Mission Statement
The University of Houston-Downtown is a community of diverse faculty, staff, students, and regional partners dedicated to nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future.
Vision
The University of Houston-Downtown will be an inclusive university of choice for Houstonians seeking to contribute to the social, intellectual, and cultural lives of their communities.
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 in 46 areas of study and 12 master’s degrees.
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 14,000 students, UHD is the second-largest public university in Houston. More than 3,000 students graduate each year, and UHD boasts an alumni base of more than 66,000 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
In 1974, the University of Houston acquired the assets of South Texas Junior College and opened the University of Houston-Downtown College (UHDC) at One Main Street as a four-year institution. By the end of the 1970s, the Texas Legislature had approved UHDC as a distinct university in the University of Houston System.
Focused on meeting the needs of Houston’s diverse and dynamic workforce, the University’s first four-year degree was a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and resident students paid $4 per credit hour. By the early 1980s, it was clear that UHDC was more than a college and the word “college” was officially removed from the institution’s name.
UHD moved into the 1990s as Texas’ third fastest growing university and focused on becoming a premier, metropolitan university, appealing to traditional and nontraditional students as well as working professionals. Campus growth continued with the opening of the Academic Building and the Jesse H. Jones Student Life Center.
UHD earned full approval from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer graduate programs, beginning with a Master’s in Criminal Justice and then expanding to a Master’s in Security Management and Professional Writing & Education. Over time, UHD expanded its partnerships with Lone Star College (LSC) and offered select degrees and courses at UHD-Northwest at the LSC-University Center, LSC-Cy Fair, LSC-Kingwood, and LSC-Atascocita. Articulation agreements with surrounding community colleges were developed to create pathways for transfer students to earn degrees at UHD.
The University’s expansion and physical growth continued in the late 1990s. The Willow Street Pump Station (listed among the U.S. National Register of Historic Places) was renovated, and the Commerce Street Building opened, providing a new home for the College of Public Service. In the early 2000s, the Shea Street Building opened as the new home for the College of Business. In 2012, UHD celebrated another milestone as it enrolled the first class of MBA students in the College of Business.
In 2016, a 26,000-square-foot Welcome Center opened its doors, and the O’Kane Gallery landed a new home featuring exhibitions for student, faculty, local, national, and international artists. In 2017, the College of Business received a historic $10 million endowment from native Houstonian Marilyn Davies, CEO of Seismic Bailey LLC, to support the College’s growing programs. In recognition of the gift, the College is now the Marilyn Davies College of Business. Four years later in 2020, UHD expanded its campus footprint with the award-winning, state-of-the-art $73 million College of Sciences & Technology Building. The new $39 million Wellness & Success Center-dedicated to redefining the student experience by enhancing fitness, recreation, and learning about health and wellness-opened in January 2023.
Today, UHD educates more than 14,000 students annually and boasts more than 66,000 alumni. The University is designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Minority-Serving Institution, and Military-Friendly School-indicators of a diverse and vibrant student body, just like the city we call home.
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
University of Houston-Downtown is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and masters degrees. University of Houston-Downtown also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of 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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