Winston-Salem State University

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Founded in 1892, Winston-Salem State University is an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) with more than 120 years of providing quality education that prepares its graduates to be successful before and after graduation. While embracing continuous change, WSSU has remained true to its motto – “Enter to Learn. Depart to Serve.” The university’s vision is to develop graduates who are not only leaders in their professions, but also leaders in their communities.

On a picturesque, 110-acre campus, WSSU students find easy access to their professors, a full campus life of athletics and other extra-curricular activities, a newly opened Student Activities Center and contemporary residence facilities, many of which have become Living-Learning Communities. The school has a 13-to-1 student/faculty ratio and 97 percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students.

Academics

WSSU offers a variety of academic opportunities in the Humanities and Social and Natural Sciences, as well as specialized programs in African and African American Studies, Motorsports/Sports Management, Therapeutic Recreation, Clinical Laboratory Science, Music Business, Healthcare Management, Marketing, Computer Science and Management Information Systems to name a few.

The university offers a variety of foreign languages including Swahili and Portuguese in the department of World Languages and Cultures.

Incoming exchange students may take courses in most undergraduate programs as long as they meet prerequisites. In some cases the department may review an exchange student application before approval. Students wishing to study on exchange in a graduate program will require approval from that graduate program.

The Office of International Programs arranges an academic advisor for incoming exchange students in the appropriate area of study. When planning their course of study students may refer to our university catalogue, which is available online at: http://catalog.wssu.edu/index.php?catoid=13

Location

Located in the heart of the Piedmont region of North Carolina, with mountains to the west and Atlantic coast beaches to the east, Winston-Salem is the City of Arts and Innovation. It provides many of the amenities found in larger cities, but is still small enough to easily navigate with either public or private transportation. The WSSU campus is only a 10-minute bus ride to downtown Winston-Salem, while the historic Old Town area of the city is only a 30-minute walk away.

The campus has an access point to the 7 mile Salem Lake Trail, a multi-use trail suitable for walking, jogging and cycling right on campus, while just a 30-minute drive away are the well-known Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock state parks. Additionally, WSSU is easily accessible by bus to Greensboro and by bus and train to Charlotte and the Raleigh-Durham area. The Piedmont Triad International Airport is only 30 minutes away from campus.

International Student Services and Amenities

All of our international students are welcomed and assisted by the Office of International Programs (OIP). In addition to arranging airport pick up and housing for our incoming exchange students, we take students shopping during their first week on campus to help them get the things they need to settle in. We also provide campus orientations, welcome and farewell parties, and other activities that our exchange and other international students might enjoy.

Students may also want to join the Student International Association (SIA), which also operates out of the Office of International Programs. SIA promotes international awareness on campus and is an excellent venue for international students to meet local students interested in global issues and world cultures, many of who have studied abroad themselves.