A&T Launches 133rd Year with New Programs, Enrollment Growth and More

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 21, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University launches the 2024-25 academic year today with a growing student body, new degree programs, milestones in its development and nearly $150 million in construction projects underway across the university.

While the exact size of this year’s student body won’t be known for a couple more weeks, applications to North Carolina A&T for this academic year were up 8% for undergraduate admissions and 15% for graduate admissions. That added up to more than 47,000 applications.

Already America’s largest HBCU for the past decade, A&T expects once again to set another record in enrolling its largest student body ever. A&T’s enrollment last year was 13,855. Chancellor James R. Martin II, who began work last Thursday, said enrollment is hardly the only dimension of A&T that is growing.

“Our research enterprise, physical environment, degree programs, endowment – everything has risen to a new level at North Carolina A&T,” said Martin. “That exponential growth is even more impressive when you look at what it prepares A&T to do in the future. Our potential is truly unlimited.”

Last year, A&T became the only institution to have three doctoral programs approved by the UNC System in one year. The university’s significant growth at the graduate level is being led by three new graduate programs that have enrolled their first classes, with students beginning school today:

• The Ph.D. in criminal justice is not only the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’ first Ph.D. program, it is the only Ph.D. in criminal justice in North Carolina. It is joined by a new S. in criminal justice. Both are already in heavy demand by law enforcement professionals across our state.
• The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program launches this fall, too. It’s an important new terminal degree program for the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences, A&T’s largest college. It is expected to play an important role in addressing health care inequities in the state.

The M.S. in physician studies is moving toward approval from its accrediting body, and the Ph.D. in applied psychology awaits substantive change approval from its accreditors. Both programs are expected to be able to begin accepting applications this academic year.

“We’re glad to see the warm reception that our new degree programs are getting in the marketplace and the UNC System, and enthusiastic about the growth in graduate studies overall this year,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Tonya Smith-Jackson. “Our university launched its first Ph.D. programs just 30 years ago, and I think we are only scratching the surface of our development as a doctoral research university. We are positioning ourselves to be stronger and culturally responsive producers of knowledge and leaders in innovation.”

That development has made pursuit of the top designation for research universities by the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education a goal for A&T in recent years. In 2023-24, A&T exceeded the essential requirements for Carnegie’s “R1-Very High Research Activity” designation, graduating 72 doctoral students in a diverse range of disciplines and surpassing $50 million in research expenditures (A&T first exceeded the latter requirement in 2022-23, with $62 million in expenditures). The Carnegie Classifications require a university to meet those criteria for three consecutive years.

Other developments to look for in the 2024-25 school year include:

• A&T’s new $64 million, five-story residential complex, Bluford Hall, is rising from the ground on the historic west side of the main campus. Just across Market Street, work has begun on The Resurgent, a $32-million health services and professional offices project between the A&T Real Estate Foundation Inc. and Cone Health.

At A&T’s 500-acre University Farm, workers are nearing completion of the $12 million Urban and Community Food Complex. And at Gateway Research Park’s South Campus, workers are also nearing completion of the sprawling 70,000-square-foot, $35 million Community Education Center, a project between Guilford County Schools and A&T. Altogether, the East Greensboro projects total at least $143 million in construction costs and will provide significant ongoing employment.

• Campus life. A&T’s development includes campus activities and organizations expanding in size and impact. Football season launches this Saturday against Wake Forest University, in one of the Piedmont-Triad’s most exciting season-opening contests. A&T’s home opener against Winston-Salem State University and homecoming game against Hampton University have been sold out for weeks. This will be the Aggies’ second year under head coach and former NFL veteran Vincent Brown.

A&T’s popular Chancellor’s Speaker Series will have two events this fall. Past editions of the series have brought such major cultural figures as Sterling K. Brown, Gabrielle Union, Common, Tracee Ellis Ross, Magic Johnson and more to campus. Look for more information on the series in September.