Elizabeth City State University

As a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina System, Elizabeth City State University offers baccalaureate, professional, and master's degrees for a diverse student body. Our mission is to promote economic, social, and environmental progress for the people of northeastern North Carolina, the state, and the nation.

We achieve our commitment to the highest quality education by maintaining a rigorous focus on academic excellence through liberal arts programs and using innovative and flexible technology-based instruction models to enhance our signature areas: integrating technology with education, improving human health and wellness, and advancing the natural and aviation sciences.

Through teaching, research, and community engagement, the institution's rich heritage and its current multicultural student-centered focus provide a firm foundation for its endeavors. It serves the needs and aspirations of individuals and society; producing graduates for leadership roles and life-long learning.

ECSU, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, will be the premier public institution serving northeastern North Carolina, providing affordable academic programs and services of exceptional caliber in a nurturing environment. The university will attract and retain a diverse and highly qualified faculty that will educate and lead our students to become productive members of a global and increasingly interdependent society. ECSU will continue to be a leading partner in enhancing educational and cultural opportunities and improving the economic strength in the region.

Elizabeth City State University has been and is an important academic and cultural center for northeast North Carolina and the region. A constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system, ECSU is committed to fulfilling our mission of serving as a valuable resource for building the state's intellectual capital through teaching, research and community outreach.

We are proud of our strong academic programs. ECSU offers 24 baccalaureate degrees and four master's degrees in ten academic departments-Business & Economics; Health & Physical Education; Helen M. Caldwell Department of Education & Psychology; Language, Literature & Communication; Herman G. Cooke Department of Natural Sciences; Mathematics & Computer Science; Pharmacy & Health Professions; Social & Behavioral Sciences; Technology and Visual & Performing Arts. The University has programs that appeal to various interests and fields of study, including the honors program, military science, study abroad and Viking Fellows for education majors.

Our students are exposed to exciting research opportunities that extend their learning beyond textbooks and classrooms.Learning is enhanced by innovative instructional and informational technology. Students may also take advantage of specialized academic support programs. Several of our academic and research initiatives such as the Drug Information Center afford students with opportunities for community service.

The University provides an academically rigorous, stimulating learning environment and a faculty committed to the education of each student. Between 1999 and 2016, ECSU repeatedly earned national acclaim in U.S. News and World Report Magazine's ranking of best colleges in the south. For the four consecutive years, Washington Monthly's (2012-2015 college issue) ranked ECSU #1 among baccalaureate colleges.

ECSU Distance Education: Distance Education at Elizabeth City State University offers students the option to achieve educational goals without attending traditional on-campus classes. Elizabeth City State University offers courses both at off-campus sites and online. Online courses afford students the opportunity to access their courses anytime and anywhere via the Internet. ECSU faculty participate in extensive professional development to enable them to develop and teach online courses. Online courses are equivalent to in class courses for the exception of the primary delivery method, the Internet. All online courses are taught using the Blackboard course management system. A course management system allows each student a unique login access to their courses.

For the purposes of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission's accreditation review, distance education is a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction (interaction between students and instructors and among students) in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place.

Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. A distance education course may use the internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVD's, and CDROMs if used as part of the distance learning course or program.

The Distance Education program supports and encourages collaborative efforts involving faculty, staff, and administrators, working to serve as a model for change and growth at ECSU via distance education delivery methods.Distance education at Elizabeth City State University extends availability and access to convenient course offerings to students who are isolated from campus due to time and/or geographic location, utilizing existing, new, and emerging technological strategies.

Our goal in graduate education is to ensure academic excellence for each graduate student by providing relevant educational and research experiences. Faculty and staff are eager to serve and prepare students for their chosen career or profession.

At ECSU graduate education is characterized by small classes and personal interactions conducive to the pursuit of individualized goal attainment. Students and faculty work side-by-side to study and investigate important topics and relevant issues. Within the university environment, students have the freedom to seek new knowledge through innovative research and discovery.

Take a moment to peruse our website and learn more about our degree programs which include: Master of Education in Elementary Education; Master of School Administration; Master of Science in Biology with concentrations in Applied Biology and Education leading to "M" licensure; and Master of Science in Mathematics with concentrations in Applied Mathematics, Community College Teaching, Remote Sensing, and Education leading to "M" licensure.