About
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Central State Normal School in 1895 after the Michigan State Board of Education took over governance of the school. The institution came into its own as a university and gained its current name Central Michigan University in 1959 under the university's 6th president Judson W. Foust.
CMU is one of the eight research universities in the State of Michigan and is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It has more than 15,000 students on its Mount Pleasant campus. CMU offers 200 academic programs at the undergraduate, master's, specialist, and doctoral levels, including programs in entrepreneurship, journalism, music, audiology, teacher education, psychology, and physician assistant. The School of Engineering and Technology has ABET accredited programs in Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, and Environmental Engineering. CMU's College of Medicine opened in fall 2013.
The Central Michigan Chippewas competes in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference in six men's and ten women's sports.
CMU opened its door in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute. Prof. Charles F. R. Bellows, a University of Michigan graduate, became the founding principal of the normal school in June of 1892.