A Strong Tradition...A Dynamic Future

"Headquartered in the heart of an emerging cultural and economic center of Michigan, Central Michigan University will achieve national recognition as a vigorous and diverse learning community of scholars and leaders focused on improving the quality of life in Michigan and beyond." - Central Michigan University Vision Statement

Central Michigan University's emergence as one of the nation's largest doctoral-level universities evolved from humble beginnings. Central Michigan Normal School was founded in 1892 with only 31 students in attendance. CMU has since grown into a modern, world-class Midwestern university with modern facilities and technology, comprehensive academic programs and a focus on preparing students for life and work in the 21st century.

CMU is classified as a "doctoral/research" university, a prestigious distinction granted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to less than 7 percent of the more than 3,800 higher education institutions in the nation. With a strong emphasis on professional preparation, CMU is home to more than 200 modern academic programs that place graduates in great demand throughout Michigan and beyond. Central Michigan University is now one of the 77 largest universities in the United States.

CMU's reputation for academic excellence attracts students from every county in Michigan in addition to several states and many countries. Entering freshman have GPAs and ACT scores among the highest in the nation. CMU offers career-oriented programs, an accommodating size and a friendly campus environment.

More students than ever before are enrolled at CMU. The university’s 2005 enrollment of 27,452 includes 19,917 on-campus students and 7,535 students enrolled at more than 70 off-campus sites. Nearly 500 international students, an all-time high for CMU, are attending classes on the Mount Pleasant campus.

CMU's College of Extended Learning is one of the nation's leading and largest providers of off-campus degree programs to working adults. CMU hosts sites at more than 70 locations in 20 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico.

CMU is recognized annually by Black Issues in Higher Education magazine for conferring hundreds of masters degrees to minorities. CMU is second in the nation in awarding advanced degrees to African Americans. Many of these graduates pursue off-campus programs in metro Detroit.

Many of CMU's more than 900 faculty are noted for their research and creative activity. For example, Ed Hinck, who directs CMU's nationally award-winning debate and forensics teams, is pioneering an innovative program that teaches public speaking and debate skills to prison inmates to prepare them for life after incarceration. Historian Eric Johnson is the author of a book on "Nazi Terror" that has received international attention and positive reviews worldwide. The music of David Gillingham, recipient of numerous national composition awards, has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Japan to critical acclaim. He has received CMU's Provost Award for outstanding faculty research.

CMU offers a complete menu of 150 fields of study for undergraduates and more than 100 for graduate students, including nationally known programs in communication disorders, the health professions, psychology, the sciences, business, education, the humanities and the fine arts. CMU continues to add and adapt programs to match career opportunities.

CMU students prepare for modern careers through personal involvement and real-world learning experiences. Nearly 50 percent of students complete internships or cooperative work experiences, and many become active in more than 220 on-campus student and professional organizations. CMU's career and graduate school placement rates are among the highest in the state.

CMU supports its programs with state-of-the-art facilities for music, science, business, engineering technology and student recreation. An expanded football stadium and new athletic training facility enhance the university's NCAA Division I-A athletic programs, and a new information-age library, opened in 2002 that expands worldwide learning resources.

The new health professions building completed in 2003, houses some of the some of the university's most noted programs, including three graduate programs that rank in the top 100 nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report - audiology, speech-language pathology and physician assistant studies.

CMU's Public Broadcasting Service is the largest university-operated network in the country, with seven radio and six television station signals reaching much of Michigan.

CMU student-athletes have captured four straight Mid-American Conference Academic Achievement Awards. The award is given to the MAC school with the highest grade point average among its student-athletes. Nearly 400 Chippewa student-athletes had a 3.07 cumulative average for 1999-2000.

Prominent CMU alumni include Guy Gordon, news anchor for WXYZ-TV in Detroit; John Wharton, athletic trainer for the Detroit Red Wings; Sandy Petykiewicz, publisher of the Jackson Citizen-Patriot; Brett Holey, director of NBC Nightly News; actor Jeff Daniels; Jeffrey Caponigro, president and CEO of Caponigro Public Relations in Southfield; and Gail Torreano, president of Ameritech in Michigan.

Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Dick Enberg earned his bachelor's degree at CMU and still considers it his top choice: "If I had to do it all over again," he says, "I would go back to CMU."

Robert Griffin, a 1947 graduate, is a former member of the U.S. House and Senate and Michigan Supreme Court. Marjorie Anderson Griffin was valedictorian of Central's 1944 graduating class. The political science department has established the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government in their honor.

For more information on Central Michigan University, visit www.cmich.edu.