EAST GREENSBORO, NC (August 21, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University begins the 2024-25 academic year today with a growing student population, new degree programs, development milestones and nearly $150 million in construction projects across the university area.
The exact number of this year’s students will not be announced for several weeks, but applications to North Carolina A&T for this academic year increased by 8% for undergraduate admissions and 15% for graduate admissions, for a total of more than 47,000 applications.
A&T has been America’s largest HBCU for a decade and is expecting another record by enrolling its largest student body ever. Last year, A&T enrolled 13,855 students. Chancellor James R. Martin II, who took office last Thursday, said enrollment is far from the only dimension of A&T that is growing.
“Our research agenda, our physical environment, our programs, our endowment – everything at North Carolina A&T has reached new levels,” Martin said. “This exponential growth is even more impressive when you consider what it is preparing A&T for in the future. Our potential is truly limitless.”
Last year, A&T was the only institution to have three UNC System-approved doctoral programs in one year. The university’s significant growth at the graduate level is led by three new graduate programs that have enrolled their first classes and whose students begin studies today:
- The Ph.D. in Criminal Law is not only the first Ph.D. program in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, but also the only Ph.D. program in criminal justice in North Carolina. In addition, there is a new S. in criminal justiceBoth are already in high demand among law enforcement agencies across our state.
- The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) The program, also launching this fall, is a major new graduate program for the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences, A&T’s largest college, and is expected to play a major role in eliminating health care disparities in the state.
The MS in Medical Studies is about to be approved by the accreditation body, and the Ph.D. in Applied Psychology is awaiting approval of the major changes by its accrediting bodies. Both programs are expected to be able to accept applications this academic year.
“We are pleased with the positive response our new degree programs are receiving in the marketplace and across the UNC System, and excited about the growth of graduate programs overall this year,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our university launched its first Ph.D. programs just 30 years ago, and I think we are just scratching the surface of our evolution as a doctoral research university. We are positioning ourselves as stronger and more culturally responsive knowledge producers and innovation leaders.”
This development has led A&T to pursue a goal in recent years to achieve the highest designation for research universities in the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. In 2023-24, A&T exceeded the essential requirements for Carnegie’s “R1 – Very High Research Activity” designation by graduating 72 doctoral students across a broad range of disciplines and spending over $50 million in research (A&T exceeded this requirement for the first time in 2022-23, with spending of $62 million). The Carnegie Classifications require a university to meet these criteria for three consecutive years.
Other developments to watch for in the 2024-25 school year include:
- A&T’s new $64 million, five-story Bluford Hall residential complex is rising on the historic west side of the main campus. Across Market Street, work has begun on The Resurgent, a $32 million health care and office project with A&T Real Estate Foundation Inc. and Cone Health.
On A&T’s 500-acre campus, workers are nearing completion of the $12 million Urban and Community Food Complex. And on the south campus of Gateway Research Park, workers are nearing completion of the sprawling, 70,000-square-foot, $35 million Community Education Center, a project of Guilford County Schools and A&T. In total, the East Greensboro projects will cost at least $143 million to build and will create many permanent jobs.
- Life on campus. A&T’s development includes campus activities and organizations that are growing in size and impact. Football season begins this Saturday against Wake Forest University in one of the most exciting season openers in the Piedmont Triad. A&T’s home game against Winston-Salem State University and home game against Hampton University have been sold out for weeks. This is the Aggies’ second year under head coach and former NFL veteran Vincent Brown.
A&T’s popular Chancellor’s Speaker Series will feature two events this fall. Previous editions of the series have brought such cultural figures as Sterling K. Brown, Gabrielle Union, Common, Tracee Ellis Ross, Magic Johnson and others to campus. Look for more information about the series in September.
