University of Georgia

The University of Georgia, a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities, is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education. Its motto, “to teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things,” reflects the University’s integral and unique role in the conservation and enhancement of the state’s and nation’s intellectual, cultural, and environmental heritage. With its statewide mission and core characteristics, the University of Georgia endeavors to prepare the University community and the state for full participation in the global society of the twenty-first century. Through its programs and practices, it seeks to foster the understanding of and respect for cultural differences necessary for an enlightened and educated citizenry. It further provides for cultural, ethnic, gender, and racial diversity in the faculty, staff, and student body. The University is committed to preparing the University community to appreciate the critical importance of a quality environment to an interdependent global society.

As a comprehensive land-grant and sea-grant institution, the University of Georgia offers baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees in the arts, humanities, social sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, agricultural and environmental sciences, business, ecology, engineering, environmental design, family and consumer sciences, forest resources, journalism and mass communication, education, law, pharmacy, public health, social work, and veterinary medicine. The university is also home to the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership.

The University attracts students nationally and internationally as well as from within Georgia. It offers the state’s broadest array of possibilities in graduate and professional education, and thus a large minority of the student body is post-baccalaureate. The predominantly Georgian undergraduate student body is a mix of highly qualified students originally admitted as freshmen and selected transfer students principally from other University System institutions.

With original scholarship, basic and applied research, and creative activities constituting an essential core from which to draw, the impact of the land-grant and sea-grant mission is reflected throughout the state. Cooperative extension, continuing education, public service, experiment stations, and technology transfer are all designed to enhance the well-being of the citizens of Georgia through their roles in economic, social, and community development.

As it has been historically, the University of Georgia is responsive to the evolution of the state’s educational, social, and economic needs. It aspires through its strategic planning to even closer contact and interaction with public and private institutions throughout the state as well as with the citizens it serves.

Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America — launching our nation’s great tradition of world-class public education. What began as a commitment to inspire the next generation grows stronger today through global research, hands-on learning and extensive outreach. A top value in public higher education and research, the University of Georgia tackles some of the world’s grand challenges, from combating infectious disease and creating a dependable food supply to advancing economic growth and strengthening cyber and global security.

As Georgia’s flagship institution, the university is recognized for its commitment to student excellence through an emphasis on rigorous learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom, including hands-on research and leadership opportunities. These experiences contribute to the university’s exceptional rates in retention, graduation and career placement. Among public universities, the University of Georgia has been one of the nation’s top three producers of Rhodes Scholars over the past two decades, and its honors program is ranked as one of the top 10 in the country. The university is also home to the Peabody Awards, the most prestigious prize in electronic media.

Scholars at the University of Georgia are committed to improving quality of life for all and are leaders in pivotal fields, such as vaccine development, regenerative medicine, plant sciences and more. One of the nation’s top universities for technology commercialization and licensing income, University of Georgia research has resulted in nearly 700 commercial products reaching the marketplace.

With its comprehensive reach, the university’s 17 colleges and schools enroll more than 37,000 students and have produced over 315,000 alumni living worldwide. The University of Georgia’s initiatives extend globally while touching every corner of the state, realizing the university’s land- and sea-grant missions. The university’s eight Public Service and Outreach units, which are among the strongest in the nation, help create jobs, develop leaders and address critical challenges. Research, outreach and extension serve as major drivers of economic and workforce development and spark successful partnerships that create new businesses and train the workforce of tomorrow.

The university’s threefold teaching, research and service mission spans the globe with campuses in five Georgia locations, Washington, D.C., England, Costa Rica and Italy, as well as partnerships in more than 50 countries on six continents.

Located in the Classic City of Athens, approximately an hour northeast of Atlanta, the university thrives in a community that combines a culture-rich college town with a strong economic center. The campus is home to nearly 800 registered student and service organizations. The university’s athletic programs — 21 varsity athletic teams competing as the Georgia Bulldogs — are among the most successful in NCAA Division I, and its English bulldog mascot, Uga, consistently ranks as one of the nation’s most recognizable mascots.At the University of Georgia, it’s more than a mission. It’s a commitment we make to our students, the state of Georgia and the world.