North Carolina Community College System and moved to its current location in 1961.
In 1963, Charlotte College became a four-year college. On July 1, 1965, it merged with the Consolidated University of North Carolina (since 1972 called the
University of North Carolina) under its current name. In 1969, the university began offering programs leading to master's degrees. In 1992, it was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees.
Leaders of the university
Bonnie Ethel Cone, founder
Bonnie Ethel Cone (1907–2003), or Miss Bonnie as she was known to students, was chosen to as director of the Charlotte Center in 1946. 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
Dean Wallace Colvard (July 10, 1913 – June 28, 2007) was a president of Mississippi State University, notable for his role in a 1963 controversy surrounding the participation of the university's basketball team in the NCAA tournament.
Early li ...
(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 land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...
(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 Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...
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'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
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
Elbert Kirtley Fretwell Jr. (October 29, 1923 – October 18, 2012) was an American academic and Chancellor Emeritus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He was born in New York City and is the son of Elbert K. Fretwell, who serv ...
(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 Dr. James Woodward is an Aeronautical engineer, professor and past chancellor of University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
James Woodward was born in Sanford, Florida and grew up in Columbus, Georgia. He married his childhood sweetheart at the a ...
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. Dr. 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.
2019 shooting
On April 30, 2019, a
mass shooting 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.
Name change
On August 19, 2021, the university announced it would like to be referred to as "Charlotte", not "UNCC". The logo also changed, from a crown to the "All-in-C" logo designed by Todd Aldridge and used by the athletics department since 2020, which has the letter C and a
pickaxe but does not include "UNC".
Campuses
Main Campus – University City
The university operates several campuses in Charlotte. The Main Campus is situated on just under 1,000 acres (4 km
2) 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.
Charlotte Research Institute Campus
The
Charlotte Research Institute was created in 2000. It sits on a 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.
Center City Campus

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), Master of Urban Design (MUD), Master of Public Administration (MPA), and other graduate programs. 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
KieranTimberlake is an American architecture firm founded by Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake in Philadelphia. The firm espouses a philosophy of sustainable design, collaborative design, and in-depth research. They have also shown an interest ...
. 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.
Students
Approximately 30,000 students were enrolled in the university in the fall of 2020. Students hail from 97 of North Carolina's 100 counties, 45 states, and 103 countries.
Academics
UNC Charlotte 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 roc ...
among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."
[ In 2014, UNC Charlotte was ranked the 38th top college in the United States by the Social Mobility Index college rankings. The 2013 edition of the '' U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges'' ranked the university's undergraduate program 199th overall among national universities, however by 2020 it had dropped to 227] Forbes has ranked the university at 485th Nationally. In 2015, American City Business Journals
American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...
evaluated and ranked the top 484 public colleges and universities in the United States based on selectivity, advancement, prestige, costs, diversity, and community. In the publication, UNC Charlotte was ranked at No. 137, landing in the top 30% of public universities.
Colleges and programs
The university offers 171 majors that lead to 79 baccalaureate ( bachelor's degree) degrees, 66 master's degree programs, and 24 doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
programs. Fifteen degree and certificate programs are offered via distance education, from 25% to 100% online.
The university is divided into nine colleges:
* College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - academic disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
* College of Arts + Architecture - fine
Fine may refer to:
Characters
* 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 (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...
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 are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...
(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
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 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
Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional development, professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education (Bachelor's degree, bachelor's and/or master's degree), and any ...
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
Health informatics is the field of science and engineering that aims at developing methods and technologies for the acquisition, processing, and study of patient data, which can come from different sources and modalities, such as electronic hea ...
, and bioinformatics
Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data, in particular when the data sets are large and complex. As an interdisciplinary field of science, bioinformatics combi ...
; 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 university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, o ...
, which offers undergraduate, graduate and executive education in five major departments: Accounting, Business Information Systems & Operations Management (BISOM), Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. The college offers three undergraduate degrees ( Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanced ...
, 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. 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.
* 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 study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...
experience
* Graduate School - graduate school; 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
Leon Levine (born June 8, 1937) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Family Dollar chain of discount stores.
Early life
Leon Levine was born into a Jewish family on June 8, 1937, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. The family ...
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, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...
's '' The Waste Land''. 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 sixteen varsity teams and competes in the NCAA's Division I. The university is a full member of Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
, but will be moving to the 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
Men's basketball, coached by Ron Sanchez. 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. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
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 league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
great Cedric Maxwell, 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 Wizards, ...
lottery pick Rodney White, and 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 Upper Marlboro, Maryland, played competitive basketball ...
.
Women's basketball
Women's basketball has seen a surge in popularity on campus over the past several years, with the 2003 team, led by coach Katie Meier, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Meier was succeeded in 2005 by Amanda Butler, who left after two seasons to take over the same position at the University of Florida. Karen Aston took the reins for the 2007–08 season; Cara Consuegra served as head coach for the 2011 season. In the 2021-22 season, Consuegra led the team to a CUSA regular season and tournament championship, resulting in an NCAA tournament berth.
Baseball
Charlotte Baseball has made 6 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) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
), John Maine ( New York Mets), Jason Stanford ( Cleveland Indians). Fieldin Culbreth is a recently retired MLB umpire who worked the 2008 World Series.
Football
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.
The football program moved up to Division I FBS in 2015 and play as members of Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
. 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-Am ...
in the Bahamas Bowl.
Charlotte has had 4 players selected in the NFL Draft; Larry Ogunjobi
Olumide Larry Ogunjobi (born June 3, 1994) is an American football defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Charlotte, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third ro ...
, Nate Davis, Alex Highsmith
Alex Highsmith (born August 7, 1997) is an American football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Charlotte.
Early life and high school
Highsmith grew up in Wilmingto ...
, and Cameron Clark.
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 now playing in the MLS 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 caree ...
, Donnie Smith
Donald W. Smith (born December 7, 1990) is an American retired soccer player who previously played as a left back for the New England Revolution of MLS and the Charlotte Independence of the USL Championship.
Career
Charlotte 49ers
As a four- ...
, Brandt Bronico
Brandt James Bronico (born June 20, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC.
Career
After spending four years at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Bronico was ...
, and Jon Busch. The team won a conference title in 2013–2014.
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. 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'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.
See also
* Dale F. Halton Arena
Dale F. Halton Arena at the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center (commonly shortened to Halton Arena) is an indoor sports venue located on the main campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the home venue of the Charlotte ...
* Lee Rose
* Jeff Mullins
* Bobby Lutz
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Charlotte Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina At Charlotte, University Of
Educational institutions established in 1946
Universities and colleges in Charlotte, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1946 establishments in North Carolina