University Definition, Origin, History, & Facts

Here, you’ll discover your people, begin new adventures, explore fascinating ideas, and find your inspiration. Iowa’s unmatched writing-related resources prepare its graduates for success in many fields. This level of excellence positions Iowa as the best public university for writing and communication. USC President Carol Folt’s moonshot initiatives aim to make USC the international standard-bearer for preeminence at scale, building on the convergence between the opportunities and challenges faced by our world and USC’s unique strengths as a big, great, fast and connected university.

At UCF, we offer an array of academic options for just about every interest. Check out our 240+ degree programs, award-winning faculty and groundbreaking research. You’ll quickly discover all there is to experience and get inspired by at one of the nation’s largest universities. At Arizona State University, you'll join a community that will help you explore your interests and learn new skills. Through quality academics, enrichment opportunities and support from friends and faculty, you'll graduate prepared to accomplish your goals throughout your life.

The modern Western mashreq university evolved from the medieval schools known as studia generalia; they were generally recognized places of study open to students from all parts of Europe. The earliest studia arose out of efforts to educate clerks and monks beyond the level of the cathedral and monastic schools. The inclusion of scholars from foreign countries constituted the primary difference between the studia and the schools from which they grew. Some say college graduates make more money and jobs increasingly require college degrees.

University of South Florida names College of Public Health building after Samuel P.

The first documentary evidence of this comes from early in the life of the University of Bologna, which adopted an academic charter, the Constitutio Habita,[18] in 1155 or 1158,[19] which guaranteed the right of a traveling scholar to unhindered passage in the interests of education. Today this is claimed as the origin of "academic freedom".[20] This is now widely recognised internationally. On 18 September 1988, 430 university rectors signed the Magna Charta Universitatum,[21] marking the 900th anniversary of Bologna's foundation. The number of universities signing the Magna Charta Universitatum continues to grow, drawing from all parts of the world.

Maryland touts 800-plus student organizations, dozens of prestigious living and learning communities, and countless other ways to get involved. Students here can create a unique identity and grow as individuals, even as they’re part of a close-knit and diverse community. The one that got you excited about learning and what you wanted to do with your life? Imagine a campus where most of your college experiences were that inspiring and enabled you to Do Good.

Academics

Dozens of organizations trust ASU to train their future workers for high-growth industries including advanced manufacturing, advanced communication technologies, cybersecurity, augmented intelligence, robotics, digital media, virtual reality, big data and sustainability. ASU students in the Interplanetary Initiative’s Technological Leadership program will conduct research and work on initiatives that could shape our future in space. Assuming fundamental responsibility for the communities it serves, ASU's Learning Enterprise aims to serve all learners at every stage of life by providing high quality, accessible and affordable learning opportunities to everyone. ASU ranks in the top 10 in the world for patents granted to universities, joining MIT, Stanford and Harvard as a university advancing discovery at a world-leading pace. One that unites knowledge and ideas, ambition and imagination, hard work and joy.

Chicago is not only in our name, it’s woven into the fabric of this institution. Located in the Hyde Park neighborhood, we benefit from the diversity, arts, and vibrant culture of our South Side community. UChicago researchers have contributed to some of the world’s greatest discoveries, advancements, and bodies of knowledge. UChicago students develop the habits of mind and intellectual skills needed to confront complex challenges.

They might or might not have the power to award PhD degrees, depending on the respective government legislation. If they award PhD degrees, their rank is considered equivalent to that of universities proper (Universität), if not, their rank is equivalent to universities of applied sciences. The University of Maryland is one of the world’s premier research institutions. We strive to discover new knowledge and put it to work through innovation and entrepreneurship, advancing economic development and transforming lives. The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities.

The first modern university in Europe was that of Halle, founded by Lutherans in 1694. This school was one of the first to renounce religious orthodoxy of any kind in favour of rational and objective intellectual inquiry, and it was the first where teachers lectured in German (i.e., a vernacular language) rather than in Latin. Halle’s innovations were adopted by the University of Göttingen (founded 1737) a generation later and subsequently by most German and many American universities. It encompasses residence halls and dining halls, clubs and sports, fraternities and sororities, campus events and performances, and countless off-campus destinations.