Bowie State University, through the effective and efficient management of its resources, provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels for a diverse student population of Maryland citizens and the global community.

The educational programs are designed to broaden the knowledge base and skill set of students across disciplines and to enable students to think critically, value diversity, become effective leaders, function competently in a highly technical world, and pursue advanced graduate study.

The University is committed to increasing the number of students from under-represented minorities who earn advanced degrees in computer science, mathematics, information technology, and education.

Constituent needs, market demands, and emerging challenges confronting socioeconomic cultures serve as important bases in the University's efforts to develop educational programs and improve student access to instruction.

•  Bowie State University has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in the amount of $559, 994 tosupport the establishment of a genomic training lab, the introduction of a new course entitled Applied Biotechnology, an intensive summer training course on the campus for undergraduate students selected from nearby Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and high school teachers from schools in Prince George’s County. The overall goal of the award is to enhance minority participation in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines by improving on minority undergraduate students competitiveness in the biotechnology job market and postgraduate education programs.

• Bowie State University exceeded the state’s expectation of 25 percent for issuing contract awards to Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) during 2008-2009. MBE awards were nearly 32 percent or approximately $10.5 million of the University’s overall contracts.


• The University was selected by the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs to receive the MBE Best Practices Award recognizing an agency for its consistent and ongoing commitment to implement MBE best practices throughout the organization.


• The number of students who graduated from Bowie State in fiscal year 2009 was 935 (613 received bachelor degrees, 300 received master degrees and 22 received doctoral degrees).


• Enrollment has increased over the past three years at Bowie State; Fall 2009 (5,617); Fall 2008 (5,484); and Fall 2007 (5,404). Ninety percent of BSU students are residents of the state of Maryland.


• Bowie State’s Maryland Center was awarded a $1.1 million grant by the Maryland State Department of Education to increase the advanced math skills of more than 400 Prince George’s County students in grades 5-9. The program will include a summer math camp and school-year booster sessions.


• Bowie State received a 2009 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) WealthEngine Award for Educational Fundraising.


• The University’s College of Education initiated a Principals’ Institute with $192,000 in federal funding secured by Congressman Steny H. Hoyer. The institute features an 18-month curriculum with daylong Saturday classes that will cover preparation for principal certification for Prince George’s County elementary, middle and high schools. The institute also will provide training in leadership and advanced professional development.


• The College of Business was re-accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs in 2009, for 10 more years. The rigorous process examined academic programs and recognized the University’s teaching excellence at the baccalaureate and graduate level.


• Construction of the University’s Center for Business and Graduate Studies was completed in 2007. It’s a three-story $21 million, 66,000 gross square foot facility which houses the College of Business.


• The College of Arts and Sciences is creating a program on bioinformatics, a new academic field that creates data-base and computational methods to accommodate the current explosion in biological and genomic knowledge.


• The University’s College of Professional Studies partnered with Comprehensive Behavioral Care (CompCare), a managed behavioral health organization based in Tampa, Fla., to provide eight Bowie State students with summer internships during summer 2009.


• During fiscal year 2009, many improvements were made to campus facilities, including installation of street lights at the campus entrance and parking lots H and I, roof replacement for the Crawford Science Building, roof and bleacher replacement for the Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex gymnasium, bathroom renovation in Holmes Hall, updating classrooms to technology-equipped “smart classrooms” in the Martin Luther King building, ceiling replacement and floor replacement for the Special Collections Room in the Thurgood Marshall Library, updating bathrooms in Harriet Tubman Hall, and constructing a gate house on the Loop Road.

• Sherece West, 1987 alum, President and CEO of the Carrier Foundation

• Lisa Mack, 1992 alum, Singer/Songwriter/Actress


• S. Christa Corrigan McAuliffe, 1978 alum, Teacher and Space Participant for NASA


• Judge William D. Missouri (7th Judicial Prince George’s County Circuit), 1975 alum


• William Teel, 1989/1993 alum, founder, president and chief executive officer for 1 Source Consulting, Inc. (recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the nation's fastest growing private companies in 2006, Black Enterprise Magazine ranked the company as a top 100 African American-owned business in 2007)

 Kristin Evans
Alumnus, Master’s Degree in Organizational Communications

“I decided to get my master’s degree first, because I wasn’t sure what area of communications I wanted to focus on . . . Bowie State’s size belies its wealth of opportunities for graduate students to expand their learning beyond the classroom . . I think that Bowie State actually offers more opportunities because it is small . . . There’s incredible interaction between students and faculty.”

Chevonne James
Student, Pedology  

“Bowie State University has a very good reputation for their education program, so when I transferred, BSU stood out as my number one choice for education and a family-oriented environment . . . My experience at BSU has been a unique and interesting one, transferring from a predominantly white institution. BSU has become my home away from home . . . The thing I like most about BSU is the connections and relationships that I have made. Being an out of state student can be a challenge, and my fellow Bulldogs have become a part of my family.”




Brandon McDonald
Student, Communications/Public Relations  

“I really didn't choose Bowie State personally; it was my mother who suggested the school to me during the recruitment process in high school. She wanted me to get away from home but not too far. I visited a lot of universities while I was in high school, but it only took me one visit to Bowie State to realize that this school was the right fit for me... My experience at Bowie State University has been great. Looking back to my freshman year when I first enrolled into the school, I have done nothing but grown. College can either make you or break you my mother always told me, and Bowie State definitely made me into a better overall person, and has prepared me for life…The professors/faculty are very helpful in lectures and guiding you on the right path to graduate. I like the campus environment because you cannot get distracted with outside issues.”




Sudarat Tuntivivat
Alumnus, Master’s degree in Public Administration

"BSU offered me the multicultural experience I was looking for, as well as as an outstanding academic program . . . I met professors and students from India, South Korea, China, Nigeria and Kenya. . . Bowie State offered me so many opportunities, as well as wonderful mentors, friends, and memories. I encourage students from every ethnicity to join the Bowie State family."

Read full testimonials at: www2.bowiestate.edu/145/stories.html