The University of Missouri, commonly referred to as Mizzou or simply as MU, is a public land-grant research university located in Columbia, Missouri. The University of Missouri is the flagship campus of the University of Missouri System, and the university also maintains campuses in Rolla, Kansas City, and St. Louis.
Mizzou was originally founded in 1839 and was the first public institution of postsecondary education located west of the Mississippi River. The school was established when the Missouri Legislature passed the Geyer Act, an act that established funding for a state-run university. To ensure that the campus was built in Columbia, the citizens of the town and Boone County pledged a total of $117,921 in cash and land, beating out five other potential central-Missouri counties. MU was given the designation as a land-grant university in 1870 under the Morrill Act of 1862, which led to the founding of the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy as an offshoot of the university’s main campus.
The University of Missouri has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a school with very high research activity. The college is also one of only 119 schools to receive the the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a designation given to schools with exceptional community engagement. Additionally, the university is one of 34 public universities belonging to the Association of American Universities. This international organization is comprised of leading research universities that are devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. The school operates the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center, the most powerful university research reactor in the world. Interestingly, MU is one of only six public universities located within the United States that has schools of medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering, agriculture and law all located on a single campus.
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University of Missouri Tuition
Currently, the estimated tuition fee (not including housing) for both resident and non-resident students is $13,264 per year.
Sights to Enjoy Near the University of Missouri
The area of Columbia holds many must-visit spots for attending Mizzou students and area visitors to enjoy. Two such spots are:
- The Museum of Art and Archaeology:The Museum of Art and Archaeology is the art museum of the University of Missouri. It’s open to the public and there are no admission fees. The museum’s five galleries have more than 14,000 works of art and archaeological objects permanently on display and many more temporary displays which are on loan from other art institutes and private collections. The collections represent many time periods and cultures, with pieces of Greek, Roman and Near Eastern artworks having the strongest representation throughout the galleries.
- The Missouri Theatre:The Missouri Theatre is a concert and entertainment venue which is home to the Missouri Symphony Orchestra. The theatre also hosts multiple arts education programs and events and organizations, such as the MOSS Youth Orchestra, the MOSS Children’s Choir, the Plowman Chamber Music Competition and the True/False Film Festival. The theater opened in 1928 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The University of Missouri took over ownership of the theater in 2014 and it has been commonly used by Mizzou students ever since.
University of Missouri Degree Programs:
Mizzou has over 300 majors, minors, graduate programs, and certificates to choose from. The school also offers a vast selection of online programs for students who would like a remote learning experience. We won’t list every available program, but we will give you a sneak peak of some of the most popular options in this next section.
Undergraduate Minors at University of Missouri (Partial List)
Students who want to pursue a secondary academic discipline can choose from a massive selection of minors. Here are a few of the more popular choices:
- Accountancy, Minor
- Aerospace Engineering, Minor
- Agribusiness Management, Minor
- American Constitutional Democracy, Minor
- Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Minor
- Animal Sciences, Minor
- Architectural Studies, Minor
- Art, Minor
- Astronomy, Minor
- Biological Sciences, Minor
- Black Studies, Minor
- Business, Minor
- Canadian Studies, Minor
- Captive Wild Animal Management, Minor
- Chinese Studies, Minor
- Computational Neuroscience, Minor
- Computer Science, Minor
- Construction Management, Minor
- Creative Writing, Minor
- Engineering, Minor
- Environmental Sciences, Minor
- Food Science and Nutrition, Minor
- Forestry, Minor
- Jazz Studies, Minor
- Journalism, Minor
- Leadership and Public Service, Minor
- Mathematics, Minor
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Minor
- Microbiology, Minor
- Music, Minor
- Native American and Indigenous Studies, Minor
- Nuclear Engineering, Minor
- Peace Studies, Minor
- Philosophy, Minor
- Plant Sciences, Minor
- Political Science, Minor
- Social Justice, Minor
Undergraduate Majors at University of Missouri (Partial List)
Mizzou students can select from among a huge list of majors, many of which can also be completed remotely:
- Agribusiness Management, BS
- Agricultural Education, BS
- Agricultural Systems Technology, BS
- Animal Sciences, BS
- Anthropology, BA
- Architectural Studies, BS
- Architectural Studies (Interior Design), BS
- Art, BA
- Biochemistry, BS
- Biological Sciences, BS
- Biomedical Engineering, BS
- Business Administration, BSBA
- Chemistry, BA
- Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, BHS
- Communication, BA
- Computer Science, BS
- Constitutional Democracy, BA
- Digital Storytelling, BA
- Economics, BA
- Electrical Engineering, BSEE
- English, BA
- Environmental Sciences, BS
- Film Studies, BA
- Food Science and Nutrition, BS
- Geography, BA
- Geological Sciences, BA
- German, BA
- Health Science, BHS
- History, BA
- Hospitality Management, BS
- Human Development and Family Science, BS
- Interdisciplinary (Black Studies), BA
- Interdisciplinary (Environmental Studies), BA
- Interdisciplinary (Peace Studies), BA
- Interdisciplinary (Women’s and Gender Studies), BA
- Journalism, BJ
- Linguistics, BA
- Mathematics, BS
- Microbiology, BS
- Middle School Education, BSEd
- Music, BA
- Natural Resources Science and Management, BS
- Nursing, BSN
- Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, BS
- Parks, Recreation and Sport, BS
- Personal Financial Planning, BS
- Physics, BA
- Plant Sciences, BS
- Political Science, BA
- Psychology, BA
- Public Health, BHS
- Romance Languages, BA
- Secondary Education, BSEd
- Social Work, BSW
- Special Education, BSEd
- Statistics, BA
- Theatre, BA
See also: Outcomes: Choosing a Major
Graduate Programs at University of Missouri (Partial List)
At the Graduate School at the University of Missouri, students who want to pursue a master’s degree can choose from a wide range of programs. A few of these include:
- Academic Medicine
- Accountancy
- Business Administration
- Agricultural and Applied Economics
- American Law
- Animal Sciences
- Anthropology
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Applied Mathematics
- Architectural Studies
- Biological Engineering
- Biomedical Sciences
- Nursing
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Data Science and Analytics
- Dietetics
- Dispute Resolution
- Economics
- Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis
- Exercise Physiology
- Geography
- Health Informatics
- Journalism
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Medical Pharmacology and Physiology
- Music Education
- Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
- Neuroscience
- Physics & Astronomy
- Political Science
- Public Health
- Special Education
- Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
- Textile and Apparel Management
- Theatre
You might also like: MASTERED: The Most Lucrative Online Graduate Degree Programs
100 Percent Online Degrees at Mizzou
For those who want to attend the University of Missouri online, the school has plenty of options for remote learning. There are nearly 30 full-remote graduate programs, three doctoral programs, and over 50 certificate programs that do not require students to be physically present on campus.
Additionally, those who want to get their bachelor’s degree online from Mizzou can select from the following options:
- Business administration
- Communication
- Early childhood education
- Educational studies
- English
- Fitness programming and management
- General studies
- Health science
- Information technology
- Interdisciplinary studies
- Nursing (RN to BSN)
- Psychology
- Public health
- Radiography
- Respiratory therapy
- Sociology
Mizzou Football
Here’s a fun fact: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes the University of Missouri as the school that first established Homecoming, an annual tradition in the US. The event was born In 1891 when the Missouri Tigers faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks for the first time. Alumni were invited to come to watch the game, along with attending a bonfire rally and going to a parade. This “homecoming” was a huge success, with nearly 10,000 former students coming home to Missouri to attend (no small feat in 1891).
The Missouri Tigers have appeared in 33 bowl games, and they belong to the Southeast Conference. The home games are played in Columbia at Faurot Field, also known as “The Zou.” The current Head Coach is Eli Drinkwitz.
What Makes University of Missouri Unique: David R. Francis Quadrangle
David R. Francis Quadrangle is the historic center of the University of Missouri’s main campus. The Quadrangle–which is just referred to as The Quad–is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features eighteen buildings that are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Quad and five buildings are some of the best surviving examples of the work of famed architect Morris Frederick Bell. Thomas Jefferson’s original tombstone stands on the east side of The Quad, having been a gift to the university from Thomas Jefferson’s heirs in 1883 due to the university being the first to be founded within Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase. The Quad also features many prominent buildings such as the Memorial Union, Switzler Hall, and Jesse Hall.
Other University of Missouri Facts:
Some notable University of Missouri alumni includes:
- Stephen Morehouse Avery – screenwriter
- Brad Pitt – actor
- George C. Scott – actor
- James T. Blair, Jr. – former Missouri Governor
- Lieutenant Stephen W. Thompson – the first person in the United States military history to shoot down an enemy aircraft
Some notable current and past University of Missouri faculty members include:
- Albert Lewin – film director and producer
- George Caleb Bingham – artist
- William Duane Benton – federal judge
- James William Abert – explorer in charge of the detachment that mapped the Canadian River
- Edgar Allen – anatomist and physiologist; discovered estrogen
University of Missouri’s Website: https://missouri.edu/
University of Missouri’s Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
University of Missouri’s Values and Mission Statement: https://missouri.edu/about/mission.php
University of Missouri’s Motto: Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto – “Let the Welfare of the People be the Supreme Law”
University of Missouri’s Mascot: Truman the Tiger
University of Missouri’s Colors: Black and MU Gold
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