What Iowa Is All About

Established in 1847 as Iowa's first public institution of higher education, the University has won international recognition for its wealth of achievements in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Iowa was the first U.S. public university to admit men and women on an equal basis and the first institution of higher education in the nation to accept creative work in theater, writing, music, and art as theses for advanced degrees. It established the first law school and the first educational radio station west of the Mississippi, broadcast the world's first educational television programs, and developed and continues to hold preeminence in educational testing.

The University's research programs in genetics, hydraulics, and speech and hearing are world renowned, as are its innovations in agricultural medicine, biocatalysis, biomedical engineering, biomedical sciences, and pharmacology education. Its graduate programs in audiology, printmaking, creative writing, speech-language pathology, and nursing service administration are first-ranked. A pioneer in space research, Iowa has designed and built research instruments for more than 50 successful U.S. satellites and space probes. It also is the location for the most technically advanced driving simulator in the world.

The University of Iowa has one of the most extensive research library systems in the country and operates one of the nation's most advanced and comprehensive university-owned teaching hospitals.

A member of the select Association of American Universities, an organization of institutions recognized for excellence in research, The University of Iowa maintains a balance between scholarly research and teaching. It places strong emphasis on undergraduate, international, and interdisciplinary education and brings undergraduate, graduate, and professional students together with distinguished teachers and scholars in a close-knit, intellectual community.

Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa: Education for Life

Professional education is provided through the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and the Colleges of Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. The Graduate College provides leadership in development, review, and oversight of graduate programs.

The University's faculty members bring outstanding and diverse backgrounds in research and education to their teaching assignments. Many have been recognized for their accomplishments as teachers and scholars with awards including Fulbright scholarships for teaching and study abroad, Guggenheim Fellowships, MacArthur Fellowships, fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Medal of Science, Pulitzer Prizes, and induction into the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Science, the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Four are Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators--one each in internal medicine, ophthalmology, pediatrics, and molecular physiology and biophysics. In a typical year, 90 percent of Iowa's distinguished faculty members have teaching contact with undergraduate students.

The University reaches out to all segments of society. It seeks applicants who are high achievers and at the same time serves a broad cross section of students. More than 28,000 students enroll at Iowa during fall and spring semesters. Some 64 percent come from Iowa, 21 percent from adjoining states, and 8 percent from the remaining states. International students from 106 countries make up 7 percent of the University's enrollment.

Wealth and Diversity of Programs, Resources

The University of Iowa Health Sciences Campus, one of the most advanced and comprehensive health centers in the United States, plays a major role in the preparation of health professionals for Iowa and the nation. The campus encompasses academic programs, clinical facilities, and service agencies that prepare students and practitioners to serve human health needs and develop new knowledge about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and the delivery of health care.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is widely recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States. It also is one of the nation's largest university-owned teaching hospitals. Its highly trained specialists use the most advanced knowledge and sophisticated medical technology to treat patients from Iowa and around the world. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics also serves as a resource for community hospitals and health professionals throughout the state, participates in outreach programs to rural Iowans, and attracts millions of visitors to its innovative Virtual Hospital web site.

In athletics, the Iowa Hawkeyes enjoy national recognition and enduring fan loyalty as leaders in football, men's and women's basketball, wrestling, field hockey, softball, swimming, gymnastics, and women's rowing. A member of the Big Ten athletic conference, Iowa offers 12 intercollegiate sports for women and 10 for men. For students not on the intercollegiate teams, the University offers a broad choice of intramural teams and other recreational activities.

The University's 1,900-acre campus, located on the Iowa River, includes more than 119 major buildings, most within walking distance of each other.

The central landmark of the campus is Old Capitol, which served from 1842 until 1846 as the last capitol building for Iowa's territorial government. It then housed the legislature and government offices for the state of Iowa until 1857, when state government moved to Des Moines. Built in Greek revival style during the early 1840s, Old Capitol was restored as a National Historic Landmark and opened to the public in 1976.

A major attraction and educational facility at the University is Iowa Hall, a 6,000-square-foot gallery in the Museum of Natural History in Macbride Hall that presents life-like exhibits of scenes from Iowa's four billion years of natural history. The museum itself houses more than one million specimens of plant and animal life.

In addition to the Iowa City campus, there are University research and field study facilities at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area north of Iowa City and at the Lakeside Laboratory on Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa. The University's nearby Oakdale Research Campus includes the Technology Innovation Center, the University's business incubator, and the Oakdale Research Park.

Iowa City

Iowa City and neighboring Coralville are home to 80,000 people. The communities lie within 300 miles of Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. The cities are accessible from major highways, by major bus lines, and by airlines serving the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids.