Chowan University

Chowan University is a liberal arts college in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Founded in 1851, it is the second oldest Baptist-affiliated university in the state and carries the motto ‘light and truth’. Chowan is a relatively small institution, hosting around 1500 students. Though originally a four year women’s college, it is now fully co-educational.

Many students at Chowan are the first generation in their family to attend college, and Chowan has dedicated services ensuring a simple transition into a higher learning education.

Degree courses are divided between four schools; arts & sciences, business, education, and fine & applied arts. Within Arts & Sciences, the Department of Criminal Justice melds a pre-law programme with compelling courses such as White Collar Crime or Arson Investigation. In recent years the university has opened a graduate school, the first course offered being a masters in elementary education.

Chowan actively encourages study abroad programmes for its students, and in previous years students have spent time at institutions in countries such as Turkey, Greece, Israel and Egypt. In honour of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to a Wittenberg church door, the university organised a 2017 study abroad trip to historically significant locations in Germany, France and Switzerland.

The Chowan mascot is known as Murf the Hawk, combining a shortening of Murfreesboro with the nickname for students. Sports teams at Chowan are also known as the ‘Hawks’, and compete in eight men’s sports teams and ten women’s. The men’s American Football team plays at the Garrison Stadium, which can host up to 5,000 spectators.