As the westernmost institution in the University of North Carolina system, WCU provides comprehensive educational opportunities to residents in the state's western region and attracts students from around the globe to explore the region's vast natural diversity. Founded in 1889 as a teaching college, Western Carolina now provides more than 10,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Western Carolina University is a regional public institution of higher education whose mission is to create learning opportunities that incorporate teaching, research, service, and engagement through on-campus, off-campus, on-line, and international experiences. The university focuses its undergraduate, master's, and three doctoral programs, educational outreach, research, creative, and cultural activities to sustain and improve individual lives and enhance economic and community development in Western Carolina and beyond.
The story of WCU is deeply connected to the people of our region. We are rooted in our service to the people of Southern Appalachia and beyond. WCU belongs not just to our students and our faculty and staff, but the whole community, for we are integrally connected to this region as its educational, economic, and cultural center. Our vision is to be a national model for student learning and engagement that embraces its responsibilities as a regionally engaged university.
Western Carolina is committed to excellence in teaching and learning, collaboration with respect for our communities, free and open interchange of ideas, responsible stewardship, organizational and environmental sustainability, cultural diversity, and equal opportunity. These are the values that guide our approach to education and service daily.
We look for students who fight for success. The students who come to Western Carolina University are ready to explore, to challenge themselves, and work harder for their ambitions. They come to WCU to be inspired by a community of support that recognizes their potential and will help define and achieve their goals. Here you'll be surrounded by great teachers and mentors in one of the most beautiful and naturally diverse regions of the world.
WCU's Cullowhee campus offers applied to learning labs for engineering students, a body farm for forensics students, clinical sites for health sciences students, and much more. Cullowhee is surrounded by mountain rivers, lakes, parks, and trails. That's one of the many reasons we have been named the Top Adventure College in the South.
Western Carolina is a destination campus with a large residential student population, making for an always-active campus life scene. At our Biltmore Park instructional site in Asheville, Western Carolina offers degree completion programs for working adults and graduate degrees. The vision of WCU at Biltmore Park is to meet the higher education needs of residents and industries in the greater Asheville area to support regional growth and development.
Learning happens when you put it into practice. Our academic programs and courses are designed to provide classroom study and applied experiences to prepare students for lifelong success. Small class sizes provide daily access to experienced faculty who are dedicated to student mentorship.
Western Carolina University's Honors College provides an academic community where high-achieving students challenge themselves to meet and exceed their own academic goals and carry that success beyond graduation. As the oldest and one of the largest residential honors colleges in the University of North Carolina System, the Honors College at WCU attracts students from diverse backgrounds with diverse aspirations who live and learn together and push each other to excellence.
WCU's Honors College goes beyond the typical honors "core curriculum" approach to allow students to design their own honors courses working directly with faculty in their field of study.
For the past decade, Western Carolina University has been among the Top 10 institutions in the country for the number of student research abstracts accepted to the National Conference for Undergraduate Research. Students team with faculty to conduct research in their field and practice their research presentations as part of WCU's Undergraduate Research Expo.
Explore beyond the classroom with over 170 student organizations, 50+ club and intramural sports, and miles of hiking and biking trails. You'll have outdoor adventures minutes from your door and a never-ending rotation of movies, speakers, exhibits, live performances, student showcases, and unique events. At Western Carolina University, we believe the college experience extends far beyond the classroom. College is about discovering new talents, rising above challenges, and creating the life-long relationships that will define your success. Our Division of Student Affairs is designed to provide the resources you need to do all that and more.
We encourage students to stay involved, healthy, and well by taking a holistic approach to supporting wellness. Through a variety of facilities, programs, and services, we have to foster students' healthy and balanced lifestyle. From class activities to informal recreation, physical and psychological health to social development.
We're empowering you for what's after college. Career mentoring, resume writing, mock interviewing, and career counseling are just a few of the ways we're helping you succeed. Redefine the experience of earning your degree. With programs in over thirty countries and the resources, you need as an International Student to study at WCU, exploring the world has never been easier.
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