Jackson State University is often abridged as Jackson State or by its initials JSU, it is a predominantly black university located in Jackson, Mississippi. JSU was founded in 1877. Jackson State University is noted for its successful and well-equipped business and computer departments, and is amongst the highest ranked in the United States. The institution moved to Jackson because of its central location in the state, and later the name was changed to Jackson College. In the subsequent years, the name changed to the well-known Jackson State University. In 1979, JSU was officially designated the Urban University of Mississippi, US. Jackson State's athletic teams are a member of the most privileged NCAA Division 1-AA's Southwestern Athletic Conference, known as the SWAC. Presently, the university operates men's and women's basketball, football, baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, soccer, and men and women's bowling teams.
The University offers bachelors, masters, associate and doctoral degrees. It is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Intensive institution, and is extremely well equipped.
JSU operates the Mississippi Urban Research Center, which "develops and offers instructional programs, forums and conferences on urban life." The University's degree programs are largely in areas such as public health, business, education, engineering, and public administration, liberal arts, English, chemistry, political science, and mathematics. JSU also offers distance and online education.
JSU consists ten different colleges and divisions such as the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Business; the College of Public Service; the College of Science, Engineering, and Technical Arts; the College of Liberal Arts; the College of Lifelong Learning; the Divisions of Graduate Studies, International Studies, and Undergraduate Studies.
JSU has seven undergraduate schools within the Colleges. The university's Bachelor's degrees are offered in allied health sciences, business, education, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology, and social work. It also has an Honors College.
The Graduate degrees of JSU are awarded in allied health, business, education, liberal arts, science and technology, and social work. The university also awards doctoral degrees in nine areas. The education specialist degree is also awarded in JSU and is very famous all over the state. JSU has a number of unique centers and institutes, including English as a Second Language Institute, Center for University Scholars and the Institute for Educational Renewal. In-state tuition and fees for all the undergraduate students were $1920 in 2004-2005. All the students applying from out of state for graduate and undergraduate courses will have different costs. JSU offers financial aid to all deserving and needy students, grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs, subsidies are also available.