Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
| Motto | Per veritatem vis (Strength through truth) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1853 |
| School type | Private |
| Chancellor | Mark S. Wrighton |
| Location | St. Louis, MO, USA |
| Enrollment | 7,188 undergraduate, 5,832 graduate |
| Faculty | 2,911 |
| Endowment | US$3.5 billion |
| Campus | Suburban, 169 acres (0.68 km²) |
| Website | www.wustl.edu |
</div> </div>
Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL, Wash. U.) is a private research university 15 minutes west of downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It includes schools of arts & sciences, law, business, medicine, social work, art, architecture, and engineering. In the 2004 U.S. News & World Report rankings, its undergraduate program was tied for ninth in the nation; in the 2005 list, it was ranked 11th. WUSTL's medical and social work schools are both ranked second in the nation. Tuition for both in-state and out-of-state undergraduates is $38,739.00.
Washington University was founded as a nonsectarian, private institution in 1853 by the Unitarian minister William Greenleaf Eliot, grandfather of the Nobel Prize laureate poet T. S. Eliot, and by St. Louis leader Wayman Crow.
The current Chancellor of the University is Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, a Caltech-trained chemist who was formerly provost at MIT.
Overview
The university's original name at the time of foundation was "Eliot Seminary." The name was a tribute to St. Louis minister/teacher William Greenleaf Eliot. Eliot, however, was not in favor of the name, and in 1854, the Board of Trustees recommended changing the name to "Washington Institute in St. Louis." In 1857, the name was modified to simply "Washington University." Often confused with the other twenty-odd institutions sharing the Washington name in their titles, the university again changed its name in 1976, adding the "in St. Louis" suffix to distinguish it.
Campus
The university's Hilltop campus is known for its gorgeous collegiate Gothic architecture. Its construction was accelerated through a lease of several buildings to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Thanks to the efforts and influence of David R. Francis, an alumnus and former mayor of St. Louis, Missouri governor, and Interior Secretary, newly-constructed buildings on the edge of Forest Park became the heart of Hilltop campus when the Fair was over. This included facilities used by the six-day 1904 Summer Olympics, such as Francis Field and Francis Gymnasium [1] (http://magazine.wustl.edu/Summer04/AGloriousWorld%27sFair-np.htm). The campus is close to the St. Louis Loop.
Since 1995, more than 25 new buildings have been erected.
The campus was the venue for 3 Presidential debates, the first 1992 Presidential debate on October 11, 1992, the third 2000 Presidential debate on October 17, 2000, and the second 2004 Presidential debate on October 8, 2004. It was also scheduled to host one in 1996, but that debate was cancelled when the two candidates chose not to participate.
Athletics
WUSTL's sports teams are called the Bears. They participate in the University Athletic Association, an NCAA Division III conference. They were the NCAA Division III champions in women's basketball four years in a row, 1998-2001, and women's volleyball eight times, 1989, 1991-1996, and 2003.
Schools
School of Law
The law school offers a full-time, day program beginning in August for J.D in a state-of-the-art building, Anheuser-Busch Hall (opened in 1997). The building combines traditional architecture, a five-story open-stacks library, and the latest wireless and other technologies. National Jurist ranked Washington University 4th among the "25 Most Wired Law Schools." The School of Law offers eight joint-degree programs, including JD/MSW, JD/East Asian Studies, and JD/MBA programs. The law school offers 3 semesters of courses in the Spring, Summer, and Fall, and requires at least 87 hours of coursework for graduation. Tuition for the 2004-05 academic year is $32,590 divided into fall and spring payments. The average undergraduate grade point average is 3.6 and LSAT is 164 for the 2003-2004 school year.
Olin School of Business
The John M. Olin School of Business is located in the heart of the Midwest, historic city St. Louis. Olin has been ranked in the Top 30 US MBA programs by BusinessWeek for years. As one of the country's leading research-oriented business schools, Olin attracts top faculty and students from all over the world.
Olin School of Business was founded in 1917. The school was named after the entrepreneur John M. Olin in 1988. As one of the leading business schools in United States, Olin obtained its reputation from strong research-oriented achievements and competitive graduates. The school provides degree programs in BSBA, MBA, EMBA, and part-time programs in MBA and PHD degrees. In 2002, an Executive MBA program was established in Shanghai, in cooperation with Fudan University.
Olin has a network of about 13,000 alumni all over the world. Over the last several years, the school’s endowment increased to average $12 million per year. Due to a donation from John M. Olin, Simon Hall was opened in 1986.
The flexible course arrangement is a factor attracting potential students. Undergraduates who pursue accounting concentration can choose a five-year Master of Science program which is seeking CI certification in school. Graduate students can select electives from other areas in Washington University such as Medical School and Law School.
School of Medicine
The School of Medicine is ranked the #2 medical school in country according to U.S. News & World Report, behind Harvard University and ahead of Johns Hopkins University.
The medical school partners with St. Louis Children's Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital (part of BJC HealthCare (http://www.bjc.org)), where all physicians are members of the school's faculty.
George Warren Brown School of Social Work
The George Warren Brown School of Social Work (commonly called GWB) is currently ranked #2 among Master of Social Work (MSW) programs in the United States. GWB also offers a Ph.D. in Social Work, in cooperation with the Graduate School. The school is named for George Warren Brown, a St. Louis shoe manufacturing magnate and philanthropist. The school was led by Dr. Shanti K. Khinduka from 1968 to 2003, who greatly expanded the school's international appeal, including cooperative agreements with universities in Central Asia through the Open Society Institute established by George Soros. It also has a center for Native American research.
School of Engineering and Applied Science
The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) was ranked 36th in the 2005 U.S. News undergraduate engineering program ratings.
Well Known Alumni
Official websites
- University (http://www.wustl.edu/)
- School of Law (http://law.wustl.edu/)
- School of Medicine (http://medschool.wustl.edu/)
- School of Business (http://www.olin.wustl.edu/)
- School of Social Work (http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/)
- School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (http://www.seas.wustl.edu/)
- School of Arts & Sciences (http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/)
- School of Art (http://art.wustl.edu/)
- School of Architecture (http://www.arch.wustl.edu/)