The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges. It is

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

among "R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production". 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. It has two campuses: the Main Campus, located in University City, and the Center City Campus in Uptown Charlotte. The main campus sits on 1,000 wooded acres with approximately 85 buildings about from Uptown Charlotte.

History

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 North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

, but lost to

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

after a local farmer offered to donate land for the campus.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, p. 5. 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 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. In 1946, to handle the expected surge of applicants resulting from the

G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...

, the Consolidated University of North Carolina (now the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

) opened 12 "extension centers" across

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 12. On September 23, 1946, the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina opened with an enrollment of 278 students. The Charlotte city school system was tasked with running the center, and it named doctoral student Charles Bernard director of the center. 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. Also that year, Bernard resigned his position to resume his doctoral studies, and the center's mathematics teacher,

Bonnie Ethel Cone Bonnie Ethel Cone (June 22, 1907 – March 8, 2003) was an American educator best known as the founder of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Cone was born to a prominent family in Lodge, South Carolina where her father served ...

, was named director. By 1948, the Charlotte Center was one of only four extension centers still open. 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. On April 4, 1949, in response to local efforts led by Cone, the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

created the Charlotte Community College System.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 20. The system included two schools, both of which opened in 1949: Charlotte College, which served white students, and

Carver College Carver College is a private Bible college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was established in 1943 as the Carver Bible Institute. The institute was founded by Solomon Randolph, a Black pastor in Atlanta, and Grace and Talmage Payne ...

, which served black students. In 1950, the state recognized Charlotte College as a "standard

junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

", allowing students to transfer credits to senior colleges. Cone served as director—and later president—of the college, which continued to hold classes at Central High School.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, pp. 25-28. The school was racially desegregated as a result of the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

case ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the ...

'' in 1954 (Carver College would later merge with another institution to become

Central Piedmont Community College Central Piedmont Community College (Central Piedmont) is a Public college, public community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students annually, Central Piedmont is the second-largest community college ...

). By 1957, enrollment increased to 492, and the school's leaders began searching for a permanent site for the campus. They decided on a tract of land northeast of the city. The college became state-supported in 1958 upon joining the newly formed

North Carolina Community College System The North Carolina Community College System (System Office) is a statewide network of 58 public community colleges. The system enrolls nearly 600,000 students annually. It also provides the North Carolina Learning Object Repository as a central ...

and moved to its current location in 1961. It added a junior year of study in 1963, and a senior year in 1964. On March 3, 1965, the North Carolina General Assembly designated Charlotte College the fourth campus of the

, under its current name, effective July 1. On May 29, 1966, 81 students became the school's first graduating class as a UNC system school.Sanford, Ken. UNCC: The First Decade. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Board of Trustees, 1975. In 1969, the school opened its first dormitory, housing approximately 600 students, 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. By 1973, enrollment had increased to 6,123 students, with 853 of those being graduate students. In 1992, UNC Charlotte was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees.

Leaders of the university

Bonnie Ethel Cone, founder

(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. When Charlotte College joined the UNC system in 1965, Cone served as acting chancellor until 1966.

Chancellors

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 Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, Un ...

(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 Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, ...

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 ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

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 The University of Massachusetts is the Public university, public university system of the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes six campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell ...

system from 1991 to 1992, and in 1998, he served as the interim president of the

University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public university, public research university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern ...

. 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 The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than ...

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 Philip L. Dubois (born October 17, 1950) is a retired American professor and academic administrator best known for his role as university president at the University of Wyoming from 1997–2005, and later his role as chancellor of the University ...

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 The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

from 1997 through 2005. Previously, he was the

Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

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.

2019 mass shooting

On April 30, 2019, a

mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...

occurred in the Woodford A. Kennedy Building on campus, killing two and leaving four others injured. The shooter, identified as Trystan Andrew Terrell, was arrested shortly afterwards.

Campuses

Main Campus – University City

The Main Campus of the university is situated on just under 1,000 acres (4 km²) of rolling land between

U.S. Route 29 U.S. Route 29 or U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida, to Ellicott City, Maryland, just west of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, in the Eastern United Stat ...

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. The former Charlotte Research Institute (CRI) occupied the northern portion of the Main campus. The university retired the CRI branding in 2019, and its operations are now part of the Office of Research Partnerships.

Center City Campus

The second campus—named the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City—is in the first ward of Uptown Charlotte. This campus houses the School of Professional Studies along with 23 academic programs. Formerly located in the Mint Museum of Craft+Design, the Uptown campus moved into the $50.4 million Center City building at 320 East 9th Street, on August 22, 2011. It is located one block away from the 9th Street Station of the Lynx Blue Line. The 12-story, 143,000 square foot Center City building was designed by architectural firm

KieranTimberlake KieranTimberlake is an American architecture firm based in Philadelphia. Since its founding in 1984, it has focused on sustainability, including research that it has used to develop new building technologies and products. Its projects include the ...

. The building features cantilevered multi-story blocks which resemble a stack of books.

Transportation

Charlotte Area Transit System

All UNC Charlotte students are automatically enrolled in the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) All-Access pass, which offers students unlimited rides to all of CATS transportation systems.

Light Rail

Added to UNC Charlotte's campus in 2018, the Lynx Blue Line connects students with 25 other stations off-campus, including the

Charlotte Transportation Center __NOTOC__ The Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC), also known as Arena or CTC/Arena, is an intermodal transit station in Center City Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It serves as the central hub for the Charlotte Area Transit Syste ...

, located in Uptown, where students can transfer to the CityLynx Gold Line, CATS buses, and the airport sprinter.

CATS Buses

CATS also offers bus services at UNC Charlotte. As of March 2025, CATS offers 2 bus routes, with route 29 stopping at various locations on-campus and route 22 stopping adjacent to the Engineering campus on JW Boulevard.

Niner Transit

On campus, students can catch one of 6 bus routes on campus. Green, Silver, Red Express, and Gold are operated daily by

Academy Bus Lines Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...

, while the Greek Village and Shopping Shuttles are operated by UNC Charlotte's Parking and Transportation Services. Additionally, the University operates a prearranged ParaTransit service called Niner Rides. Green and Silver buses operate every day of the week, while Red Express, Gold, and the Greek Village Shuttle run Monday through Friday. The Shopping Shuttle is only offered on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Students

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.

Academics

UNC Charlotte is

among "R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production" The 2025 edition of the '' U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges'' ranked the university's undergraduate program 152nd overall among national universities,

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

placed the university at 225 from among 500 nationwide. Belktower

Colleges and programs

The university offers 171 majors that lead to 79 baccalaureate (

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

) degrees, 66

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

programs, and 24

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

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 Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

social sciences Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among members within those societies. The term was former ...

, and environmental sciences * Klein College of Science - focusing on

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

natural sciences Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

* College of Arts + Architecture -

fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Fran Fine, the title character of ''The Nanny'' * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (p ...

and

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

(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 In the United States and Canada, a school of education (or college of education; ed school) is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences e ...

* College of Health and Human Services -

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, Biomechanics, biomechanical, Pathology, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kines ...

, 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 Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education ( Dip.Eng.)and (B.Eng.) or ( M.Eng.), and any advanced education and specializations tha ...

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 science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

computer programming Computer programming or coding is the composition of sequences of instructions, called computer program, programs, that computers can follow to perform tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, step-by-step specifications of proc ...

health informatics Health informatics combines communications, information technology (IT), and health care to enhance patient care and is at the forefront of the medical technological revolution. It can be viewed as a branch of engineering and applied science. ...

, and

bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field of science that develops methods and Bioinformatics software, software tools for understanding biological data, especially when the data sets are large and complex. Bioinformatics uses biology, ...

; 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. * Belk College of Business - the

business school A business school is a higher education institution or professional school that teaches courses leading to degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, s ...

, which offers undergraduate, graduate and executive education in five major departments: Accounting, Business Information Systems and Operations Management (BISOM), Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. The college offers three undergraduate degrees (

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

in Accounting,

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is an undergraduate degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of four years and typically 120 credits of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business ...

, and Bachelor of Science in economics); five master's programs (

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

Master of Accountancy The Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAcy, or MAccy), alternatively Master of Science in Accounting (MSA or MSAcy) or Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy, MPAcc, MPA or MPAc), is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for pu ...

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

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. 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 Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, a ...

family in 1990. * 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 A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

experience * Graduate School -

graduate school Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...

; works with the undergraduate colleges to organize the master's and doctoral degree programs

Scholarships

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. 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.

Library system

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, 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 Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

's ''

The Waste Land ''The Waste Land'' is a poem by T. S. Eliot, widely regarded as one of the most important English-language poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry. Published in 1922, the 434-line poem first appeared in the United ...

''. A special collections section is housed on the tenth floor at the top of the library.

Athletics

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 The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in t ...

following the 2022-23 calendar season. On September 18, 2008, Chancellor Dubois recommended adding a

Division I FCS The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Sponsored by the National Collegiate ...

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

Men's basketball, coached by

Aaron Fearne Aaron C. Fearne (born May 30, 1974) is an Australian basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball, Charlotte 49ers men's team of the American Athletic Conference. He served as the ...

. The team has reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including a trip to the Final Four in 1977.

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

players that once suited up for the 49ers include

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

Cedric Maxwell Cedric Bryan Maxwell (born November 21, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and played a key role in two c ...

, DeMarco Johnson,

2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001, in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizar ...

lottery pick

Rodney White Rodney Charles White (born June 28, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, White played college basketball for the Charlotte 49ers, earning national freshman of the year honors from ESP ...

Eddie Basden Edward Richard Basden (born February 15, 1983) is an American professional basketball player who formerly played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). College career Basden, born in New York, New York, played competitive basketball in G ...

and Chad Kinch of the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

Women's basketball

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.

Baseball

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 The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

), John Maine (

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

), Jason Stanford (

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Fieldin Culbreth Fieldin Henry Culbreth III (born March 16, 1963) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He worked in the American League from 1993 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2021. Culbreth was promot ...

is a recently retired MLB umpire who worked the 2008 World Series.

Football

Charlotte's

football team kicked off in 2013. It plays at

Jerry Richardson Stadium McColl–Richardson Field at Jerry Richardson Stadium is a college football stadium in University City (Charlotte neighborhood), University City, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States and the home field of the Charlotte 49ers football, Charl ...

, 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 Campbell University is a private Christian university in Buies Creek, North Carolina, United States. Campbell's main campus in Buies Creek is home to its College of Arts & Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Divinity School, Scho ...

on August 31, 2013. The football program moved up to

Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

in 2015 to play as members of

Conference USA Conference USA (CUSA) is a collegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas. Mem ...

. The Charlotte 49ers participated in their first bowl game in 2019 against the

Buffalo Bulls The Buffalo Bulls are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University at Buffalo (UB) in Buffalo, New York. The Bulls compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of Mid-Ame ...

in the

Bahamas Bowl The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been contested nine times since 2014 in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium. The bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American C ...

. Charlotte would move conferences to the American Athletic Conference beginning in 2023. Charlotte has had 5 players selected in the NFL Draft;

Larry Ogunjobi Olumide Larry Ogunjobi (born June 3, 1994) is an American professional American football, football defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Charlotte 49ers football, Charlott ...

, Nate Davis, Alex Highsmith, Cameron Clark and Grant DuBose.

Men's Golf

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

Men's soccer

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 The 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament was a single-elimination tournament involving 48 teams to determine the champion of the 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The 53rd edition of the tournament began on November 17, 2011 and ...

, losing to UNC-Chapel Hill and finishing second in the national polls. Former 49ers soccer players who went on to play in the

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

include

Floyd Franks Floyd Franks (born April 5, 1984) is an American soccer player. Career College and amateur Franks attended Vestavia Hills High School and played four years of college soccer at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, finishing his career ...

, Donnie Smith, Brandt Bronico, and

Jon Busch Jon Busch (born August 18, 1976) is an American professional soccer coach and former player, who played as a goalkeeper. Busch is currently the goalkeeping coach for USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. He is best remembered for hi ...

. 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.

Track and field

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 Shareese Woods (born February 20, 1985) is an American track and field athlete. She has competed internationally in sprint and has been on United States teams at the 2006 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics, 2007 NACAC Championships, 200 ...

. She is the most decorated athlete in school history, running professionally for ADIDAS.

Volleyball

Women's volleyball is one of the largest sponsors of the

Side-Out Foundation The Side-Out Foundation, located in Fairfax, Virginia, is an American non-profit breast cancer charity that raises awareness and funds for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Side-Out fundraises mainly through volleyball-related events. T ...

's "Dig Pink" for breast cancer awareness.

Student organizations

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.

Notable alumni and faculty

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.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Charlotte Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina At Charlotte, University Of Universities and colleges established in 1946 Universities and colleges in Charlotte, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...

Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1946 establishments in North Carolina