Furman University

What is the history of Furman University?

Furman University is a private university founded in 1826. Named for Baptist leader Richard Furman, it began as an institution for men and developed into a liberal arts university. Its history also includes the Greenville Woman's College, whose students and programs became part of Furman.

Furman moved to its present campus north of downtown Greenville in the 1950s. Although its founding was tied to South Carolina Baptists, the university later ended its formal affiliation with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. That history helps explain both its religious roots and its present identity as an independent institution.

What are the faculties and departments at Furman University?

Furman's undergraduate education centers on the liberal arts and sciences, with majors across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, arts, and professional fields. Students can study subjects such as biology, computer science, economics, education, psychology, music, business, and public health. Furman also offers graduate study, particularly in education.

Rather than treating a major as a student's entire education, Furman requires coursework beyond the chosen field. Prospective students should examine the academic catalog for a major's prerequisites and sequencing: laboratory courses, teacher preparation, and performance-based programs can leave less flexibility than a list of electives might suggest. Students interested in engineering should check the specific degree pathway and requirements rather than assume every engineering specialty is available as a conventional four-year major.

The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1. That is an institution-wide measure, not a promise about the size of a particular introductory class or access to a particular professor.

What is the location of Furman University?

Furman is in Greenville, South Carolina, on a residential campus north of the city's downtown. Students can use Greenville for internships, community activities, and entertainment, while most day-to-day campus life takes place outside the downtown area.

Transportation deserves attention when comparing Furman with an urban college. First-year students may register a car on campus, but students without one should check current campus transportation and local transit options for the trips they expect to make. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport serves the region; travel between the airport and campus requires a separate ground-transportation plan.

What is the mission and vision of Furman University?

Furman describes its educational purpose in terms of a liberal arts education that connects classroom learning with experience and reflection. Its stated approach emphasizes intellectual development, engagement with others, and preparation for lives beyond college. These are institutional aims, not measured outcomes for every student.

The university's Furman Advantage framework brings advising, experiential learning, and reflection into a student's undergraduate path. In practice, an applicant can test that philosophy against a prospective major: ask when research, an internship, community-engaged work, or study abroad fits into its course sequence and how those experiences are funded. Furman's Baptist origins remain part of its history, but applicants should distinguish that history from a requirement to share a particular faith.