Howard University

Location and Contact Information

The campus is in a large city.

Overview

Howard University, in the nation's capital, was established in 1867. Shortly after the end of the Civil War, members of the First Congregational Society of Washington, D.C., considering establishing a seminary to educate African-American clergymen. The concept then expanded to found a university.

The 250+-acre school was named after General Oliver G. Howard, a Civil War hero who was both a founder of the university as well as the commissioner of the Freedman's Bureau.

Today Howard is one of only 48 U.S. private, Doctoral Research-extensive universities, comprising 12 schools and colleges in more than 120 areas of study.

Howard University had played a significant role in American history and in the Civil Rights Movement. Presently, the university is a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and is also funded by the Government of the Unites States.

The university offers several degree and certificate programs. The academic units are organized into the following schools and colleges:

• (MS)2 Middle School of Mathematics and Science
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Dentistry
• College of Engineering, Architecture & Computer Sciences
• College of Medicine
• College of Pharmacy, Nursing & Allied Health Sciences
• Howard University Graduate School
• John H. Johnson School of Communications
• School of Business
• School of Divinity
• School of Education
• School of Law
• School of Social Work

Howard is a member of the Consortium of Universities of Washington Metropolitan Area, which offers qualified students the opportunity to enroll in courses in several other area colleges.

Howard University has numerous Greek including the Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta, Phi Beta Sigma, Delta Sigma Theta, and many more. There are also several other prominent Greek letter organizations at the university. Some of these are the Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Phi Omega, Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta Sigma, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Sigma Alpha Iota, and Kappa Kappa Psi.

Among the noted alumni of Howard are Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice; David Dinkins, first African-American Mayor of New York City, and Adrian Fenty, Mayor of D.C.; Mike Espy, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; James L. Farmer, founder of Congress on Racial Equality; Malaack Compton-Rock, creator and manager of Champions of Children's Committee and wife of Chris Rock; Edward Brooke, U.S. Senator; Patricia Bath, first African-American woman doctor to hold a patent for a medical invention; Kenneth Clark, educator, psychologist, who conducted rsearch for Brown vs. Board of Education case; Zora Neale Huston, anthropologist, author; and Toni Morrison, winner of Nobel Prize for Literature.

Highlights (vs. Other Schools)

• Historically black college.
• Many students concentrating in religion and philosophy, drama and performing arts, media, law, therapy and counseling, and medicine.
• High percentage of students are from out-of-state.
• Racially diverse student body.
• Unusually high availability of athletic financial aid.
• Large number of programs of study offered.
• Good faculty-to-student ratio.
• Large number of students.
• High female/male ratio.
• Number of dorm rooms for students.

School characteristics:

• The school is private, not-for-profit.
• Academic calender: Semester.
• Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities, Extensive.

Features of note:

• The school offers a faculty tenure system.
• There is a hospital on campus.
• There are one or more libraries on-campus.
• Campus housing is available.
• Students have meal (board) plans.
• Students may study abroad.
• Distance learning is available.
• Part-time classes are available.
• ROTC.
• Athlete financial aid is awarded.

Similar Schools

Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Howard:

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Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)

Faculty

Tenure (2009-2010):

Students

Howard is a historically black college.

Student enrollment was 10,320 in 2009-2010 (9,386 full-time equivalent).

About 32% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 68% of the class.

Undergrads are 69% of enrolled students, graduate students are 17%, and those seeking first-professional graduate degrees represent 14%.

Students under 25 years old represent 69% of the student body. About 4% of the school is at least 40 years of age.

Among freshmen students, 99% are full-time and 1% are part-time.

Admissions Summary (2009-2010)

SAT Test Scores:

Room and Board

Howard provides on-campus housing for 4,440 of its 9,386 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.

Students may purchase a meal plan which includes 19 meals weekly.

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for major sports.

The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 154 male students received the aid (men were 53% of those receiving aid) and 137 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 47% of students receiving such aid) .

Graduate School Focus

Howard offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Doctorate (Research/Scholarship & Professional Practice).

Graduate offerings include medical degrees.The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Comprehensive Doctoral With Medical/Veterinary.

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING (29 awarded)

• Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)

ART STUDIES (30 awarded)

• Art/Art Studies

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (358 awarded)

• Accounting
• Business Administration and Management
• Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services
• Fashion Merchandising
• Finance
• Insurance
• International Business/Trade/Commerce
• Marketing

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (22 awarded)

• Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
• Computer and Information Systems Security
• Information Science/Studies

DESIGN (24 awarded)

• Fashion/Apparel Design
• Interior Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (31 awarded)

• Dance
• Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
• Theatre/Theatre Arts Management

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (32 awarded)

• Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Educational Administration and Supervision
• Educational Leadership and Administration
• Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Music Teacher Education
• Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
• Reading Teacher Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
• Special Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education/Profess Development, Subject Areas

ENGINEERING (65 awarded)

• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Systems Engineering

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (127 awarded)

• Child Development
• Consumer Economics
• Public Administration
• Social Work

HOSPITALITY (11 awarded)

• Hospitality Administration/Management

LAW (144 awarded)

• Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law (LLM, JSD/SJD)
• Law (LLB, JD)
• Legal Professions and Studies

LIBERAL ARTS (257 awarded)

• African Studies
• African-American/Black Studies
• Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
• Anthropology
• Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics
• Economics
• English Language and Literature
• French Language and Literature
• German Language and Literature
• History
• International Relations and Affairs
• International/Global Studies
• Modern Greek Language and Literature
• Political Science and Government
• Russian Language and Literature
• Sociology
• Spanish Language and Literature
• Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS (11 awarded)

• Mathematics

MEDIA (237 awarded)

• Broadcast Journalism
• Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
• Communication and Media Studies
• Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
• Journalism
• Radio and Television

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION (45 awarded)

• Health and Medical Administrative Services
• Health/Health Care Administration/Management
• Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY (52 awarded)

• Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
• Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
• Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist
• Physician Assistant

MEDICINE (322 awarded)

• Dentistry (DDS, DMD)
• Medicine (MD)
• Pharmaceutics and Drug Design (MS, PhD)
• Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])
• Public Health

MUSIC (13 awarded)

• Music

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE (66 awarded)

• Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (57 awarded)

• Health and Physical Education
• Health and Physical Education/Fitness
• Nutrition Sciences
• Occupational Therapy/Therapist
• Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART (3 awarded)

• Film/Cinema Studies

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (54 awarded)

• Divinity/Ministry (BD, MDiv)
• Philosophy
• Theological and Ministerial Studies
• Theology/Theological Studies

SCIENCE (176 awarded)

• Anatomy
• Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
• Biochemistry
• Biology/Biological Sciences
• Cell Biology and Anatomy
• Chemistry
• Genetics
• Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Physics
• Physiology
• Zoology/Animal Biology

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (13 awarded)

• Criminal Justice/Safety Studies

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (213 awarded)

• Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
• Counseling Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Physical Therapy/Therapist
• Psychology
• School Psychology