Welcome to the University of Houston-Downtown



Mission Statement

The University of Houston-Downtown is a comprehensive four-year university offering bachelor’s and selected master’s degree programs and providing strong academic and career preparation as well as life-long learning opportunities. Located in the heart of the city, the University reflects the diversity of the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area and, through its academic programs, engages with the community to address the needs and advance the development of the region. UHD is an inclusive community dedicated to integrating teaching, service, and scholarly research to develop students’ talents and prepare them for success in a dynamic global society.

University of Houston-Downtown: Houston’s Downtown University

Located in the heart of Houston, UHD is a public, four-year university that offers excellent educational opportunities through its colleges of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, Public Service, Sciences and Technology, and University College.

UHD offers five bachelor’s degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Engineering Technology, and Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences) with majors in 39 areas, and three master’s degrees (Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science, and Master of Security Management), with programs in seven areas.

UHD is nationally recognized for its outstanding academic opportunities and for its connectivity to the communities, agencies and people in the greater Houston metropolitan area. In 2009 it ranked 33rd nationally for graduating Hispanic students with bachelor’s degrees as reported in Hispanic Outlook Magazine. UHD is the second largest public university in Houston and it has been recognized as a leader in community service by being named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National Community Service. In June 2010, UHD opened the doors to UHD Northwest, a new campus at Lone Star College – University Park that lets students move from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree at the same location.

Students choose UHD because they enjoy the flexible degree options UHD provides. Students take classes online, through live interactive television classes, in traditional classrooms at satellite locations, and through hybrid arrangements that blend online and traditional classroom instruction. UHD also offers classes at Lone Star College-CyFair and Lone Star College-Kingwood.

UHD’s weekend and evening classes also help put a degree within reach for students who work full time.

The nature of the UHD student population prepares individuals to thrive in the multicultural workplace of the 21st century. UHD students are diverse in every sense of the word: in ethnicity, age, financial background and life situation. U.S. News & World Report has often named UHD one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse institutions of higher learning.

UHD’s campus has grown considerably since the institution was founded in 1974. The campus includes the historic One Main Building, the Academic Building, the Commerce Street Building, the Shea Street Building, the Jesse H. Jones Student Life Building, and the restored Willow Street Pump Station.

UHD’s History and Future on the Bayou

UHD is creating an exciting future based on a fascinating past. The university’s history began in 1974, when the assets of the private South Texas Junior College were transferred to the University of Houston. By 1979, the Texas Legislature approved the new institution as a separate entity within the University of Houston System. In 1983, the name was changed to the University of Houston-Downtown.

Today UHD is the second largest institution in the University of Houston System, which includes four distinct universities: the University of Houston, UH-Clear Lake, University of Houston-Downtown, and UH-Victoria. All four institutions are governed by the UH System Board of Regents. The chief administrative officer at each university is its president.

The history of the university’s campus goes back even farther. The campus’s One Main Building was constructed in 1929 on the banks of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou. Then known as the Merchants and Manufacturers Building, the building served the city for decades as a center for commerce and manufacturing. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

UHD’s facilities have continued to change since the university’s inception. In the late 1990s, UHD added the Academic Building, with more than 40 classrooms and lecture halls; the Technology Teaching and Learning Center; the Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Auditorium; and a food court. While the Academic Building was taking shape, so was the Jesse H. Jones Student Life Center, a state-of-the-art facility devoted to student health, recreation, and fitness.

In 2004, the university opened the Commerce Street Building, which houses the College of Public Service, classrooms, academic labs, computer labs, meeting spaces and faculty offices.

In fall 2007, the university opened yet another showcase facility, the Shea Street Building at the corner of Main and Shea Streets. The new home for UHD’s College of Business features a glass-enclosed entrance that provides stunning views of Houston’s downtown skyline. Adjoining this award-winning new building is a multi-story parking facility.

UHD students enjoy the excitement of the nation’s fourth largest city and enjoy being just minutes away from Minute Maid Park, the Toyota Center, world-class museums and art galleries, and a wide assortment of restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Getting to and around campus is easy for students with UHD’s free shuttle bus, the city’s light rail line that stops at the University’s front door, and easy access from two interstate highways.

UHD’s innovative wireless campus provides faculty, staff, and students with optimum service and flexibility. In addition to applying for admission and registering for classes online, students can handle much of the “business” of going to college from laptops or desktops while at home or at school. And connectivity makes it easy to meet online with other students for group projects and classes.

Since its founding, the University of Houston-Downtown has continued to grow and provide degrees, programs, and facilities to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff. It is all part of UHD’s commitment to providing access and opportunity to higher education.

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