University of Houston-Downtown

The University of Houston-Downtown is a member of the four-campus, state-supported University of Houston system. UHD offers four-year bachelor degree programmes in 44 different academic areas and eight master’s degree programmes. The university is made up of five colleges specialising in subject areas including business, humanities and social sciences, public service and sciences and technology.

All of the university’s programmes are geared towards preparing students for future careers. UHD also boasts a 20 to one student-to-faculty ratio and one of the lowest tuition rates among state-supported higher education institutions. The UHD campus is located in the centre of downtown Houston, the fourth most populous city in the United States and one of the most culturally diverse.

The University of Houston-Downtown College opened in 1974 after the University of Houston took over South Texas Junior College. With the approval of the Texas Legislature, UHDC became a distinct university within the University of Houston System five years later. The first degree programme offered at the university was a bachelor of science in criminal justice.

UH-Downtown College dropped its "college" title in the 1980s and soon became one of the state’s fastest growing universities. The institution started offering graduate programmes in criminal justice, security management, professional writing and education. In the 1990s, the College of Public Services was moved into the brand new Commerce Street Building.

The College of Business was given a new home in 2007 with the opening of the Shea Street Building. The first ever cohort of MBA students at UHD were enrolled in January 2012. With a diverse student population, UHD has been recognised as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Minority-Serving Institution.