within several disciplines and departments throughout campus.

Honors College seminar in 1966. Published in Savitar, The MU Yearbook

School of Health Professions was organized as a school within the School of Medicine in 1978, where it remained until 2000 when it gained its independence as an academic unit. Originally, the School of Health Professions enrolled students who already possessed a bachelor’s degree and only offered 5, degree programs: Medical Technology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, and Radiologic Therapy. Today, the School of Health Professions is the University of Missouri’s only school of health professions and the state’s only public health program located on a health sciences campus. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in rehabilitation, diagnostic and imaging sciences public health, and social work in 7 departments: Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences; Health Psychology; Health Sciences; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Public Health; Social Work; and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. As of Spring 2020, health sciences is the most popular major at MU with approximately 3,000 students.

Richard E. Oliver, founding dean of the School of Health Professions. Courtesy of The Mizzou Alumni Association, University of Missouri.

This exhibition is more than just a presentation of facts and figures; it's a celebration of the vibrant academic ecosystem that powers Mizzou. Each college and school plays a vital role in the university’s mission of shaping future leaders, scholars, and professionals. Whether you’re a prospective student curious about the wide array of disciplines offered, or a current student eager to explore other fields of study, this exhibition is for you.

We invite you to visit the display in person at the MU Student Center to delve deeper into the stories, achievements, and legacies of these incredible academic units. There’s so much more to discover, from rare historical photographs to inspiring student and faculty accomplishments that have left an indelible mark on the university and beyond. Come see how Mizzou's Colleges and Schools are not just educating, but shaping the future.

Take a walk through the exhibition and connect with the rich history and vibrant future of Mizzou. You never know, you might just find inspiration for your own journey here at MU!