Mission of the MSU-Meridian Campus

Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus is a regional, upper-division, degree-granting campus of Mississippi State University, a land-grant and research institution. Its responsibilities include providing educational opportunities, fostering research and scholarship of its faculty, and meeting the service needs for the citizens of the state.

While espousing these same goals, the Meridian Campus primarily focuses its efforts toward helping to fulfill the educational aspirations of individuals who are unable to attend residential campuses on a full-time basis. The East Central Mississippi campus is non-residential and provides site-based credit and non-credit course work, as well as classes through distance learning, utilizing resident faculty, MSU-Starkville campus faculty, and part-time adjunct instructors.

Junior, senior, and graduate-level courses offered at Mississippi State-Meridian Campus enable students to complete requirements for bachelor's, master's, and specialist degrees, or to enroll in specific classes for professional or personal growth. Currently, there are three academic divisions which include Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education.

After completing a minimum of 54 hours of transferable course work (including core requirements) at a community college or other institution of higher learning, students may apply for admission to MSU-Meridian Campus. While students from any qualifying institution are welcome, a special cooperative relationship exists between Mississippi State-Meridian Campus and East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Jones Junior College, and Meridian Community College. Faculty, staff, and counselors from these institutions are committed to communicating with students to assure a smooth transition in the attainment of their educational pursuits.

The East Mississippi Center for Educational Development, Inc. (EMCED), a regional educational service consortium located on the Meridian Campus of Mississippi State University, serves 20 public school districts in the east Mississippi area. Encompassing 13 counties, EMCED serves an educational community of approximately 160 schools, 4,800 teachers, and 350 administrators.

Other MSU-Meridian Campus faculty and a business services consultant assist existing and potential business owners through research, seminars, and counseling.

Mississippi State-Meridian Campus serves as a proud symbol of the university's heritage as "The People's University" and of its commitment to providing quality higher education to the state's people through the missions of learning, research, and service.

Last Updated: 6/8/09