History
UNCW opened its doors on September 4, 1947 as Wilmington College. At the time the school operated as a junior college, offering freshman-level courses to nearly 250 students during the first school year, many of whom were veterans returning from military service following World War II. Under the control of the New Hanover County Board of Education, Wilmington College earned accreditation from the North Carolina College Conference in 1948 and became a member of the American Association of Junior Colleges. Further accreditation came in 1952 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 1958, Wilmington College was placed under the Community College Act of North Carolina, passing control from the New Hanover County Board of Education to a board of trustees as a state-supported college under the supervision of the North Carolina Board of Higher Education.
Wilmington College became a senior college on July 1, 1963, when the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation allowing the school to offer a four-year curriculum and award bachelor's degrees. Six years later, July 1, 1969, the name of the school was changed to The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, making UNCW the fifth campus of the University of North Carolina system. On August 22, 1977, UNCW was authorized to offer its first graduate programs at the master's level. Currently, UNCW has around 14,000 students enrolled and nearly 500 full-time faculty members. The school offers fifty-two bachelor's degrees, thirty-six master's degrees and doctoral degrees in marine biology and educational leadership and administration.
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