The mission of the University of Oklahoma is to provide the best possible educational experience for our students through excellence in teaching, research and creative activity, and service to the state and society.
The University of Oklahoma recognizes, appreciates and actively pursues its special responsibility to help make Oklahoma a good place in which to live and work. The university is also part of a world community of scholars, and its activities make national and international contributions. Graduates of the university hold important leadership positions in the state and throughout the world. As the university meets its broad scholarly responsibilities, it targets many activities to bring maximum benefits to the state.
To encourage excellence, the university attracts, develops and retains outstanding faculty and staff; attracts capable students who will provide future leadership for the state, region and nation; provides superior library, laboratory, classroom, performance and computer facilities; and engages in ongoing planning, analysis and management for the effective use of its resources.
The university uses the liberal-professional model of education to provide undergraduates with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute and succeed in a rapidly changing global society. Capitalizing upon the strengths of an outstanding faculty unique to a research university, OU offers undergraduate education in a wide array of majors to meet the interests of students and the needs of the state. Admission to undergraduate programs is selective. Students are expected to be above the average for college applicants in ability and to have the maturity to work diligently and effectively in a demanding academic environment.
The university endeavors to instill in its undergraduates the tradition of lifelong learning, the capacity for critical thinking, the ability to work effectively in groups, the flexibility to adapt successfully to a rapidly changing world, and an enthusiasm for creativity. These qualities enrich an individual’s life and enable one to contribute to the making of a better world.
University of Oklahoma graduates understand our rich human heritage; comprehend differing approaches used by the arts, humanities and sciences in creating that heritage; develop the ability to make ethical, critical and analytical judgments; and use spoken, written and symbolic language to communicate effectively.
The University of Oklahoma and the Graduate College are committed to providing the best graduate education possible for its students, an education that prepares its graduates to assume leadership positions in the fields and professions in which they are educated. Admission to the graduate programs is highly selective. Students are expected to have superior academic ability, a high level of motivation and commitment to their discipline or profession. Strong emphasis is placed on faculty strength in teaching, research and creative activity; a critical mass of faculty and students; student quality; compatibility with other established university programs; and contributions to the state and nation’s health, cultural, scientific, social and economic needs.
National and international recognition in research, scholarship and creative activity in disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas is one of the primary goals of the University of Oklahoma. Consequently, faculty members at the University of Oklahoma are national leaders in their fields and, as such, are outstanding role models for students. They actively seek and obtain external support for research from the federal government, private foundations and corporations. Faculty at the University of Oklahoma also cooperate with faculty from other research universities and health sciences centers, and individuals in the private sector and government agencies.
Research and creative activities enrich education and promote learning excellence for students by developing new knowledge for our society; allowing emerging issues, breakthroughs and new information and perspectives to be shared swiftly in the classroom; and introducing students to the process of creativity and discovery. A major research university enlivens the community and, in our modern society based on information and technology, encourages and supports economic and social development in the state.
The University of Oklahoma meets the growing needs of the state and nation for lifelong learning by offering continuing education programs that are built on the strengths of its academic programs. As a major public university, the University of Oklahoma has a responsibility to offer a broad range of high quality educational programs tailored to meet the needs of individuals for retraining or upgrading their skills. These programs are offered at times, in locations, and in formats to best serve the needs and schedules of adult learners.
The University is committed to offering degree programs, especially at the graduate level, for place-bound students in the state’s urban areas and to supporting the state’s economic development through education and research programs.
In the area of arts and culture, the University of Oklahoma plays a unique role as a nationally recognized center in the state and Southwest for selected artistic and cultural activities. The University’s artistic and cultural activities advance knowledge; enrich the campus and community; enhance Oklahoma’s quality of life; and contribute to the state’s development, attractiveness, and prosperity.
Achievement and maintenance of high academic standards entitle the University of Oklahoma to accredited membership in the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, more than 80 graduate and undergraduate programs at the university’s Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa campuses have been accredited by various external agencies and professional organizations.
Nationally accredited programs on the Norman campus include:
Accounting and Business Administration — American Assembly of Collegiate
Schools of Business
Architecture — National Architectural Accreditation Board
Art — National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Aviation — Aviation Accreditation Board International
Business Administration (Finance, Business Strategy and Legal Studies,
Management, and Marketing) — American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of
Business
Computer Science — Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET
Construction Science — American Council for Construction Education
Counseling Psychology — American Psychological Association
Drama — National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
Education — National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
Engineering (Aerospace, Architectural, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical,
Engineering Physics, Environmental, Industrial, Mechanical, and Petroleum) — Engineering Accreditation Commission and Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology EAC/ABET
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art — American Association of Museums
Institute of Child Development — National Association for the Education
of Young Children
Interior Design — Foundation for Interior Design Education Research
Journalism and Mass Communication — Accrediting Council on Education in
Journalism and Mass Communication
Landscape Architecture — Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board
Law — American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools
Legal Assistant Program — American Bar Association
Library and Information Studies — American Library Association
Music — National Association of Schools of Music
Regional and City Planning — American Planning Association
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History — American Association of
Museums and American Society of Mammologists
Social Work — Council on Social Work Education
Nationally accredited programs at the Health Sciences Center include:
Dentistry and Dental Hygiene — American Dental Association Committee on
Accreditation of Dental and Dental Auxiliary Educational Program
Education of the Deaf, Speech Pathology, and Audiology — Council on Education
for the Deaf, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and Education
Training Board
Medicine M.D. Program — Liaison Committee on Medical Education
Medicine Physician’s Associate Program — American Medical Association and
Accreditation Review Committee on Education for Physician Assistants (ARC-PA)
Nuclear Medicine Technology — Joint Review Committee on Education in Nuclear
Medicine Technology
Nursing — National League for Nursing
Nutritional Sciences — American Dietetic Association
Occupational Therapy — Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
Pharmacy — American Council on Pharmaceutical Education
Physical Therapy — Committee on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
(CAPE) of the American Physical Therapy Association
Public Health — Council on Education of Public Health
Radiation Therapy Technology — Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic
Technology
Radiography — Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
Speech Pathology and Audiology — American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
and Professional Services Board
Ultrasound — Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
(AMA)
September 2006