Florida A&M University entrance; (c) Soul Of America
Florida A&M University
History
Florida A&M University was founded in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students. The college began classes with only fifteen students and two instructors. With leadership striving to make it an institution of higher learning, the school received funds for agricultural & mechanical arts education in 1891 under the Second Morrill Act. As a result, the school became Florida’s first land grant institution for African Americans.
The college was later moved from Copeland Street, now the site of Florida State University, to its present location on MLK Boulevard. Its name was changed to the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students.
Continuing to flourish, the name was again changed in 1909 to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes (FAMC). One of the most prestigious buildings on campus is the library facility, erected as the result of a gift from Andrew Carnegie when a major hall was destroyed by fire.
For years, the college held the distinction of being the only Carnegie Library located in an African American land-grant college.
In 1953, the college’s name was changed to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) University. Many, if not most, students and alumni call it “FAMU”. Now a four-year, public, co-educational, and fully accredited institution, FAMU has assets valued at over $190 million.
Academic Merit
Florida A&M University offers 98 degree programs to nearly 11,000 students. The university offers 54 bachelor’s degrees, 29 master’s degrees, 3 professional degrees, and 12 doctoral degrees. The three professional degrees include the J.D., Pharm.D., and Doctor of Physical Therapy.
The 12 doctoral degree programs include 11 Ph.D. degrees and 1 Doctor of Public Health (DrPH). The Ph.D. degrees include the following: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, educational leadership, environmental science, and entomology.
Graduate and undergraduate degrees are earned in these colleges and schools:
College of Agriculture and Food Sciences
College of Education
College of Engineering (FAMU-FSU joint)
College of Law
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities
College of Science and Technology
School of Allied Health Sciences
School of Architecture and Engineering Technology
School of Business and Industry
School of the Environment
School of Graduate Studies and Research
School of Journalism and Graphic Communication
School of Nursing
Campus Life
Located in the capital of Florida, the main campus of FAMU extends over 419 acres on the highest of seven hills, with 131 buildings among its 12 schools and colleges. Off-campus diversions encompass the big bend area of the Florida panhandle. They include historic homes and buildings, the Civil War site of the Battle of Natural Bridge, the Apalachicola National Forest, Maclay State Gardens, the Gulf of Mexico, and miles of trails for hiking and biking.
ADDRESS: 1601 MLK Blvd, Tallahassee, FL MAP
PHONE: 850-599-3000
WEBSITE: https://www.famu.edu
