Mission Statement for MSU-Meridian

VISION

Mississippi State University – Meridian will provide selected degrees to serve the region of East Mississippi and West Alabama with university trained leaders in education, business, social services, the humanities and health care fields. The MSU Riley Center will provide entertainment and enrich lifelong learning to improve the quality of life for people through education and the arts.

MISSION

Mississippi State University – Meridian is an extended campus of a public, land-grant university whose mission is to provide access and opportunity to students from all sectors of the state’s diverse population and to offer excellent programs of teaching, research, and service. The MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts enriches the culture of the region and the state.

MSU-Meridian offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs that include business, education, the humanities, social and behavioral sciences.

The university embraces its role as a major contributor to the economic development of the East Mississippi/West Alabama area through targeted research and the transfer of ideas and technology to the public, supported by faculty and staff relationships with industry, community organizations, and government entities.

MSU-Meridian strategically extends its resources and expertise throughout its service area for the benefit of citizens, offering access for working and place-bound adult learners through evening, weekend and online courses.

Mississippi State is committed to its tradition of instilling among its students and alumni ideals of diversity, citizenship, leadership, and service through life-long learning.

About MSU-Meridian: 

While espousing these same goals, MSU-Meridian primarily focuses its efforts toward helping to fulfill the educational aspirations of individuals who are unable to attend residential campuses on a full-time basis. The East Central Mississippi campus is non-residential and provides site-based credit and non-credit course work, utilizing resident faculty, MSU-Starkville campus faculty, and part-time adjunct instructors.

Junior, senior, and graduate-level courses offered at MSU-Meridian enable students to complete requirements for bachelor's, master's, and specialist degrees, or to enroll in specific classes for professional or personal growth. Currently, there are three academic divisions which include Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education.

After completing a minimum of 54 hours of transferable course work (including core requirements) at a community college or other institution of higher learning, students may apply for admission to MSU-Meridian. While students from any qualifying institution are welcome, a special cooperative relationship exists between MSU-Meridian and East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Jones County Junior College, and Meridian Community College. Faculty, staff, and counselors from these institutions are committed to communicating with students to assure a smooth transition in the attainment of their educational pursuits.

The East Mississippi Center for Educational Development, Inc. (EMCED), a regional educational service consortium located at MSU-Meridian, serves 20 public school districts in the east Mississippi area. Encompassing 13 counties, EMCED serves an educational community of approximately 160 schools, 4,800 teachers, and 350 administrators.

Mississippi State University-Meridian serves as a proud symbol of the university's heritage as "The People's University" and of its commitment to providing quality higher education to the state's people through the missions of learning, research, and service.

Last Updated: 8/23/11