University of Akron Diploma: Buchtel College to a Modern Day Research University
The University of Akron is a public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. Established in 1870 as Buchtel College, it has expanded from a small private college to a comprehensive university providing undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The university is especially known for engineering, polymer science, and applied research, reflecting Akron’s long-standing history as a center of the American rubber and manufacturing industries.
The Ohio Universalist Convention founded Buchtel College, named for the industrialist and philanthropist John R. Buchtel, whose money was crucial to the school’s inception. The college transferred its property and assets to the city of Akron in 1913, becoming the Municipal University of Akron. The institution joined Ohio’s state university system in 1967.
The University of Akron Diploma programs are offered through Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering and Polymer Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Graduate School and School of Law. The subjects include history, psychology, communication, the natural sciences, nursing, business, law, computer science and engineering.
The University of Akron Today
Polymer science and polymer engineering is one of the best-known academic specialties in Akron. The university has been involved in this field since the beginning of the 20th century, when it started to offer courses in rubber chemistry. Today, the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate education and research in fields that include advanced materials, sustainability, biomaterials, energy storage and polymer processing.
Many programs also have a strong practical element. The College of Engineering and Polymer Science has a long established co-operative education program which alternates academic study with periods of professional employment. Students can also participate in internships, laboratory research and design projects with industry partners.
The university is in the city of Akron and has close ties to business, health organizations and manufacturers throughout northeastern Ohio. Its research areas range from advanced manufacturing, biomedical engineering, cybersecurity, transportation, energy systems and materials science. The University of Akron is classified as Research 2 by the Carnegie Classification system, taking into account its level of research expenditures and doctoral degree production.
More than 150 years after its founding, the University of Akron continues to combine broad academic study with the technical and professional fields that have characterized both the university and the region surrounding it.