Longwood University

We're a public institution in central Virginia, but that only scratches the surface of living and learning as Lancers.Longwood University is an institution of higher learning dedicated to the development of citizen leaders who are prepared to make positive contributions to the common good of society. Building upon its strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, the University provides an environment in which exceptional teaching fosters student learning, scholarship, and achievement. As the only four-year public institution in south central Virginia, Longwood University serves as a catalyst for regional prosperity and advancement.

At Longwood, we are dedicated to educating citizen leaders.As one of the hundred oldest institutions of higher learning in America and the third oldest public university in Virginia, this is a purpose rooted in our founding ideals. It has played a powerful role in the life of my own family through the generations, with so many ties to Longwood.The connection of faculty members with students is distinctive here.We have the highest percentage of courses taught by full-time faculty of any public institution in Virginia.

Our residential campus itself is also so much of what bonds people to Longwood.It is historic – scene of the close of the Civil War at one end, and the beginning of the Civil Rights movement at the other.It is truly beautiful too, as you would expect a campus to be in America’s first two-college town. Downtown Farmville and more broadly Prince Edward County and Hampden-Sydney College are great neighbors.

Most fundamentally, our students are the driving force of Longwood.A walk through campus gives a powerful sense of their energy and enthusiasm, their care for one another, and their pride in the university.The world and free society can seem fraught with challenges – Longwood students, in lives as citizen leaders, will rise to them as has been true from generation to generation.Longwood students hail from every corner of Virginia, across the U.S., and around the world to form a tight-knit, one-of-a-kind community.

Longwood’s historic Jeffersonian architecture, lush quads and fountains are just steps away from Farmville—the oldest two-college town in the country.We know that your degree is an investment—of money, time, and energy. That's why our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to student success.Our students graduate as citizen leaders, ready to continue learning and leading as they move into post-graduate studies and successful careers.

We take pride in our small-school status. Maybe that's why we're one of the Top 10 Public Schools in the South.More than 500 graduate students take their classes full- or part-time, on and off campus. Take for-credit and non-credit professional courses to start your degree in high school, finish it later in life or just to learn something new.

With students from throughout the U.S. and 20+ countries worldwide, Longwood's academically-focused environment is perfect for international students.From your first campus visit to your 50-year reunion, being part of Longwood is about much more than getting a degree. It's new experiences and time-honored traditions. It's a community that becomes family, and a campus that becomes home.

Through significant outreach efforts like cultural immersion trips, social justice leadership summits and the good-natured Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event—in which Longwood men don a pair of high heels and walk to raise awareness about violence toward women—Diversity and Inclusion staff works to build an inclusive intercultural campus environment at Longwood.

More than ten programs throughout the academic year keep our efforts to promote diversity at the forefront. The centerpiece, a four-day commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. day, includes a day of service, protest marches and a regional bus trip.

Whether in a laboratory, along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay or at an excavation of a prehistoric Native American village, Longwood students have access to research opportunities that are rare for undergraduates.At Longwood, every student has the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research—from our signature summer research program PRISM to semester-long projects within classes. Research is a unique aspect of our curriculum that enhances the already robust academic programming.

Around the country, education researchers are homing in on the transformational power of undergraduate research experiences and their ability to shape students and catapult them forward. The data are clear: Research nurtures curiosity, innovation and perseverance—essential skills for success in any graduate program or profession.

We seek to collaborate with all components of the University community to increase awareness, remove barriers, and promote an inclusive environment where students are empowered to be successful learners, self-advocates and citizen leaders.

We strive to create a universally inclusive campus through innovative and individualized practices that foster independent and confident students, informed and engaged faculty and create a collaborative and welcoming campus community for all.

Our General Education program is the heart of the undergraduate academic experience at Longwood University, and prepares students for a lifetime of opportunities and challenges both personal and professional.Designed to give students the opportunity to explore a broad range of academic disciplines and develop a range of skills necessary to engage in active citizenship, achieve professional success and lead an examined life.