University of Houston

University of Houston International Student Insurance

The University of Houston, located in Houston, Texas, was established in 1927. It opened as Houston Junior College and became a fully fledged four-year university in 1934. The law school was founded in 1947. Today, UH is the third-largest university in the state, offering more than 100 bachelor’s degrees, more than 100 master’s degrees, more than 45 doctoral degrees, and three professional degrees (in law, optometry, and pharmacy) across its 14 academic colleges and schools, plus an interdisciplinary Honors College. It’s one of the few American universities to offer a Ph.D. in creative writing.

Today, UH enrolls more than 46,000 students and counting each year. The school colors are scarlet red and albino white, and its athletic nickname is the cougars.

Research Opportunities

In terms of research, UH has been classified as an R1: Doctoral University with very high research activity. It’s currently home to five nationally funded research centers: the Advanced Superconductivity Manufacturing Institute; the Borders, Trade, and Immigration Institute; the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping; the Subsea Systems Institute; and the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities. At the university level, its main research areas are cyber and physical security, drug discovery and development, sustainable communities and infrastructure, and accessible health care.

On Campus

The university is also home to the Blaffer Art Museum, founded in 1973. The museum is free and open to the public, and its exhibits are dedicated to emerging and underrepresented artists at the local and national level. The museum also hosts public lectures, artists’ talks, and youth programs.

One simple but noteworthy tradition at UH is Cougar Red Friday: Each Friday, faculty and students are encouraged to wear scarlet red shirts (the university color) in a show of school pride. Similarly, the university hand sign is the Cougar Paw, in which students hold up their hands palm-outward with the ring finger bent. The tradition dates back to 1953, when the university mascot, Shasta the Cougar, got her paw caught in her cage’s door and one toe was accidentally severed.

Notable Alumni

Notable University of Houston alumni include Jack Valenti, creator of the MPAA film rating system; author Alice Sebold; WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg; U.S. politician Elizabeth Warren; actors Jim Parsons, Dennis Quaid, and Brent Spiner; musician Lizzo; and former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry.

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