Founded in 1830, the University of Richmond is a liberal arts university based on the border between Henrico County and the city of Richmond itself, the state capital of Virginia. Dating to 1742, the city itself is a key historical location in the United States, and a modern day art scene includes events such as the annual Richmond folk festival.
Academic engagement is fostered at the University of Richmond through a varied seminar programme in a first year of study touching on topics ranging from Hollywood films of the 1930s to analysis of Biblical translations. Undergraduate majors and degree programmes are taught at the schools of Arts & Sciences, Business, and Law.
The Jepson School of Leadership Studies is the first institution of its kind worldwide, offering studies in leadership and management, and offering students the opportunity to learn about it first hand through internships at locations such as GEICO and the Firehouse Theatre. Richmond is the unique among the nation’s top fifty small private liberal arts colleges with its dedicated department for Professional and Continuing Studies, offering degree courses, summer studies, and lifelong learning programmes.
Athletics teams at Richmond are known as the Spiders, and compete in the NCAA Division I. In total there are seven men’s programmes and nine women’s, including soccer and swimming & diving. Women’s soccer, American football and track events are played at the on-campus Robins Stadium, which can seat up to 8700 spectators.
Some alumni of Richmond are astronaut Leland Melvin, historian and Pulitzer winner Douglas Freeman, and baseball player Sean Casey. The most famous former faculty member is US Senator Tim Kaine, who taught at the school of Law for six years.
