Harvard University is the oldest institute of higher learning in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. It has an endowment of
37 billion, the largest of any academic institution.
University was founded by Puritans in 1636 to train ministers and prepared many graduates to become leaders in law, commerce and government. The college’s mission was to train future ministers, so it was originally named “New College” and had no official connection with Harvard University. In 1639, it became a degree-granting institution named Harvard College and began offering bachelor’s degrees.
In 1720, Harvard became one of America’s first private universities when it changed from a seminary into a college offering bachelor’s degrees (Master’s degrees were not offered until 1869). The original campus consisted of three buildings: Massachusetts Hall (built 1718), Hollis Hall (1749) and Leverett Library (1766).
In 1780, Harvard changed its name to Harvard College after being granted a royal charter from King George III. The school became a university in 1869 when it took over several other institutions, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Radcliffe College for women students.
Today, Harvard University has eight faculties that offer instruction across arts and sciences, engineering and applied sciences, business administration, education and public health. It offers more than 300 degree programs through its 13 schools — including the School of Public Health — which are made up of more than 700 undergraduate courses; about 120 graduate courses; more than 400 specialized research centers and so on.
