About Ship

History, Service, Passion

Shippensburg University is committed to student learning and personal development through high-quality and innovative coursework that is enhanced by experiential learning. Our accredited and ranked programs heighten the university’s academic rigor. A dedication to hands-on learning establishes an education that is uniquely Ship. Employers seek out our graduates knowing that Shippensburg University prepares students for the workforce with internships, service learning, study abroad, and research opportunities.

Our Center for Land Use and Sustainability, Brad E. Hollinger Stock Trading Room, Charles H. Diller Jr. Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation, Mr. and Mrs. Milton K. Morgan III Makerspace, Fashion Archives and Museum, state-of-the-art engineering labs, and the only public elementary lab school in the state provides students with one-of-a-kind, real-world experiences.

Shippensburg University was founded as the Cumberland Valley State Normal School in 1871 and was officially recognized and approved by the Commonwealth on February 21, 1873. Two months later, on April 15, the Normal School admitted its first class of 217 students from south-central Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth purchased the normal school in 1917.

On June 4, 1926, Shippensburg was authorized to grant bachelor’s degrees in elementary and junior high education. The program was so successful, and its graduates contributed so much to the learning experience of elementary and junior high students, that Shippensburg became the first Normal School in Pennsylvania to be chartered as a state teachers college on October 12, 1926. In 1927, the school officially was renamed the State Teachers College at Shippensburg. The school became Shippensburg State College on January 8, 1960, and Shippensburg University on July 1, 1983.

Today, Shippensburg University grants degrees through three colleges - Arts and Sciences, the John L. Grove College of Business, and Education and Human Services. The university is also home to the School of Engineering. The university is a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.

With more than 250 programs, the university offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. Shippensburg University has enriched the lives of students for over 150 years, and is poised to continue this tradition well into the future.