Department of Political Science University of Missouri-Columbia College of Arts and Science

History of The University of Missouri

Established in 1839, MU is the oldest public university west of the Mississippi River. It is also the flagship campus of the University of Missouri System, which includes campuses in Kansas City, Rolla, and St. Louis. MU is located about thirty minutes from the state capital and is midway between the state's two large urban centers.

The University of Missouri-Columbia is a truly comprehensive university. In addition to a large and diverse College of Arts and Science, the University includes schools of Journalism, Law, Public Affairs, Business, Agriculture, Medicine, Engineering, Education, and others.

Recently, US News and World Report rated the University of Missouri as one of the best educational buys in the nation. MU is the only Carnegie Category I Research University in Missouri, and one of only 70 such research universities from among 3,400 universities in the United States. As such, it is comprehensive in the number and variety of programs it offers, and extensive in the research facilities it provides in respect to libraries, laboratories, computers, and doctoral faculty.