Mission Statement
The University of Houston-Downtown is a comprehensive four-year university offering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and providing strong academic and career preparation as well as lifelong learning opportunities. Located in the heart of the city, UHD 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.
Vision
The University of Houston-Downtown will be a premier city university where all students engage in high-impact educational experiences and graduate with 21st-century skills.
University of Houston-Downtown: Houston’s Downtown University
Through its four colleges - Humanities & Social Sciences, Public Service, Sciences & Technology, and the Marilyn Davies College of Business - UHD is poised to ensure our students succeed.
UHD offers bachelor’s degrees with majors in more than 46 disciplines, and master’s degrees with programs in eleven disciplines.
The University is recognized nationally for its outstanding academic opportunities and its connection to the communities, agencies and people in the greater Houston metropolitan area. UHD students are diverse in every sense of the word: ethnicity, age, financial and cultural backgrounds. Students range in age from 17 to 69, with an average student age of 27.5 years, and represent more than 60 countries. With more than 15,000 students, UHD is the second-largest public university in Houston. More than 3,000 students graduate each year from UHD and boasts an alumni base of more than 60,000 graduates.
UHD offers flexible degree options. Classes are available in a variety of modalities, including online, face-to-face, and through hybrid sections that blend online and traditional classroom instruction. UHD offers classes at Lone Star College-CyFair, Lone Star College-Kingwood and UHD Northwest at Lone Star College-University Park. Weekend and evening classes also are available.
UHD’s History and Future on the Bayou
The University of Houston-Downtown was founded 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 officially changed to the University of Houston-Downtown.
Today, UHD is the second-largest university in Houston. It is also the second-largest institution within the University of Houston System, which includes four distinct universities: University of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, University of Houston-Downtown, and University of Houston-Victoria. All four institutions are governed by the University of Houston System Board of Regents. Each university’s president serves as its chief administrative officer.
The history of the University’s campus begins even earlier. The campus’ One Main Building was constructed in 1929 on the banks of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou. Then known as the Merchants & Manufacturers Building, it served the city for decades as a center for commerce and manufacturing (and is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places).
Since the University’s inception, UHD’s campus footprint continued to expand. In the late 1990s, UHD added the Academic Building, with more than 40 classrooms and lecture halls; the Technology Teaching & 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, UHD opened the Commerce Street Building, which houses the College of Public Service, classrooms, academic labs, computer labs, meeting spaces, and faculty offices.
In 2007, the University opened the award-winning Shea Street Building, which houses the Marilyn Davies College of Business. The building features a glass-enclosed entrance that provides stunning views of Houston’s Downtown skyline.
In 2016, the Girard Street Building officially opened. This addition to UHD features a spectacular view of the city and hosts event spaces and the spacious Welcome Center, which is the home of several UHD offices, including the Office of Admissions and Testing Services.
In 2019, the 105,000 square-foot College of Sciences & Technology Building opened its doors. The building houses 14 labs for classes in chemistry, the life & environmental sciences, and the Center for Urban Agriculture & Sustainability. Additional labs support a wide range of undergraduate and faculty research as well as three computational classrooms and areas for collaborative learning and informal instruction among students and faculty.
Currently, the Student Wellness & Success Center, located next to the College of Sciences & Technology Building, is under construction. The building is scheduled for completion in 2022 and will be ready for occupancy in Spring 2023.
UHD students can enjoy the excitement of the city, including being just minutes away from Minute Maid Park, BBVA Compass Stadium, the Toyota Center, world-class museums and art galleries, and a wide assortment of restaurants and 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 UHD’s front door, and easy access from two interstate highways.
The campus’ wireless network provides students, faculty, and staff with optimum service and flexibility. In addition to applying for admission and registering for classes online, students can take care of their “business” of going to college from laptops or desktops while at home or school. And connectivity makes it easy to meet online with fellow students for group projects and classes.
Since its founding, UHD has continued to grow and provide degrees, programs, and facilities to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff - all part of the University’s commitment to providing access and opportunity to higher education.
Campus Safety and Security
The University of Houston-Downtown Police Department is committed to assuring your safety and security on campus. The Police Department provides comprehensive police services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Offices are located on the first floor of the One Main Building, Suite N118.
Information on campus safety and security, including services such as vehicle jump starts and unlocks as well as five-year crime statistics, is provided at www.uhd.edu/campus/pd. Safety and crime prevention information; crime alerts; and campus policies on alcohol, firearms, and sexual assault also are available.
Accreditation
The University of Houston-Downtown is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Questions about the accreditation of the University of Houston-Downtown may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
The Marilyn Davies College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International, 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, FL 33602-5730; 813-769-6500; www.aacsb.edu). Accreditation documentation is available in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, Room B400, Shea Street Building.
The Computer Science and Engineering Technology Department’s Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree programs in Control and Instrumentation Engineering Technology and Structural Analysis with Design Option in Engineering Technology are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET (415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; 410-347-7700; www.abet.org).
The Urban Education Department’s programs that lead to teacher certification are accredited by the Texas Education Agency (1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX, 78701; 512-463-9734; tea.texas.gov).
The Natural Science Department’s Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree program is approved by the American Chemical Society (1155 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036; Telephone: 800-227-5558; www.acs.org).
The Criminal Justice and Social Work Department’s Bachelor of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (333 John Carlyle St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA, 22314; 703-683-8080; www.cswe.org).
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program (R.N. to B.S.N.) at the University of Houston-Downtown is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
Intellectual Property
The UH Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation (OTTI) oversees the evaluation, management, and commercialization of intellectual property developed throughout the UH System and is a resource for faculty, students, and staff in answering questions regarding intellectual property and their rights and responsibilities according to UH System BOR policies. The UH System Board of Regents Policy Section III, 21.08, outlines rules for intellectual property ownership for all UHS faculty, staff, and students. In accordance with this BOR policy, UH System policy SAM 01.E.01 establishes the System’s Office of Intellectual Property Management, which oversees issues of intellectual property for the entire UH System. Board of Regents Policy 21.08.4.A specifies that “the University will not assert ownership of copyright developed by faculty, staff, or students, unless separately contracted for, in any:
- Books, journal articles, texts, glossaries, bibliographies, study guides, laboratory manuals, syllabi, tests, and survey instruments;
- Lectures and unpublished lecture notes;
- Musical works;
- Dramatic works;
- Works of visual art, such as sculptures and drawings; and
- Architectural works.
For the majority of UHD students and faculty, then, the University will not dispute the ownership of their intellectual products. However, Board Policy 21.08.4.B specifies that “the University will assert ownership of copyright developed by faculty, staff or students, with regard to other types of works subject to copyright, namely,
- Films, audiovisual works, slide programs, filmstrips;
- Sound recordings and video recordings containing original performances;
- Programmed instruction materials; and
- Computer programs, software, and documentation.
The policy specifies the circumstances under which the University or UHS may claim copyrights for and ownership of such intellectual products. Students with questions or concerns about their intellectual property rights should consult the respective College undergraduate Associate Dean and the UH Division of Research Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation (OTTI). More information can be found on the UH Innovation website at innovation.uh.edu.
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