Mission
The University of Bridgeport offers career-oriented undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and programs for people seeking personal and professional growth. The University promotes academic excellence, personal responsibility and commitment to service. Distinctive curricula in an international, culturally diverse supportive learning environment prepare graduates for life and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world. The University is independent and non-sectarian.
History
The University of Bridgeport was founded in 1927 as the Junior College of Connecticut - the first junior college chartered by any legislature in the northeastern states. The college had as its purpose, in the words of the founders, to develop in students a point of view and a habit of mind that promotes clear thinking and sound judgment in later professional and business experience. Although UB has changed in many ways since then, this commitment to student preparation and community service remains central to its mission.
The Junior College of Connecticut became the University of Bridgeport in 1947, when the State of Connecticut chartered the institution as a four-year university with authority to grant the baccalaureate degree. By that time, the former Barnum estate at Seaside Park had been purchased and growth in students, faculty, programs and buildings was rapid. The College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business were added at once, and the colleges of Nursing, Education, and Engineering soon after. The Junior College expanded its offerings through a merger with the Weylister Secretarial Junior College of Milford, Connecticut, and through the addition of the Fones School of Dental Hygiene (at its inception in 1949 the only such school in Connecticut and the second in New England).
By 1950, the University had moved from the original Fairfield Avenue location to the present Seaside Park campus, which has since grown from 22 to 53 acres. Enrollment was nearly 3,500 students, including a number of international students, taught by a faculty of 183 men and women. In 1951 the University awarded its first Master’s degree.
In 1953 the University expanded its programs when Arnold College, the oldest coeducational school of physical education in the United States, merged with and was incorporated into the College of Education.
In January 1979 UB inaugurated its first doctoral degree program, Educational Leadership; and in 1991 the College of Chiropractic was established, representing the first affiliation of a chiropractic school with a university in the United States. In 2005 the Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering was added and further doctoral and masters level degrees followed.
University of Bridgeport Today
The University today continues its commitment to excellence as it maintains its tradition of responding to the changing needs of society through the liberal arts and its professional programs. Programs are focused so that students receive the kind of personal advising and attention usually found only at small colleges. Furthermore, the University takes full advantage of its location in a progressive urban setting, using regional resources as “living laboratories” to supplement the traditional academic instruction offered on the campus. Through cooperative education programs, students can learn from experience by integrating classroom studies on campus with supervised employment in industrial, service, and government sectors.
Through its schools and colleges, the University offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs from associate through doctoral levels. The University’s student body is a valuable resource. Approximately 4,000 students were enrolled in 2023-2024 coming from 45 states and 58 different countries, representing a rich diversity of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Faculty
The UB instructional staff consists of 146 full-time faculty, and nearly all hold doctoral or terminal degrees in their fields. The full-time faculty is augmented by approximately 306 adjunct faculty.
Faculty honors include Fulbright Scholars, National Science Foundation Fellows, Ford Fellows, National Endowment for the Humanities Fellows, American Council for Learned Societies Scholars, Phi Beta Kappa Scholars, Phi Kappa Phi Scholars, and Sigma Xi Scholars.
Accreditations and Memberships
The University of Bridgeport is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
The University also is accredited by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education. Accreditation of professional programs have been granted by the following accrediting bodies in the areas noted:
Name of Programs - Accreditor
Acupuncture - The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) (MS-AC, MS-Ac.CH, DAc.TCM)
Business Programs - The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Chiropractic - Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE)
Counseling - The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
Dental Hygiene -The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
Educator Preparation - The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Engineering - Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Medical Laboratory Science Programs - National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
Nursing - The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Nutrition - The Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE)
Physician Assistant - Accreditation Review Commission on Education (ARC-PA)
The University holds membership in the American Council on Education, the American Association of University Women, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, the Council of Graduate Schools, the College Board, and the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium, the American Society for Engineering Education, the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the Commission on Accelerated Programs, New England Association for College Admission, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the New England Association of College Admission Counselors, NAFSA (Association of International Educators), the Institute of International Education, and AACRAO - American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers.
Campus and Campus History
The University of Bridgeport is located fifty-five miles from New York City. Bridgeport is Connecticut’s largest city and borders the 53-acre campus to the north. With some of the finest sandy beaches between New York and Cape Cod, Seaside Park and Long Island Sound mark the southern boundary. The unique location of the campus offers a variety of advantages to the University community. The Sound and the Park are settings for studies in marine biology and for the enjoyment of sun and recreation. The city and county provide opportunities for becoming involved in work-study programs with schools, government and some of the country’s largest Fortune 500 and multi-national corporations.
The architectural diversity of UB’s dozens of buildings, from stately homes to newer structures of modern design, reflects the origins and progress of the university and also embodies its twofold commitment to solidity and change. The entrance to Marina Dining Hall was once the entrance arch to the estate of Phineas Taylor Barnum, who served as Mayor of Bridgeport from 1875 to 1876 and played a crucial role in the city’s cultural and economic development. Bryant Hall, with its inlaid mosaic entryway and ornately carved banisters and ceilings, was built in 1895 for inventor Waldo C. Bryant. Carstensen Hall is a facsimile of a pavilion at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, and was designed in 1899 for the chemist George Edwards, whose research led to improving the durability of silver plate. Between the campus and Seaside Park is Perry Arch, designed by Henry Bacon, who also designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
The more modern buildings house academic and student life on campus include Carlson Hall, prominently located on the main quad of the University and built by the generosity of William and Phillips Carlson in 1955. Until the completion of Wahlstrom Library in 1974, Carlson served as the University’s first standalone library. Today it houses the School of Education on its first floor and the College of Science and Society on it second floor. The building also houses the language laboratory and the film and video facility.
The John J. Cox Student Center provides social, recreational, and extracurricular cultural programs. It has a social hall with a seating capacity of 400; lounges and meeting rooms; a games room and bowling alley; the office of The Scribe (the campus newspaper); the Music department; and offices of the Student Congress and student clubs and organizations, as well as offices of the Student Development division.
The Charles A. Dana Hall of Science is designed for study and research in biology, chemistry, physics, health sciences, medical laboratory science and geology. There is a 285-seat lecture auditorium, and the unique Science Wall of Honor commemorating thirty-seven of the world’s “Immortals of Science.” It is also the home of the scientific programs in the College of Science and Society.
Eleanor Naylor Dana Hall provides facilities for the Physician Assistant Program and the graduate program in Human Nutrition.
The UB Health Sciences Center houses the UB Clinics in Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Dental Hygiene care. It is also the home to the Administration for the Acupuncture Institute and the Fones School of Dental Hygiene.
The Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium is the center for intercollegiate sports programs. It seats 2,500 spectators.
Ernest C. Trefz School of Business houses the School of Business and a major computer laboratory.
The College of Health Sciences Building has class and conference rooms, offices, a laboratory, and an auditorium seating two hundred people. It is equipped with the modern facilities necessary for the professional programs offered by the health sciences faculty.
The Technology Building provides the engineering disciplines with the special capabilities and equipment needed for programs in biomedical, mechanical, electrical and computer engineering.
The Magnus Wahlstrom Library is the academic and physical heart of the campus. The nine-story building is home to many different types of information resources, collections, and services.
The “Garden Level” houses the Office of the Registrar, The Bursar and Financial Aid, Student Employment, and the UB Bookstore. The Sixth floor houses the Office of Admissions. The Seventh floor houses the Division of Administration and Finance and the Office of the Assistant Provost, and the Grants Department. The Eighth floor houses the Office of the President and Exectutive Leadership.
The Wheeler Recreation Center offers opportunities for students to enjoy recreational sports. Wheeler has a 25-meter pool with one-meter and three-meter diving boards and adjacent steam room and sauna facilities. The field house has a multi-purpose area for tennis, basketball, and volleyball, with a jogging track around the perimeter. In addition, there are courts for racquetball and handball.
Security Services
The University offers a combination of security services that include a Securitas Security Service USA managed public safety force, escort services, and monitored access to residence halls.
LiveSafe
LiveSafe is the personal UB security and information phone application for all students, faculty, and staff. It is available for Android and iPhone devices. LiveSafe allows the user to send tips and messages to Campus Security, share locations with friends or family, locate buildings on campus and access emergency services and preparedness information. The information is easy to obtain directly from a hand-held device by scrolling through the information tabs provided and opening the tab to reach Campus Security while on campus or 911/police when off-campus. Also available is the SafeWalk feature which allows a family member or friend to follow users on the application to ensure the safe arrival to the destination of their choice. If users are looking for a specific building on campus, the LiveSafe application can give walking or driving directions from wherever they are to the university destination address they choose. To download the free mobile app see links below. All faculty, staff, and students should select the University of Bridgeport organization when configuring the UB LiveSafe app. For an instructional video on how to use the feature rich app, go to LiveSafe App
Download the free mobile app:
LiveSafe for ANDROID:
LiveSafe for iPhone:
Emergency Broadcast System
The University of Bridgeport has established an Emergency Broadcast System through LiveSafe. LiveSafe allows the University of Bridgeport to transmit messages to users, informing them of an event that may have a direct impact on health or safety.
Social and Cultural Opportunities
Cultural events at the University of Bridgeport offer entertainment of high quality. Art exhibits, theatre productions, dance ensembles, music ensembles, classic cinema, lectures, and concerts by UB groups, including the Jazz Ensemble are regularly scheduled.
Student organizations of the University plan a wide range of social programs from movies to dances, rock concerts, international festivals, coffee houses, lectures, and comedy acts.
The University’s schedule of events in the fine and performing arts is complemented by its location in the center of Fairfield County, one of the country’s most desirable recreational and cultural areas. New England village greens and historic communities are within easy reach of the campus. The Southern Connecticut area is home to the Westport Country Playhouse and New Haven’s Long Wharf and Yale Repertory Theaters. The cultural resources of New York and Boston are within convenient traveling distance by car, bus, or train.
International Activities and Study Abroad
The University of Bridgeport offers a wide range of opportunities for students to learn about other cultures and to understand American culture. Students from approximately 80 countries attend the University. Through formal events such as the annual International Festival sponsored by the Office of International Affairs and the International Relations Club, and through informal contacts in and out of class, students from different cultures are able to meet and get to know one another.
Study Abroad
There is opportunity for foreign study and travel and these opportunities are coordinated through some of the academic programs at the University. They may receive credit for work done at a foreign university provided they follow the usual procedure of obtaining permission to take courses off-campus. In the past, students have pursued such programs at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, the Catholic University of the West, Laval University, The Institute for American Universities in AixenProvence, France, The American College in Paris, University of Madrid, University of Valencia, the Young Judea Year Course in Israel, and The London School of Economics. Students interested in such programs should consult with their department chair.
More recently students have also pursued study abroad at the American University of Dubai, at Hanseo, Yonsei and Sun Moon Universities in Korea, at the International Christian University in Japan, at Fudan University and at Sichuan University Jinjiang College in China and at the Chinese Cultural University in Taiwan.
Computing Facilities
Academic and Campus Technology Services (ACTS) provides computing, information, and networks services to the entire campus community.
A campus-wide fiber optic network for data communication provides data connectivity for students, faculty, and staff. A state-of-the-art digital network system offers students, faculty, and staff access to all on-campus computing resources, as well as remote computing resources via the Internet.
ACTS maintains the University-wide computing infrastructure for academic and administrative use, utilizing state-of-the-art computing and network solutions. All central and distributed computers and about 1000 workstations and other devices are connected to the campus network, providing each user with access to computing resources. Every faculty and staff member has a PC or laptop connected to the campus network. Phone, cable, and high speed data connectivity is extended to all residence hall rooms.
In addition to numerous departmental computing labs, ACTS manages public student labs, located in Mandeville Hall, Engineering and Technology Hall, and Wahlstrom Library Learning Commons All computers support general purpose applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and data base management systems. The Waterbury center has a general computer lab to support those students attending classes at that facility.
The University’s Portal (myub.bridgeport.edu) provides access to email and other student-designated resources. All students have free Web space and additional space for storing critical data. Additional facilities permit students to review schedules and perform grade-lookup.
ACTS also includes wireless access in all study lounges on each floor of each residence hall. General wireless areas include the Wahlstrom Library as wells as a popular student gathering location in Knight’s End Café.
ACTS provides support for setting up student UB accounts and wireless issues. Students who need assistance can go to the Print/ Copy Center on the first floor of the library for help. Support is available during the hours of operation of the library.
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