Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University Summary

Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 6,600 students (5,200 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) located in Pittsburg, Kansas. The student newspaper of Pittsburg State University is the Collegio. Pittsburg State University started out in 1903 as the Auxiliary Manual Training Normal School. After ten years, PSU was renamed Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg and became a four-year college. Once more in 1959, its name was changed again to Kansas State College of Pittsburg. Eventually, Kansas State College became Pittsburg State University on April 21, 1977. Pittsburg State University is also the home of the $30 million Kansas Technology Center, a state-of-the-art technology program in the largest academic building in Kansas. According to College Board, 91% of the applicants are accepted into Pittsburg State University. Pittsburg State University is well known for its outstanding athletic and scholastic presence at the NCAA Division II level, most notably the football program. Pittsburg State has won, outright or shared, a total of 27 conference championships during the 96-year history of its intercollegiate program, including 13 conference titles in the last 19 seasons. PSU is the only university in the United States to feature a gorilla as a mascot. Pittsburg State team, fight for your college!

Summary content courtesy of Wikipedia.

Pittsburg State University History

Pittsburg State was founded in 1903 and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. Among the University’s more famous alums is H. Lee Scott, the C.E.O. of Wal-Mart.

Pittsburg State University Academics

Pittsburg State’s academic offerings are provided by the Colleges of Arts & Science, Business, Education, and Technology. The Graduate School provides all advanced academic degree work. PSU has given international students a high priority. The International Programs & Services Office welcomes 400 students from 50 countries across the world. Likewise, Study Abroad opportunities are available for current PSU students that consist of several weeks to as much as one year of international study.

Pittsburg State University Unique Programs

The Pittsburg State College of Education provides advanced degrees in educational leadership and technology, but can also accommodate undergraduates with minor concentrations in those fields as well.

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences includes majors in early childhood development, individual and family management, fashion merchandising, and interior design. Minors are available in early childhood development, human ecology, fashion merchandising, and interior design.

The Business and Technology Institute at Pittsburg State exists to further the cause of local commerce and industry. It includes individual projects and departments developed for that purpose, including the Small Business Development Center, the Kansas Polymer Research Center, and the Alliance for Technology Commercialization.

Pittsburg State University Financial Aid

Through the FAFSA, PSU supports students’ acquisition of federal and state loans, grants, and work study opportunities. There are also a variety of scholarships available to students of all origins, both merit-based and need-based. In addition to scholarships for students of the Honors College and general university scholarships for all purposes, there are more than 30 department and specialized scholarships for study in a particular field. Students are encouraged to contact their department of study and inquire about any such opportunities for which they might qualify.

Pittsburg State University Students

PSU is home to dozens of student clubs and organizations with all kinds of interests from accounting to yoga and everything in between. There are honor societies, cultural organizations, fraternities, sororities, broadcast organizations, and social groups that just gather to play games and have fun. In addition, students have access to the diversions and attractions of Pittsburg, Kansas and the local outdoors.

Pittsburg State University Traditions

Pittsburg State is the only university in the country with the gorilla as its mascot. Students organized in 1920, dissatisfied with the current state of school spirit, and identified themselves as “the Gorillas.” After some successful pep rallies and other spirit-oriented events, the Gorilla was adopted as the school’s official mascot.

Pittsburg State University Local Community

Pittsburg is located in the far southeast corner of the state of Kansas. It’s population is just over 19,000, and the University adds to its population numbers greatly during the school year. One of the most celebrated events in Pittsburg is “Little Balkans Day,” a day when the citizens celebrate their ethnic heritage, which is linked to the eastern Europeans who settled the town originally. The celebration is held during the Labor Day holiday. Pittsburg is a family town, and 25% of all households have children under the age of 18, contributing to the growing student enrollment of Pittsburg State University.