Prairie View A&M University

Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU or PV), is located in Texas, and is a historically black university. It is a member of the Texas A&M University System, and is rooted in the Texas Constitution of 1876 – making it the second oldest university in Texas. 

The university was established during the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War when two former slaves became leading political figures and legislation was crafted for the creation of a state-supported agricultural and mechanical college.

Today, the university offers bachelor degrees in some 50 academic undergraduate subjects, 37 masters degrees and four doctoral degree programs throughout eight different colleges and the School of Architecture. 

Within the university there are a variety of colleges, which are: College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, Nathelyne A. Kennedy College of Architecture, Marvin and June Brailesford College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Whitlowe R. Green College of Education, Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology, College of Nursing, Undergraduate Medical Academy and the Office of Graduate Studies.

Degrees are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and each college within the university holds additional accreditation or certifications.

On campus, there is a library, which offers plenty of resources for students. The library holds over 370,000 Volumes, including over 700 print periodicals, and close to 4,000 media materials. There is also a special collection and archive which houses unique historical collections.

Moreover within the library there is an art gallery, which showcases a diverse range of artwork from both the region and elsewhere. Showcased artists include: Ted Ellis, Ronney Stevens, Ava Cosey, and Carolyn Crump.

Athletic teams at PVAMU are known as the Panthers and they compete as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), and the West Division of the SWAC. In addition they compete in NCAA Division I in all varsity sports, which include: football, baseball, basketball, cross country, gold, tennis, soccer and track and field.

Notable alumni include: Kirk Jerel Randle, better known by his stage name Kirko Bangz, an American rapper, singer, and record producer, Cecil Celester Cooper – nicknamed Coop – a former first baseman in Major League Baseball and the former manager of the Houston Astros, and Mr. T, an American actor and retired professional wrestler known for his role in the 1980s television series The A-Team.