History
About one year after the University was founded in 1850, Rochester adopted its beloved motto, Meliora–Latin for “ever better.” A few years later, the first campus was built on eight acres of dandelion-covered pasture. Today, our motto and our dandelion are ever present as tributes to our past and emblems of Rochester’s maverick spirit.
Education
Rochester’s undergraduate and graduate students pursue their academic goals in an environment designed to inspire, support, and empower them.
Our 200-plus programs of study run the gamut, from the traditional to the self-designed. In addition to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, we offer several dual degrees and certificates.
Research
Rochester researchers are scientists and scholars, inventors and conservators, artists and analysts. They know many of the best breakthroughs in knowledge and creativity occur by crossing boundaries.
Students and faculty collaborate using advanced technology to do leading-edge work in areas ranging from virtual reality to nanofabrication.
Career
The Greene Center provides students with the resources and tools needed to develop connections between their personal and professional aspirations, academic pursuits and co-curricular experiences including on-campus employment, research activities, and internships.
Students have access to one-on-one career exploration and industry advising appointments, peer advising through collaboration hours, graduate and professional school preparation, on and off-campus recruitment activities, internship funding for summer internships, programs and events, and alumni connections.
Distance Learning Courses
Medicine & Health (5)
- M.Sc. Nursing Education
- M.Sc. Optics
- MPH Public Health
- Bachelor RN to BS to MS Program
Education & Training (4)
Business & Management (3)
Social Sciences (2)
- M.Sc. Education Policy
- M.Ed. Mental Health Counseling
Humanities (1)
Natural Sciences & Mathematics (1)
- M.Sc. Optics
Student services
The International Services Office (ISO) provides services to international students, scholars, employees, and other visitors to the University of Rochester, as well as the departments that host and support them. We are responsible for issuing visa documents, advising on relevant immigration matters, and meeting U.S. reporting requirements.
The office also serves as an information resource to assist internationals in adjusting to the United States, the University, and the Rochester community. Explore this site for extensive resources on a wide range of topics and common questions from our international populations!
Housing services
Whether they live on campus or off, our students make Rochester their home. Campus accommodations include residence halls, sororities and fraternities, apartments, and townhouses.
Library services
The heart of any research university is its libraries. The University of Rochester’s libraries offer unique spaces and resources for inspiration, research, and collaboration.
River Campus Libraries includes six libraries and an extensive collection of online databases and journals, as well as the University Archives and the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation.
ICT services
SharePoint is a web-based tool that enables teams to collaborate using team sites, document publishing, blogs, wikis, and forums. It provides a secure place to store, organize, share, and access information from almost any device and all major web browsers.
- Computers and Technology
- Computer Labs
- Computer Sales
- Printing
- ResNet
- University IT
- Computer Music Center
- Technology and Media Production
Medical services
The health, wellness, and safety of our community members is a top priority.
- Health Service
- Counseling Center
- UHS Health Promotion Office
- Mindful University Project
- Well-U Employee Wellness
- Public Safety
Campus life
Located in western New York, Rochester is our namesake and our home. You’ll find the University’s main campus, the River Campus, and the Medical Center located about two miles south of downtown Rochester. The Eastman School of Music and the Memorial Art Gallery are pillars of the arts scene and festival circuit in the city’s East End and Neighborhood of the Arts.
The 154-acre River Campus—the University’s main academic campus and the home of the River Campus Libraries—is located about two miles south of downtown Rochester by a bend in the Genesee River.
The Eastman School’s downtown campus anchors the city’s cultural district, known as the East End.
Sports facilities
The Robert B. Goergen Athletic Center is the center piece of the River Campus Sports Complex. The extensive renovation of the Athletic Center was inspired by the vision of the Board of Trustees Chairman Robert B. Goergen '60, adviser, friend, and generous donor to the University over many decades.
The Brian F. Prince Athletic Complex was made possible by the leadership, support, and generosity of Brian F. Prince, BS '86, MBA '89Student clubs
River Campus Clubs
- Campus Community Connection
- Students’ Association
- student government
- Fraternities and sororities
- Wilson Commons Student Activities
- Eastman student ensembles
- Student Association
- Graduate Student Association
- Graduate Organizing Group
- Simon Business School student clubs
- Medical students clubs and groups
- Student Nurse Assembly
- Warner Graduate Student Association
The University of Rochester is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education