University of Southern California

The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly as Southern Cal), is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university located in the University Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university.

U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 21% of the 35,809 who applied for freshman admission in 2008. According to the 2007 freshman profile, 18% of admissions were associated with legacy preferences. USC was also named "College of the Year 2000" by the editors of Time and The Princeton Review for the university's extensive community-service programs.USC students hail from all 50 United States as well as over 115 countries.

USC men's and women's athletics have won 88 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships,third in the nation (behind UCLA and Stanford), and 347 Individual NCAA Championships, second in the nation.

Located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international trade, the University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. USC enrolls more international students than any other U.S. university and offers extensive opportunities for internships and study abroad. With a strong tradition of integrating liberal and professional education, USC fosters a vibrant culture of public service and encourages students to cross academic as well as geographic boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge.

Established: 1880
Los Angeles was little more than a frontier town in 1880 when USC first opened its doors to 53 students and 10 teachers. Today it is a world-class research university, the oldest private research university in the West.

Location: Los Angeles, California
USC's University Park campus, located in the heart of Los Angeles' Downtown Arts and Education Corridor, is home to the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and many professional schools. The Health Sciences campus, northeast of downtown Los Angeles, is home to the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the School of Pharmacy, three major teaching hospitals and programs in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. USC also has programs and centers in Marina Del Rey, Orange County, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Catalina Island, Alhambra and around Southern California. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, staffed by USC faculty from the Keck School of Medicine, is often referred to as USC's third campus.

History

When USC opened in 1880, tuition was $15.00 per term and students were not allowed to leave town without the knowledge and consent of the university president. The school had an enrollment of 53 students and a faculty of 10. The city lacked paved streets, electric lights, telephones, and a reliable fire alarm system. Its first graduating class in 1884 was a class of three—two males and female valedictorian Minnie C. Miltimore. USC was founded by a Methodist horticulturist, an Irish Catholic pharmacist and a German Jewish banker. The university is no longer affiliated with the Methodist Church, having severed formal ties in 1952.

The colors of USC are cardinal and gold, which were approved by USC's third president, the Reverend George W. White, in 1895. In 1958 the shade of gold, which was originally more of an orange color, was changed to a more yellow shade. The letterman's awards were the first to make the change.

USC's nickname is the Trojans, epitomized by the statue of Tommy Trojan near the center of campus. Until 1912, USC students (especially athletes) were known as Fighting Methodists or Wesleyans, though neither name was approved by the university. During a fateful track and field meet with Stanford University, the USC team was beaten early and seemingly conclusively. After only the first few events, it was statistically impossible for USC to win; however, the team fought back, winning many of the later events, to lose only by a slight margin. After this contest, Los Angeles Times sportswriter Owen Bird reported that the USC athletes "fought on like Trojans," and the president of the university at the time, George F. Bovard, approved the name officially.

USC is the largest private employer in Los Angeles and the third largest in the state of California and is responsible for $4 billion in economic output in Los Angeles County; USC students spend $406 million yearly in the local economy and visitors to the campus add another $12.3 million.

Schools

• USC Leventhal School of Accounting
  
• USC School of Architecture
  
• USC Marshall School of Business
  
• USC School of Cinematic Arts
  
• USC Annenberg School for
  
• Communication
  
• USC School of Dentistry
  
• USC Rossier School of Education
  
• USC Viterbi School of Engineering
  
• USC Roski School of Fine Arts
  
• USC Davis School of Gerontology
  
• USC Gould School of Law
  
• Keck School of Medicine of USC
  
• USC Thornton School of Music
  
• USC School of Pharmacy
  
• USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development
  
• USC School of Social Work
  
• USC School of Theatre
• USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
  

University ranking

USC is ranked 27th among national universities by U.S.News & World Report 50th among world universities and 39th among universities in the Americas by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 119th worldwide by The Times Higher Education Supplement, 24th among national universities by Washington Monthly and 23rd among national universities by The Center for Measuring University Performance.

USNWR ranks USC's School of Law 18th,Marshall School of Business 21st, Keck School of Medicine of USC 36th in research and unranked in primary care, the Viterbi School of Engineering 21st, and the Rossier School of Education 38th, and the Roski School of Fine arts Graduate program 37th, the School of Policy, Planning, and Development 7th.

The Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked USC's combined departments of engineering and computer sciences as 11th in the world, physical sciences 52nd, social sciences 35th, life sciences 51st, clinical medicine and pharmacy 47th. USC is also among top 10 dream colleges in the United States. Princeton Review's "College Hopes & Worries" 2008 survey reports USC as the 9th dream college for students.

USC also participates in the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)'s University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN).

University of Southern California ranked 119th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Southern California ranked 102nd in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
University of Southern California ranked 112nd in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking
University of Southern California ranked 113rd in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Southern California ranked 107th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland. The EPFL is ranked the world's 18th university in the field of "Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences" in the 2008 academic ranking of world universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University . The EPFL is in the heart of Europe and is one of Europe's leading institutions of science and technology. In the communication field, EPFL is considered among the top three universities in the world.

The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:
Educate engineers and scientists
Be a national center of excellence in science and technology
Provide a hub for interaction between the scientific community and industry

The sister institution in the German-speaking part of Switzerland is the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich or ETHZ). Associated with several specialised research institutes, the two sister institutes form the ETH Domain, which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

History

Founded in 1853 as a private school under the name École Spéciale de Lausanne, it became the technical department of the public Académie de Lausanne in 1869. When the latter was reorganized and acquired the status of a university in 1890, the technical faculty changed its name to École d'Ingénieurs de l'Université de Lausanne. In 1946, it was renamed the École Polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne (EPUL).

In 1969, the EPUL was separated from the rest of the University of Lausanne and became a federal institute under its current name. The EPFL, like the ETHZ, is thus directly controlled by the Swiss federal government. In contrast, all other universities in Switzerland are controlled by their respective cantonal governments.

The EPFL operates a nuclear reactor, CROCUS, a Tokamak fusion reactor, and P3 bio-hazard facilities. Following the nomination of Patrick Aebischer as president in 2000, EPFL has started to develop into the field of life sciences. It will absorb the ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research) by 2008.

THE SCHOOLS

• ENAC, Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  
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• I&C, Computer and Communication Sciences
  
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• SB, Basic Sciences
  
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• STI, Engineering Sciences and Techniques
  
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• SV, Life Sciences
  
• 
  
• CDH, College of Humanities
  
• 
  
• CDM, College of Management of Technology
  

EPFL At a Glance

EPFL is one of the two Ecoles Polytechniques fédérales in Switzerland. Like its sister institution, ETHZ, it has three missions: education, research and technology transfer at the highest international level. Associated with several specialised research institutes, the two EPFs form the EPF domain, which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

EPFL, in its idyllic location on the shores of Lake Geneva, brings together a campus of more than 10,000 people. By its novel structure, the school stimulates collaboration between students, professors, researchers and entrepreneurs. These daily interactions give rise to new and groundbreaking work in science, technology and architecture.

Earn a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree at the highest international level

EPFL offers 13 complete study programs at the Bachelor's and Master's levels in engineering, basic sciences, computer and communication sciences, life sciences, civil engineering, architecture and the environment.

These study programs are designed to be flexible and modular. They meet the requirements of the Bologna accords and as a result, students can take advantage of a wide array of exchange opportunities, and the degrees they earn are internationally recognized.

Within EPFL's Doctoral School, PhD students share ideas, provide mutual support and intellectual stimulation, and round out their education with high-level specialized courses. PhD students benefit from EPFL's scientific expertise and excellent infrastructure.

Students in EPFL's School of Continuing Education have the opportunity to strengthen and update their skills and knowledge, giving them a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving professional environment. The School offers a wide range of courses from seminars to postgraduate Master's degrees. These modular programs can also be adapted to meet individual companies' needs.

Research : going beyond disciplinary boundaries

With more than 250 laboratories and research groups on campus, EPFL is one of Europe's most innovative and productive technology institutes.

The School's unique structure facilitates transdisciplinary research and encourages partnerships with other institutions. EPFL emphasizes both fundamental research and engineering applications.

Technology transfer: creating value

The campus offers services and facilities to transform scientific excellence into economic competitiveness, jobs and quality of life. A start-up incubator, coaching services, study programs in entrepreneurship, and innovation programs all serve to stimulate the links between lab and business. The Science Park on campus is home to more than 100 enterprises and numerous investors. EPFL is rich in new technology, research infrastructure, academic partnerships and other numerous forms of collaboration, making it a particularly attractive environment for start-ups and technology enterprises.


A Campus, a City

The environment at EPFL is one of exchange and interaction. With 107 nationalities represented on campus and more than 50% of our professors coming from abroad, the School is one of the world's most cosmopolitan universities.

At EPFL, women benefit from a policy of active promotion and support at all levels. The proportion of female students has increased by 30% over the past five years.

The EPFL campus is contiguous with that of the University of Lausanne, an institution that excels in economics, the social sciences and humanities, as well as in earth sciences, biology and medicine. Taken together, the two campuses count 25,000 students, nearly 10% of the population of the larger Lausanne metropolitan area. This gives the city a unique dynamic. Lausanne offers students a wide palette of cultural and sports activities, unusual for a city of her size. Lausanne is also known internationally as the seat of the International Olympic Committee.

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland ranked 117th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland ranked 50th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland ranked 42nd in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland ranked 32nd in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland ranked 35th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of California, Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a selective, research-oriented public university located on the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It is one of 10 campuses of the University of California. Its current student body is around 20,000. UCSB ranks as the 35th university worldwide and the 27th in the United States in the 2007 Academic Ranking of World Universities, which measures scientific research leading toward a Nobel Prize. U.S. News & World Report ranks the university as the 44th best in the United States in terms of quality of undergraduate education.

History

The predecessor to UCSB, Santa Barbara State College, focused on teacher training, industrial arts, home economics, and foreign languages. Intense lobbying by an interest group in the City of Santa Barbara led by Thomas Storke and Pearl Chase persuaded the State Legislature, Governor Earl Warren, and the Regents of the University of California to move the State College over to the more research-oriented University of California system in 1944. The State College system sued to stop the takeover, but the Governor did not support the suit. A state initiative was passed, however, to stop subsequent conversions of State Colleges to University of California campuses.

Originally, the Regents envisioned a small, several thousand-student liberal arts college, a so-called `Williams College of the West,' at Santa Barbara. Chronologically, UCSB is only the third general-education campus of the University of California, after Berkeley and UCLA (the only other state campus to have been acquired by the UC system.) The original campus the Regents acquired in Santa Barbara was located on only one hundred acres of largely unusable land on a seaside mesa, however. The availability of a 400 acre ex-Marine Base on another seaside mesa in Goleta, which the Regents could acquire for free from the federal government, led to that site becoming the Santa Barbara campus in 1949. Originally, only 3000-3500 students were anticipated, but the post WWII baby boom led to the designation of general campus in 1958, along with a name change from "Santa Barbara College" to "University of California, Santa Barbara," and the discontinuation of the industrial arts program for which the State college was famous. A Chancellor, Samuel B. Gould, was appointed in 1959. All of this change was done in accordance with the California Master Plan for Higher Education.

Academics

UC Santa Barbara is one of only 62 research-intensive institutions elected to membership in the Association of American Universities. UCSB celebrates the five Nobel Prizes won by faculty members since 1998 for landmark research in chemistry, physics, and economics. U.S. News and World Report's guide, "America's Best Colleges," the most widely read college guide in the country, ranks UCSB the 16th best public university in the nation. UCSB was selected as one of the first California Institutes for Science and Innovation. Among all applicants (47,893 for Fall 2006), 12,033 had a high school Grade Point Average of 4.0 or higher.

UCSB has three undergraduate colleges: the College of Letters & Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Creative Studies. The College of Creative Studies offers students an alternative approach to education by allowing them to pursue advanced, independent work in the arts, mathematics, and sciences.

The campus also has two professional schools, the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science, located in Bren Hall, and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. UCSB also hosts eight National Research Centers, including the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (at which many of the world's prominent theoretical physicists, including Stephen Hawking, are regular visitors) and the Materials Research Laboratory. Five of these Centers are supported by the National Science Foundation. Its faculty includes 5 Nobel laureates, 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 24 members of the National Academy of Engineering,and 21 members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences.

• College of Creative Studies
  
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• 
  
• College of Engineering
  
• 
  
• 
  
• College of Letters and Science
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Gevirtz Graduate School of Education
  

Short Facts

In addition to five winners of Nobel Prizes, UCSB's faculty includes many elected members or fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (25), the National Academy of Sciences (27), the National Academy of Engineering (27), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (38).

UCSB is one of only 62 institutions elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. And the Newsweek guide to America's best colleges has named UCSB one of the country's "hottest colleges" twice in the past five years.

UCSB Ranked 117th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

UCSB Ranked 98th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking
UCSB Ranked 106th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking
UCSB Ranked 116th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

UCSB Ranked 118th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of Otago

The University of Otago (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo) in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 20,000 students enrolled during 2006. It is the South Island's largest employer and claims to have the world's 2nd longest continuously running annual student revue (the Capping Show) and New Zealand's oldest ballet company (the Selwyn Ballet).

The University is known throughout the country for its unique student lifestyle and particularly its flatting culture, where students generally share semi-dilapidated housing units with a unique name and "character building" domestic life. The nickname Scarfie applies to the students after the cold weather and traditional habit of wearing a scarf for most of the year.

Otago graduates are known to be among the most dispersed alumni in the world, with many graduates ultimately settling in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, China, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Japan or elsewhere in New Zealand.

Founded in 1869 by a committee including Thomas Burns, the university opened in July 1871. Its motto is "Sapere aude" ("Dare to be wise"). (The University of New Zealand subsequently adopted the same motto.) The University of Otago Students' Association answers this with its own motto, "Audeamus" ("let us dare").

Between 1874 and 1961 the University of Otago was a part of the University of New Zealand, and issued degrees in its name.

History

The University of Otago, founded in 1869 by an ordinance of the Otago Provincial Council, is New Zealand's oldest university. The new University was given 100,000 acres of pastoral land as an endowment and authorised to grant degrees in Arts, Medicine, Law and Music.

The University opened in July 1871 with a staff of just three Professors, one to teach Classics and English Language and Literature, another having responsibility for Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and the third to cover Mental and Moral Philosophy. The following year a Professor of Natural Science joined the staff. With a further endowment provided in 1872, the syllabus was widened and new lectureships established: lectures in Law started in 1873, and in 1875 courses began in Medicine. Lectures in Mining were given from 1872, and in 1878 a School of Mines was established; this later became the Department of Mineral Technology and was transferred to the University of Auckland in 1987.

The University was originally housed in a building (later the Stock Exchange) on the site of John Wickliffe House in Princes Street but it moved to its present site with the completion of the northern parts of the Clocktower and Geology buildings in 1878 and 1879. The School of Dentistry was founded in 1907 and the School of Home Science (now Consumer and Applied Sciences) in 1911. Teaching in Accountancy and Commerce subjects began in 1912. Various new chairs and lectureships were established in the years between the two world wars, and in 1946 teaching began in the Faculty of Theology. The School of Physical Education was opened in 1947.

A federal University of New Zealand was established by statute in 1870 and became the examining and degree-granting body for all New Zealand university institutions until 1961. The University of Otago had conferred just one Bachelor of Arts degree, on Mr Alexander Watt Williamson, when in 1874 it became an affiliated college of the University of New Zealand. In 1961 the University of New Zealand was disestablished, and the power to confer degrees was restored to the University of Otago by the University of Otago Amendment Act 1961.

Since 1961, when its roll was about 3,000, the University has expanded considerably (in 2002 there were some 18,000 students enrolled) and has broadened its range of courses to include undergraduate courses in Surveying, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, Education, Teaching and Physiotherapy, as well as specialised postgraduate courses in a variety of disciplines.

Faculties

Administratively, the university is divided into four divisions: Commerce, Health Sciences, Humanities, and Sciences. For external and marketing purposes, the Division of Commerce is known as the School of Business, as that is the term commonly used for its equivalent in North America. Historically, there were a number of Schools and Faculties, which have now been grouped with standalone departments to form these divisions.

In addition to the usual university disciplines, the Otago Medical School (founded 1875) is one of only two in New Zealand (with constituent branches in Christchurch and Wellington), and is the only university in the country to offer training in Dentistry. Other professional schools and faculties not found in all New Zealand universities include Pharmacy, Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Surveying. It was also home to the School of Mines, until this was transferred to the University of Auckland in 1987. Theology is also offered, traditionally in conjunction with the School of Ministry, Knox College, and Holy Cross, Mosgiel.

University of Otago ranked 114th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Otago ranked 124th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Otago ranked 125th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Otago ranked 135th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Otago ranked 130th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of Basel

The University of Basel (German: Universität Basel) is located at Basel, Switzerland.
Founded in 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university.

Erasmus, Paracelsus, Daniel Bernoulli, Jacob Burckhardt, Leonhard Euler, Friedrich Nietzsche, Eugen Huber, Carl Jung, Karl Barth, and Hans Urs von Balthasar are among those associated with the university, which is nowadays noted for research into tropical medicine.

The University of Basel was founded in connection with the Council of Basel. The deed of foundation given in the form of a Papal bull by Pope Pius II on November 12, 1459, and the official opening ceremony was held on April 4, 1460. Originally the University of Basel was decreed to have four faculties, namely those of arts, medicine, theology and jurisprudence. The faculty of arts served until 1818 as foundation for the other three academic subjects.

Over the course of centuries as many scholars came to the city, Basel became an early center of book printing and humanism. Around the same time as the university itself, the University Library of Basel was founded. Today it has over three million books and writings and is the largest library in Switzerland.

This University is also renowned for its former research into Earth Sciences, Slavistics and Astronomy.

Faculties

Theology
Law
Medicine
Faculty of Humanities (Phil I)
Faculty of Science (Phil II)
Business and Economy
Psychology

Interdisciplinary institutions

• Europainstitut
  
• Jewish Studies
  
• Mensch-Gesellschaft-Umwelt (MGU)
  
• Centre for African Studies Basel (ZASB)
  
• Kulturmanagement
  
• Gender Studies
  

Associated institutes

• Swiss Tropical Institute
  
• Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)

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The University has a Department called Biozentrum:

The Biozentrum is a Department of the University of Basel. It is a basic research institute, covering the research areas of biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, microbiology, structural biology, and cell biology of the Faculty of natural sciences, as well as the areas of pharmacology and neurobiology of the medical Faculty. In 2001, the new fields of bioinformatics, genomics & proteomics, and a nanosciences branch have been introduced. A second building has been constructed next to the Biozentrum which was inaugurated in fall 2000, the so called “Pharmazentrum”. It hosts some Biozentrum research groups, including the bioinformatics unit and Applied Microbiology as well as the Zoological Institute of the Basel University. Additionally, various research units of the Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences (DKBW) and the Pharmaceutical Department are located here. Last but not least, the Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences Basel-Zurich and the Microscopy Unit of the University share its space.

The Biozentrum was founded in 1971, giving room to an – at that time – quite innovative idea: the unification of various domains of the biological and natural sciences under the same roof. Its goal was to facilitate collaboration with other research areas – a successful concept, as it turned out that nowadays the different research areas cannot be considered separately. They depend on a tight collaboration and profit from each other.


University of Basel ranked 114th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Basel ranked 131st in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Basel ranked 108th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Basel ranked 136th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Basel ranked 151st in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

Aarhus University

Aarhus Universitet or the University of Aarhus is the second largest university in Denmark (after the University of Copenhagen), based in Århus.

The University of Aarhus is the second oldest and second largest university in Denmark. It was founded in 1928 with 78 students and is still an institution with close ties to the founding local community. Most of the university's yellow-brick buildings are located on our picturesque campus which is situated in a hilly area, with a moraine valley full of large oak trees and a stream that flows into two small lakes.

We believe that attractive, friendly surroundings promote inspiration, industry, and efficiency, helping students and teachers to have a sense of well-being here. We know that the many researchers and students who have spent time at the University of Aarhus over the years have taken warm, living memories home with them and that the bonds they have developed here are strong and durable.

The University of Aarhus is a centre of tradition and innovation, discussion and debate, co-operation and concentration, and we are pleased to be able to share these with others. We value the contributions which international students and researchers make to this tradition and to the cultural and social diversity which enhances the academic experience.

The university has connections with all corners of the world and it is our policy to welcome guests from abroad with open arms.

The University's History

The first chapter of the University of Aarhus' history began with the inauguration of "University studies in Jutland" in Aarhus Technical College's ceremonial hall on the 11th of September 1928.

The municipality of Aarhus allocated a budget of 33,000 Dkr for the first year, classrooms were rented from the Technical College and a teaching corps consisting of one professor of philosophy and four Readers of Danish, English, German and French was assembled.

On inauguration day, 64 students registered. During the first semester the total rose to 78.

A wide circle of citizens from the city's business community, organisations and institutions formed the University Association Aarhus (Universitets-Samvirket), in 1921, which, together with the municipality of Aarhus, formed the impetus in the fight to have Denmark's second university located in Aarhus.

From the beginning, in 1928, it was the University Association's job to participate on the University's board together with representatives from the City Council and a representative for the University's teachers. Another important function was the raising of funds for the construction of university buildings on the site allotted by the municipality in 1929 for the coming University Park.

Up until the 1940's the University's buildings were erected exclusively by means of donations. The national government financed the majority of administrative costs from and including 1932. Use of the name "The University of Aarhus" began in 1933.

Faculties

The Faculty of Arts, recently renamed the Faculty of Humanities (in accordance with the Danish equivalent Det Humanistiske Fakultet), has offered courses right from the beginning in 1928.

In 1933 the Faculty of Medicine began its courses in basic medical subjects. When the dental school was included in 1992 the name was changed to the Faculty of Health Sciences. In 1997 professor Jens Christian Skou received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his discovery of the sodium-potassium pump.

The Faculty of Economics and Law was established in 1936. The name was changed to the Faculty of Social Sciences when Political Science and Psychology were added. From 1938–1940 Theodor Geiger was professor of sociology at the university — Denmark's first.

The Faculty of Theology was established in 1942. Courses in theology had been offered from 1932, being previously taught at the Faculty of Arts.

The Faculty of Science was established in 1954 by moving Physics and Chemistry from the
Faculty of Medicine and Geography from the Faculty of Arts. Mathematics was established as a new subject, followed by Biology and Geology.

The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, the former Danmarks JordbrugsForskning (DJF), was amalgamated with the university in 2007.

Aarhus School of Business was founded in 1939 and amalgamated with the university in 2007.

The National Environmental Research Institute (NERI) was amalgamated with the university in 2007.

The University of Aarhus ranks amongst the 200 best in the world, and has very strong academic environments within science, health sciences, social sciences, theology and the humanities. The study environment at the university is concentrated around an attractive campus in the centre of the city of Aarhus – with excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and contact with all parts of the university. The university is internationally oriented and in a strong state of development, with an extensive academic scope that covers all aspects of the social sectors.

On 1 January 2007, the University of Aarhus merged with the Danish National Environmental Research Institute (NERI), the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS) and the Aarhus School of Business (ASB). On 28 February 2007, this merger was extended to include the Danish University of Education (DPU). As a result of the merger, the University of Aarhus has considerably increased in size, and is the second-largest university in Denmark. The university has approximately 35,000 students and a staff of about 9,000 (full-time equivalent).

University of Aarhus ranked 114th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Aarhus ranked 81st in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Aarhus ranked 63rd in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Aarhus ranked 84th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Aarhus ranked 79th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking