Jackson State University

What is the history of Jackson State University?

Jackson State University is a public historically Black university founded in 1877 as Natchez Seminary in Natchez, Mississippi. It began as a school established by Baptist organizations to educate Black students in the years after the Civil War.

The institution moved to Jackson in 1882 and became Jackson College in 1899. It later took the names Jackson College for Negro Teachers and Jackson State College, reflecting the expansion of its teacher-training and broader academic work. It became Jackson State University in 1974. Today it offers undergraduate and graduate study across several fields, rather than serving only its original educational purpose.

The campus is also part of civil rights history. On May 15, 1970, police gunfire on campus killed Phillip Gibbs, a Jackson State student, and James Earl Green, a local high school student. Their deaths remain an important part of the university's history and the national history of campus protest.

What are the faculties and departments at Jackson State University?

Jackson State University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs through academic colleges spanning business, education, health sciences, liberal arts, and science and engineering. Prospective students should compare programs at the department level: admission standards, field placements and accreditation can differ within the same university.

Representative fields include accounting and business administration; teacher education; social work and public health; English, history and music; and computer science and engineering. The university also offers graduate and research-oriented study. For a student choosing a major, the current academic catalog is the place to check the exact degree name, required courses and whether a program is offered on campus, online or in another format.

Some courses of study involve requirements beyond classroom work, such as student teaching, supervised practice or a senior project. Those requirements can affect scheduling and the time needed to finish a degree, particularly for transfer students and adults studying part time.

What is the location of Jackson State University?

Jackson State University's main campus is in Jackson, Mississippi's capital city. Its urban location gives students access to state government, schools, health organizations and other potential sites for internships or fieldwork, although access to any particular placement depends on the program and employer.

The university's main address is on John R. Lynch Street. Students who will commute should check the location of their classes, parking rules and transportation needs rather than assume that every university activity takes place at one building. Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport serves the region; it is more useful to prospective students traveling from farther away than to most daily commuters.

What is the mission and vision of Jackson State University?

Jackson State describes its mission in terms of teaching, research and service as a public, historically Black university. Its stated priorities include preparing students for professional and civic life and using scholarship and community engagement to address needs beyond the campus.

That mission reflects an institution that began by expanding educational access for Black students and now enrolls students from varied backgrounds. A prospective student can assess how the stated priorities appear in a particular degree program by looking at its curriculum, research opportunities, internships and community-based coursework. A mission statement expresses institutional aims; it is not, by itself, a measure of student outcomes.