The University of Connecticut is a state university system with a main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Hartford. Founded in 1881 as an agricultural college, it is the only land-grant institution in the state. The university also includes branches in Groton (called Avery Point), West Hartford (Greater Hartford), Stamford, Torrington, and Waterbury, as well as a health center in Farmington. Among the university’s notable facilities are the Northeast Underwater Research Technology and Education Center at Avery Point and the Institute of Materials Science, the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, and the William Benton Museum of Art in Storrs.
Total enrollment at the main campus is roughly 25,000 students, most of whom are undergraduates. A comprehensive research institution, the university at Storrs grants degrees at the bachelor’s through doctoral level. It is made up of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Graduate School, the Neag School of Education, and the Schools of Business, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Fine Arts, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work. Some 100 undergraduate programs and more than 80 graduate programs are offered. Unique to the university is a bachelor’s and master’s degree program in puppetry. Special academic options include an honors program, study abroad, college courses for high school students, dual-degree programs, and the Eurotech Program (combining German and engineering studies and enabling participants to work and study overseas).
The university’s branch campuses enroll roughly 5,000 undergraduates. Many students complete the first two years of their undergraduate studies at a branch campus and then transfer to the campus in Storrs for their last two years. The branches also grant bachelor’s degrees in such fields as general studies, American studies, business, psychology, and English. Undergraduate and graduate programs in marine sciences are available at Avery Point. Some branches also offer master’s degrees in education, business, public administration, and nursing. The university’s law school is located in Hartford, and the social work school is at the Greater Hartford campus. The health center in Farmington includes the medical and dental schools.
The University of Connecticut’s varsity sports teams, nicknamed the Huskies, compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), with the football team participating in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The university’s basketball teams have often enjoyed great success. Under coach Geno Auriemma, the women’s basketball team won a record-breaking 90 consecutive games from 2008 to 2010. Four years later that team began another phenomenal winning streak, and in 2017 they won their 100th straight game, setting a record for both women’s and men’s NCAA programs. School colors are blue and white.
