Eastern Michigan University


Eastern Michigan University is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal school established in the United States and the first outside New England. In 1899, the Michigan State Normal School became the first normal school in the nation to offer a four-year curriculum; the college became a university in 1959.
EMU is one of the eight research universities in the state of Michigan and is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It is governed by an eight-member board of regents whose members are appointed by the governor of Michigan and confirmed by the Michigan Senate for eight-year terms.
The university comprises eight colleges and schools: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and Human Services, GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, School of Music & Dance, the Honors College, and the Graduate School. The university is composed of an academic and athletic campus spread across, with over 120 buildings. As of 2023, EMU's total enrollment is over 13,000 students. EMU has experienced a steady yearly decrease in total fall enrollment; in the fall of 1990, total enrollment was 25,954 students.
In 1991, Eastern Michigan's athletic teams started competing as the Eastern Michigan Eagles and the school mascot, Swoop, was officially adopted by the university three years later in 1994. The Eagles compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference. EMU Athletics utilizes Rynearson Stadium for its football games, Oestrike Stadium for its baseball games, and the multipurpose George Gervin GameAbove Center for its basketball games.

History

Influenced by similar academies in Europe, the Michigan Legislature founded the Michigan State Normal School in 1849 with its campus in Ypsilanti. There was a significant contest among municipalities across Michigan to become the home of the state's first normal school. These other contending villages and towns included Niles, Jackson, and Marshall. The school officially opened its doors for classes on March 29, 1853, with 122 enrolled students. American normal schools were intended to be institutions to improve the quality of the burgeoning common school system by producing qualified teachers.
Adonijah Welch, a University of Michigan graduate, served as the Normal School's first principal. He later became the first president of Iowa State Agricultural College, now Iowa State University. The university's Georgian Revival-style Welch Hall bears his name. Constructed in 1895, Welch Hall is the second-oldest surviving building on the university's campus and an Eastern Michigan University Historic District contributing property.
In 1899, the school became the Michigan State Normal College when it developed the first four-year curriculum for a normal school in the nation. The Normal College began the twentieth-century as Michigan's premier teacher-preparatory school. The school continued through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, and continued to expand further. In 1956, under President Eugene Elliott, the school officially became Eastern Michigan College. This was mostly due to the expansion of the school's programs and increased enrollment following the Second World War.
In 1959 the school became a university, gaining the title Eastern Michigan University after establishing the Graduate School. Between 1959 and 1980 the College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School, College of Business, College of Health and Human Services, and College of Technology were formally organized and established. In the early 1970s, international student exchange schemes were organized, including one with Coventry College of Education in Britain. In 2005, the Honors Program officially became the Eastern Michigan University Honors College.
More recently, extended programs were added, such as Continuing Education, the Centers for Corporate Training, the World College, and numerous community-focused institutes. Most programs are undergraduate or master's level, although the university has doctoral programs in Educational Leadership, Technology, and Psychology.
Prior to Michigan's 1963 State Constitution, Eastern Michigan University was governed by Michigan's elected State Board of Education. Since the ratification of the 1963 constitution, EMU has been governed by an eight-member Board of Regents. These regents are appointed by the Governor of Michigan with the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate, and serve eight-year terms. The regents, in turn, elect the president of the university.

Campus

Eastern Michigan University's main campus is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, comprising 122 buildings and spanning.

Satellite campuses

EMU offers courses at 7 satellite campuses. The earliest off-site campus is EMU-Jackson. Courses have been offered in Jackson, Michigan since the 1970s. Course catalog records show courses have been offered at the Kresge Environmental Center dating back to at least 1976. EMU has held courses in Flint and Traverse City since 1987. EMU–Livonia began offering courses in 2000. In 2001, EMU–Detroit opened. EMU opened its Monroe location in 2002. The last off-campus site, EMU–Brighton, opened in 2003. EMU and Grand Valley State University offers a joint doctoral program in Educational Leadership at the Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Eberhard Center facility is part of the GVSU downtown campus. This location is sometimes referred to as EMU–Grand Rapids but is not officially listed as a university site.

Undergraduate admissions

EMU is considered "selective" by U.S. News & World Report. For the Class of 2028, EMU received 21,337 applications and accepted 16,992. Of those accepted,1,650 enrolled, a yield rate of 9.7%. EMU's freshman retention rate is 68%, with 46% going on to graduate within six years.
For fall 2024, EMU received 2,533 applications for transfer admission and accepted 1,703, an admission rate of 67.2%. Of those accepted, 886 enrolled, a yield rate of 52.0%. A transfer applicant must have a minimum of 12 credits completed and maintain a 2.0 overall grade point average.
The enrolled first-year class of 2028 had the following standardized test scores: the middle 50% range of SAT scores was 930–1150, with EBRW and Math scores being 480-600 and 440-570, respectively, while the middle 50% range of ACT scores was 18–27. The average GPA of the incoming freshman class was 3.33, with 12% of the class being in the top 10%, 36% in the top 25%, and 67% in the top 50% of the high school class.
202420232022202120202019
Applicants2,5332,2562,3312,8753,6203,993
Admits1,7031,6031,6702,1292,3952,752
Admit rate67.271.171.674.166.268.9
Enrolled8868148611,1391,3121,445
Yield rate52.050.851.653.554.852.5

Academic divisions

College/schoolFounded
College of Arts and Sciences1959
College of Education1959
Graduate School1959
College of Business1964
College of Health and Human Services1975
GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology1980
Honors College2005

Eastern Michigan University offers degrees and programs at the bachelor's, master's, specialist's and doctoral levels. There are more than 200 majors and minors at the undergraduate level, and more than 170 graduate programs. EMU has six Academic Divisions and eight University Sites which include satellite campuses. Just like many other large universities EMU does offer online courses and degrees.
The university has seven colleges and schools: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and Human Services, GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, the Honors College, and the Graduate School. Eastern Michigan University has offered graduate courses since 1939. The Graduate School has over 2,000 graduate students enrolled in post-baccalaureate, certificate, master's, and doctoral programs.
The two oldest colleges at the university are the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences is also the largest academic college at Eastern Michigan University with 125 programs of study. The CAS also occupies the most buildings on campus including Pray-Harrold, Sherzer Hall, the Kresge Environmental Education Center, the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Research Facility, and Pease Auditorium. Eastern Michigan University has had a long history of developing educators since its founding in 1849. EMU prides itself as being one of the largest producers of educational personnel in the country since 1991. Eastern Michigan University's Department of Special Education is also among the oldest special education program in the United States, being started in 1923.
The College of Business was established in 1964. In 1991, a new College of Business campus was constructed in Downtown Ypsilanti on Michigan Avenue with the hope of contributing to the redevelopment of the area. In 2020, EMU announced its decision to move the COB back to its Main Campus. The COB's current home is Boone Hall, located next to Cross Street in South Campus. The College of Business is known for having the first Ethos Week and Ethos Honor Society in the country.
Eastern Michigan University established the College of Human Services in 1975. Eventually the university changed the name to the College of Health and Human Services on April 21, 1982.
The most recent college of the university is the Honors College founded in 2005. Its predecessor program, the EMU Honors Program, was founded in 1984.
Its most popular undergraduate majors, by 2023 graduates, were: