NC Central University
Helpful Links:
Homepage: http://www.nccu.edu/
Office of International Affairs: http://www.nccu.edu/academics/resources/oia/index.cfm
College Portrait: http://www.nccu.edu/discover/index.cfm
North Carolina Central University provides a vibrant and diverse setting for academic study on an attractive 135-acre campus near downtown Durham. The campus is easily accessible via Interstates 40 and 85 as well as the nearby Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Founded in 1910 as a private college, NCCU later became part of the University of North Carolina system and the first state-supported liberal arts college for African Americans. The university is one of the nation’s leading historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). NCCU maintains a strong liberal arts tradition and is dedicated to nurturing academic excellence in a diverse educational and cultural environment. International degree-seeking students, exchange students, and faculty come to NCCU from approximately 35 countries. The university maintains a strong tradition of outstanding teaching and research in its eight schools and colleges.
NCCU, home of the Eagles, has approximately 8,300 undergraduate and graduate students, and offers 77 academic degrees, with graduate programs in education, arts and sciences, business, social sciences, law and more. The student-to-instructor ratio is 15:1, and 40 percent of all classes have fewer than 20 students. The university’s mission is to prepare students academically and professionally to become leaders who can advance the consciousness of social responsibility in a diverse, global society. True to its motto of “Truth and Service,” NCCU was the first state-supported university in North Carolina to require community service for graduation.
Hands-on learning is also central to the university’s tradition. NCCU’s School of Law has been named one of the top five in the United States for providing clinical experience to students. Students have opportunities through the university’s Biotechnology Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) to collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in nearby Research Triangle Park.
The city of Durham, adjacent to the cities of Chapel Hill and Raleigh, is a creative hub, with flourishing neighborhoods and a thriving commercial district. The city has art and science museums, a downtown entertainment complex, and hosts more than 40 annual festivals. The historic American Tobacco Campus, less than two miles from NCCU, has restaurants, shops and other businesses, as well as a new stadium for the famous Durham Bulls baseball team.