University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Former names	Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina (1946–1949) Charlotte College (1949–1965)[1]
Type	Public research university
Established	September 23, 1946; 78 years ago (September 23, 1946)[1]
Parent institution	University of North Carolina
Accreditation	SACS
Academic affiliations	CUMU ORAU USU
Endowment	$344.5 million (2024)[2]
Chancellor	Sharon Gaber
Provost	Jennifer Troyer (interim)
Academic staff	1,456[3]
Students	30,298 (fall 2023)[4]
Undergraduates	23,981 (fall 2023)[4]
Postgraduates	6,317 (fall 2023)[4]
Location	University City, Charlotte , North Carolina , United States 35°18′23″N 80°44′00″W / 35.30639°N 80.73333°W / 35.30639; -80.73333
Campus	Large city, 1,000 acres (4.0 km2)
Newspaper	Niner Times
Colors	Green, white and gold [5]
Nickname	49ers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – AAC
Mascot	Norm the Niner
Website	charlotte.edu

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges.^[6] It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".^[7]

The university experienced rapid enrollment growth in the late 2000s and early-mid 2010s when it was the fastest-growing institution in the UNC System.^[8]

It has three campuses: Charlotte Research Institute Campus, Center City Campus, and the main campus, located in University City. The main campus sits on 1,000 wooded acres with approximately 85 buildings about 8 miles (13 km) from Uptown Charlotte.^[9]

Prior to UNC Charlotte's founding, Charlotte had long sought a public university. In the late 1880s, the city bid for what would become North Carolina State University, but lost to Raleigh after a local farmer offered to donate land for the campus.^[10] In 1946, the city sought a state-run medical school; instead, the state expanded the existing medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[10]

In 1946, to handle the expected surge of applicants resulting from the G.I. Bill, the Consolidated University of North Carolina (now the University of North Carolina) opened 12 "extension centers" across North Carolina.^[11] On September 23, 1946, the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina opened with an enrollment of 278 students.^[12] The Charlotte city school system was tasked with running the center, and it named doctoral student Charles Bernard director of the center.^[13] The center held night classes at Central High School in present-day Uptown Charlotte. It initially offered only freshman-level courses, but added sophomore-level courses in 1947 by demand.^[11] Also that year, Bernard resigned his position to resume his doctoral studies, and the center's mathematics teacher, Bonnie Ethel Cone, was named director.^[14]

By 1948, the Charlotte Center was one of only four extension centers still open.^[15] The Consolidated University determined that its three campuses could handle student demand, and it announced that it would close the remaining centers on July 1, 1949.^[16] On April 4, 1949, in response to local efforts led by Cone,^[17] the North Carolina General Assembly created the Charlotte Community College System.^[18] The system included two schools, both of which opened in 1949: Charlotte College, which served white students, and Carver College, which served black students.^[18][19] In 1950, the state recognized Charlotte College as a "standard junior college", allowing students to transfer credits to senior colleges.^[20]

Cone served as director—and later president—of the college, which continued to hold classes at Central High School.^[21][22] The school was racially desegregated as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 (Carver College would later merge with another institution to become Central Piedmont Community College).^[23] By 1957, enrollment increased to 492, and the school's leaders began searching for a permanent site for the campus. They decided on a 250-acre (100 ha) tract of land northeast of the city.^[24] The college became state-supported in 1958 upon joining the newly formed North Carolina Community College System and moved to its current location in 1961. It added a junior year of study in 1963, and a senior year in 1964.^[25]

On March 3, 1965, the North Carolina General Assembly designated Charlotte College the fourth campus of the University of North Carolina, under its current name, effective July 1.^[26] On May 29, 1966, 81 students became the school's first graduating class as a UNC system school.^[27] In 1969, the school opened its first dormitory, housing approximately 600 students,^[27] and also that year, the university began offering programs leading to master's degrees. The school's first graduate degree—a master of education—was awarded in May 1970.^[27] By 1973, enrollment had increased to 6,123 students, with 853 of those being graduate students.^[27]

In 1992, UNC Charlotte was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees.^[28]

Bonnie Ethel Cone (1907–2003), or Miss Bonnie as she was known to students, was chosen to be director of the Charlotte Center in 1947. From 1949 to 1965, she served as president of Charlotte College.^[30] When Charlotte College joined the UNC system in 1965, Cone served as acting chancellor until 1966.

Dean W. Colvard (1913–2007) was appointed the first chancellor of the young university in 1966. A North Carolina native, Colvard had served as president of Mississippi State University (MSU). At MSU he was the first president to defy university policy of not playing against integrated teams when he ordered the men's basketball team to play Loyola University Chicago in 1963. At UNC Charlotte, Colvard took on the challenge of converting the school from a small college to a four-year member of the UNC system. Indeed, he had been chosen specifically because UNC system officials believed the newly minted UNC Charlotte needed a leader with experience running a four-year university. Colvard oversaw accreditation of the university, development of University Research Park (now one of the top five largest research parks in the country), constructed the first residence halls, created the first graduate programs, and grew the enrollment from about 1,700 to just over 8,000 students. He retired as chancellor in 1978, served as Chancellor Emeritus until his death. Colvard also received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The Colvard building, completed on the main campus in 1979, is named in his honor and houses the Department of Psychology.

E.K. Fretwell (1923–2012), the second chancellor of the university, was named in 1979. He came to the university from Buffalo State College where he was president. Under Fretwell, campus enrollment surged from 8,000 students to over 12,000. He oversaw the creation of the Graduate School, created more graduate degrees, integrated the library's card catalog into the Internet in 1983, created the groundwork for a major business incubator, helped to develop the university's surrounding neighborhood, and increased academic grants to over $6.1 million. Fretwell retired as chancellor in 1989. He served as interim president of the University of Massachusetts system from 1991 to 1992, and in 1998, he served as the interim president of the University of North Florida. In 1996 UNC Charlotte opened the Fretwell building, dedicated in honor of him and his wife Dorrie. The building headquarters the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

James H. Woodward succeeded Fretwell in 1989. Woodward came to UNC Charlotte from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he served as dean of engineering and senior vice president of academic affairs. Under Woodward, enrollment grew to over 19,000 students. Like his predecessors, he continued the growth of the Graduate School and added new doctoral programs. He oversaw the largest fundraising campaign in the school's history and its largest building boom; in the summer of 2005, no less than six buildings were actively under construction on the main campus. He also oversaw the creation of the CRI Campus. Woodward announced his retirement in 2004 and left the office of chancellor on June 30, 2005. Woodward Hall, which houses the College of Computing & Informatics, was dedicated in his honor on November 16, 2005. He is currently Chancellor Emeritus and teaches in the university's William States Lee College of Engineering.

Philip L. Dubois was the fifth leader and fourth chancellor of the university. Dubois assumed his duties as chancellor on July 15, 2005. He returned to Charlotte after serving as the president of the University of Wyoming from 1997 through 2005. Previously, he was the Provost and Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science (now the Department of Political Science and Public Administration) at UNC Charlotte from 1991 until 1997. Dubois, along with his wife and children, was the first chancellor to occupy the Chancellor's Residence (known as the Bissell House) on the UNC Charlotte campus that was completed in the winter of 2005. His goal was to oversee the process of the university becoming the fourth research-extensive university in the state.

On April 30, 2019, a mass shooting occurred in the Woodford A. Kennedy Building on campus, killing two and leaving four others injured.^[31][32] The shooter, identified as Trystan Andrew Terrell, was arrested shortly afterwards.^[33]

The university operates several campuses in Charlotte. The Main Campus is situated on just under 1,000 acres (4 km²) of rolling land between U.S. Route 29 and N.C. Highway 49, about 10 miles (16 km) from Uptown Charlotte in the University City neighborhood. The campus is self-contained, meaning that no major roads run through the campus. The campus boasts several man-made lakes, and is heavily wooded. Near the center of campus are two gardens that attract over 300,000 visitors a year. The architecture of the original central campus, particularly the oldest buildings, are precast concrete and utilitarian-looking because they were built with limited state funds in the 1960s and 1970s. Starting in 2014, these buildings are being renovated to today's standards. Under the campus' third chancellor, James Woodward, the campus underwent major changes which continue today. The newest buildings, funded from state bonds, are being constructed in brick with neoclassical architecture. Concrete and asphalt sidewalks have largely been replaced by brick. The campus' road system is being upgraded to include landscaped medians and more trees.^[34]

The Charlotte Research Institute was created in 2000. It sits on a 100-acre (40 ha) campus, attached to the main Charlotte campus, on a tract of land originally named the Millennial Campus. The research-oriented CRI Campus focuses on precision metrology and intelligent manufacturing, optoelectronics and optical communication, and software and information technology. This campus brings together faculty, students, and outside researchers to work together.

The CRI Campus also houses the new, on-campus football stadium, with 15,300 initial seats that can be expanded to more than 40,000.^[34]

The third campus is in the first ward of Uptown Charlotte. This campus focuses on business and evening courses, thus catering to center city workers. Formerly located in the Mint Museum of Craft+Design, the Uptown campus moved into the $50.4 million Center City building at 320 East Ninth Street, at the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester. It is next to the ninth Street Station of the LYNX Blue Line Extension and First Ward Park, and houses the nationally ranked Master of Business Administration (MBA),^[35] Master of Urban Design (MUD), Master of Public Administration (MPA), and other graduate programs.^[36] The facility contains an art gallery, a 300-seat auditorium, and a 110-seat lecture hall. The 12-story, 143,000 square foot Center City building was designed by world-renowned architectural firm KieranTimberlake.^[37] The building features exterior glass walls individually tailored to the amount of sunlight, and cantilevered multi-story blocks which provide shade and give the building a distinctive look resembling a stack of books.^[38]

Operated by Academy Bus Lines

† Only operates on football gamedays.

Approximately 31,091 students were enrolled in the university in the fall of 2024. Students come from 98 of North Carolina's 100 counties, 49 states, and 99 countries.^[40]

UNC Charlotte is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."^[7] The 2025 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranked the university's undergraduate program 152nd overall among national universities,^[41] Forbes placed the university at 225 from among 500 nationwide.^[42]

The university offers 171 majors that lead to 79 baccalaureate (bachelor's degree) degrees, 66 master's degree programs, and 24 doctoral programs. Fifteen degree and certificate programs are offered via distance education, from 25% to 100% online.

The university is divided into ten colleges:

• College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences - academic disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, and environmental sciences
• College of Science - focusing on mathematics and natural sciences
• College of Arts + Architecture - fine and performing arts (art, theater, dance, and music), as well as the School of Architecture, which is housed within the college
• Cato College of Education - the school of education
• College of Health and Human Services - social work, kinesiology, and athletic training; also contains the School of Nursing and programs like public health and health administration.
• William States Lee College of Engineering - engineering college with undergraduate and graduate programs in the following: civil and environmental engineering, mechanical engineering and engineering science, electrical and computer engineering, systems engineering and engineering management, construction management, and engineering technology
• College of Computing and Informatics - computer science, computer programming, health informatics, and bioinformatics; as of April 2021, the College of Computing and Informatics is the largest computing college in North Carolina — and the number 1 producer of computer science graduates in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.^[54]
• Belk College of Business - the business school, which offers undergraduate, graduate and executive education in five major departments: Accounting, Business Information Systems and Operations Management (BISOM), Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing.^[55] The college offers three undergraduate degrees (Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in economics); five master's programs (Master of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy, Master of Science in Economics, Master of Science in Real Estate, and Master of Science in Mathematical Finance as well as a Professional Science Master's (PSM) program in Data Science and Business Analytics); a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Business Administration concentrating in finance.^[56] The college was established in 1965, became the College of Business Administration in 1971, and was renamed the Belk College of Business in honor of the Belk family in 1990.^[57]
• University College - general education college for undergraduates who have not yet declared a major
• Honors College - a selective honors college that seeks to provide students with a liberal arts college experience
• Graduate School - graduate school; works with the undergraduate colleges to organize the master's and doctoral degree programs

In 2009, UNC Charlotte received the largest single donation from a private source, when The Leon Levine Family Foundation donated $9.3 million to the university to form the Levine Scholars program.^[58] The scholarship program, named for Leon and Sandra Levine, provides a four-year scholarship to UNC Charlotte. The scholarship includes tuition, fees, books, room, four summer experiences, and an $8,000 grant for community service initiatives.

In addition to the Levine Scholars, the university offers eleven other merit-based scholarship programs.^[59]

UNC Charlotte's J. Murrey Atkins Library, named for the first chairman of the Board of Trustees of Charlotte College, has over 3.3 million volumes, including 930,000 e-books, over 400 databases, and approximately 75,000 journals, the vast majority available electronically,^[60] as well as an area for special collections. The recently renovated library includes a ten-story tower that accentuates the library's place at the heart of UNC Charlotte's campus. In April 2007, Atkins received its one-millionth volume, a copy of T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land. A special collections section is housed on the tenth floor at the top of the library.^[60]

The nickname of the athletic teams are the 49ers, indicative of the fact that UNC Charlotte (then Charlotte College) was saved from permanent closure in 1949. The mascot is "Norm the Niner", a gold miner. The school's colors are green and white; gold and black are both featured in the logo and frequently used in the uniforms of several sports.

For athletics purposes, the school is known as simply "Charlotte", a change made official by the athletic department on August 23, 2000. The athletic department sponsors nineteen varsity teams and competes in the NCAA's Division I. The university is a full member of American Athletic Conference following the 2022-23 calendar season. On September 18, 2008, Chancellor Dubois recommended adding a Division I FCS football program to UNC Charlotte. On November 13, 2008, the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees voted 8–0 in favor of adding football to the university.

Men's basketball, coached by Aaron Fearne. The team has reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including a trip to the Final Four in 1977. NBA players that once suited up for the 49ers include Boston Celtics great Cedric Maxwell, DeMarco Johnson, 2001 NBA draft lottery pick Rodney White, and Eddie Basden.

In 2003 the women's basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time. In the 2021–22 season, the team won both a CUSA regular season and tournament championship, resulting in an NCAA tournament berth.^[61]

Charlotte Baseball has made six NCAA Tournament appearances with the most recent coming in 2021. The 49ers have four conference tournament championships, and eight regular season conference championships. Baseball alums with Major League experience include Bryan Harvey (Angels), Jeff Johnson (Yankees), Chris Haney (Kansas City Royals), John Maine (New York Mets), Jason Stanford (Cleveland Indians). Fieldin Culbreth is a recently retired MLB umpire who worked the 2008 World Series.

Charlotte's Division I FCS football team kicked off in 2013. It plays at Jerry Richardson Stadium, which holds approximately 15,000 people and can be expanded to hold up to 40,000 people. Its first game was a 52–7 victory against Campbell University on August 31, 2013.^[62]

The football program moved up to Division I FBS in 2015 to play as members of Conference USA. The Charlotte 49ers participated in their first bowl game in 2019 against the Buffalo Bulls in the Bahamas Bowl. Charlotte would move conferences to the American Athletic Conference beginning in 2023.

Charlotte has had 5 players selected in the NFL Draft; Larry Ogunjobi, Nate Davis, Alex Highsmith, Cameron Clark and Grant DuBose.

In September 2007, the Charlotte men's golf team reached the ranking of being the top-rated golf team in the nation.^[63]

The men's soccer team reached the College Cup in 1996 and 2011. The team advanced all the way to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, losing to UNC-Chapel Hill and finishing second in the national polls. Former 49ers soccer players who went on to play in the MLS include Floyd Franks, Donnie Smith, Brandt Bronico, and Jon Busch.

The team has won eight conference titles, including once in 2013–2014 as a member of Conference USA and twice in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The program became the first in the American since SMU in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to win back-to-back conference championships.

The men's and women's track and field teams have also made national berth, throughout the school's history. Their most notable athlete is Shareese Woods. She is the most decorated athlete in school history, running professionally for ADIDAS.

Women's volleyball is one of the largest sponsors of the Side-Out Foundation's "Dig Pink" for breast cancer awareness.^{[citation needed]}

There are a large number of student organizations associated with the university. Their focuses include academic, graduate, honor societies, interest, international, multicultural, political, religious, service, secret societies, and sports. UNC Charlotte also boasts a diverse Greek life, with over 10 sororities and 14 fraternities serving the campus community.^[64]

Every graduate of UNC Charlotte automatically becomes a member of the Alumni Association, an organization of more than 147,000 former students whose primary purpose is to advance the interests of the university. There are no membership fees or annual dues, but there is an expectation that members will be active participants in the organization. In addition to promoting the interests of UNC Charlotte, the Alumni Association acts as a network of UNC Charlotte graduates who assist each other in their personal, professional and social development, and recognize and cheer the accomplishments of their fellow members. The association offers members a number of benefits and services. Some are in the form of information and communications, including a UNC Charlotte magazine and a quarterly electronic newsletter which keeps alumni up to date on news from the association and the university. The only requirement for membership is that alumni maintain contact with the Office of Alumni Affairs, provide an up-to-date address for alumni files, and keep the association informed about their personal progress and career achievements.

• Dale F. Halton Arena
• Lee Rose
• Jeff Mullins
• Bobby Lutz

• Sanford, Ken. Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together (2021) summary

• Media related to University of North Carolina at Charlotte at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• Charlotte Athletics website