Welcome to Northwest Missouri State University

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Intro to Northwest Missouri State University

Students and Bobby Bearcat stand outside the Administration Building.

Tour stop audio transcript

Welcome to Northwest Missouri State University! Our primary objective is to ensure student success every day, for each student. We provide profession-based learning that goes beyond theoretical knowledge, offering hands-on training that prepares students for their individual paths. At Northwest, we support students in every aspect of their college journey.

Student Life

Exterior photo of the J.W. Jones Student Union.

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The J.W. Jones Student Union is the central hub of campus and houses plenty of food options for hungry Bearcats. The Bearcat Commons features the all-you-care-to eat from grill, pizza, deli, allergen free, salad bar, pasta, entrée, sweets, vegan/vegetarian, soup and a u cook kitchen. You can also find retail locations such as Chick-fil-a, Qdoba, and McCallister's deli. Along with lounging areas, offices in the student union include residential life, student affairs, student involvement, home of almost 200 student-led organizations, the office of diversity and inclusion and the Bearcat Bookstore.

Library

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The B.D. Owens Library is not only home to a variety of scholarly books and databases but also holds many student service offices which will aid in your success at Northwest. These offices include the International Involvement Center, home to our study abroad office and international programs, Learning and Teaching Center, the Student Success Center, which aids in your growth from orientation to graduation, and the Writing Center to help develop writing, reading, and verbal language. This is the perfect place to study and lounge by yourself or with some friends while enjoying freshly brewed coffee from Starbucks.

Fieldhouse

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Located northwest of College Park and Bearcat Stadium, the Carl & Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse is a recreation and multipurpose facility featuring a 90-yard practice turf, 300-meter indoor track and tiered classrooms. Truly one of a kind in the region, this indoor facility is busy all hours of the day serving as a host site for athletics, the Bearcat Marching Band, intramural sports and clubs and many other university and community activities. This facility also hosts Career Day and local job fairs where students get one-on-one opportunities to speak with employers, and the PBL Palooza where students showcase profession-based learning experiences.

Fitness & Wellness

A student works out on a machine in the Foster Fitness Center.

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Get to moving in the Robert and Virgina Foster Fitness Center! This facility builds better Bearcats with its cardio and weight lifting machines, lab and classroom space. The connected Student Recreation Center includes a group exercise room, locker rooms, racquetball courts, three basketball courts, an indoor track and additional fitness equipment. Many intramural championships are decided here. Whether you are a heavy-weight lifter, interested in cardio, or just want to take advantage of group workout classes, all levels of fitness are welcome. Many student activities like grocery bingo, trivia night and skating take place here as well.

Agriculture

Farming equipment and livestock are on display in the Agricultural Learning Center.

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The new Agricultural Learning Center enhances the School of Agricultural Sciences, which offers programs in agricultural business, agricultural education, agricultural media, agricultural science, agronomy and animal science. This multi-purpose facility features laboratories, a kitchen, classrooms, study spaces, offices and a large exposition space and outdoor education plaza, creating the perfect place to foster profession-based and innovative learning for students in the fast-paced growing agricultural industry. The facility is located at the 448-acre R.T. Wright Farm, home to beef, swine, dairy and sheep as well as row and forage crops, just a few short miles from campus.

Lab Spaces

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Located on the northeast edge of campus, this award-winning, state-of-the-art facility is home to the Department of Natural Sciences and the School of Agricultural Sciences. The Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation features classrooms, laboratories, conference rooms and demonstration plots that help students gain profession-based experiences during their first year of study. The facility's labs house state-of-the-art instruments and technology that further enhance students' knowledge.

Education

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Brown Hall is home to the School of Education, Horace Mann Laboratory School, a kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary school, and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families. Northwest has deep roots in the preparation of teachers and leaders. It began as a normal school to prepare teachers, and for more than 100 years, Northwest has taken pride in preparing excellent educators who reach and inspire excellence from the students they teach and lead.

Performing Arts

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The Ron Houston Center for Performing Arts is home to the Mary Linn Auditorium, the Studio Theatre and the black box performance space. This facility also has classrooms, two sound booths, a large scene shop, a costume shop, a green room and faculty offices. Be sure to check out our student performances while you are on campus!

Fine Arts

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The Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building is home to the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the Olive DeLuce Art Gallery, Charles Johnson Theater, art studios, classrooms, rehearsal rooms and faculty offices. The facility is also home of our Bearcat Marching Band, one of the loudest and proudest in the nation. A walk through this building will find students passionate about the arts displaying their craft. Also in this complex is the Fire Arts Building where students create pottery, ceramics and other inspiring works of art.

Business

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Colden Hall contains classrooms and offices for the School of Health Science and Wellness; Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business; Department of Language, Literature and Writing; and School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Colden Hall features classrooms on the first and third floors with faculty offices on the second and is home to Knacktive, a student led advertising agency with real-world clients. Steps outside, take a break from studying and relax, lay in a hammock, or even kayak and fish, at Colden Pond.

Communication & Media

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Wells Hall is home to the School of Communication and Mass Media and Student Media programs, which include KZLX radio, KNWT TV, The Northwest Missourian newspaper and Tower yearbook. Northwest's National Public Radio affiliate, KXCV/KRNW, broadcasts from the second floor of the building. For even more hands-on learning, a media lab and studio space are available. You can also find the Warren Stucki Museum of Broadcasting located on the second floor that takes you back in time through the various stages of broadcast development, including a mock-up of a 1940s era radio station.

Humanities & Social Sciences

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The Valk Center is home to the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Some of the majors in this department include criminology, data sciences and political science. This building also contains faculty offices, lecture rooms, laboratories, modern classrooms and convenient student gathering spaces. Our industry leading emergency and disaster management program allows students to participate in Missouri Hope, a real-world humanitarian relief scenario. Valk Center also includes the Veterans Commons, a space for military veterans to gather and study as well as home to Northwest's Missouri GOLD program, a Missouri Army National Guard Officer Leadership Program.

Natural Sciences

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Garrett-Strong Science Building is a state-of-the-art science, geography and mathematics facility and home to the Department of Natural Sciences. This building features laboratories, large style lecture halls, classrooms and faculty offices. Students gain profession-based experiences with a synthetic cadaver, aquarium, two museums and a variety of live animals. Computer laboratories for chemistry, geography, geology and mathematics are throughout the building and provide access to industry-standard software. Students are invited to explore the nearby Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area, featuring more than 320-acres of land dedicated to providing experimental learning. A botany lab building is located just outside Garrett Strong.

Health Science

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Martindale Hall is the home to the School of Health Science and Wellness. This building contains classrooms, offices, a dance studio and gymnasium. Areas of study available to students include health and wellness, nursing, recreation, physical education, foods and nutrition, psychology, human services, school counseling and a variety of medicine-related fields. Students in these programs can also be found at Mozingo Lake where our outdoor education and recreation area offers teambuilding, trap-shooting, archery, kayaks and more.

First-year Living

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Hudson and Perrin Residence Halls, located on the east edge of campus, are Northwest's newest residential halls and house approximately a third of first-year students. These halls feature pod style restrooms, free laundry facilities, lofted beds and moveable furniture. Make friends by hanging out in the recreation room that houses ping pong tables, billards, and darts or get a team together to play at the sand volleyball courts Hudson/Perrin overlooks. Also adjacent to this complex is Roberta Hall, home to Northwest's sorority chapters.

Residence Life

A large courtyard with Buffalo Wild Wings Go in the center building.

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These housing complexes, on the west end of campus, is comprised of three high-rise towers, Franken, Dieterich and Millikan Halls, and also Tower Suites. The high rise towers are home to around 300 students each and house a kitchen, lounge are and recreation room. Tower Suites provide suite-style living with private bathrooms and include Living Learning Communities. All these buildings are conveniently located near the The Station, a community building with meeting and lounge space, and Buffalo Wild Wings Go. Wellness Services, campus recreation fields, outdoor tennis and basketball courts are adjacent to this complex.

Living Learning Communities

South Complex offers four or five rooms grouped by gender in pod-style living with a private bathroom.

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South Complex offers residential living in the heart of campus with four to five rooms grouped by gender in a pod with a privatized bathroom. Students in this residence hall include upperclassmen and those in living learning communities. Living Learning communities provide unique environments where students share common interests and learning experiences. If you are looking for a residence hall that is in middle of everything, South Complex is right for you!

Athletics

Panorama view of Bearcat Field / Bearcat Stadium.

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Northwest football fans can be found here in Bearcat Stadium, home of one of the best gameday atmospheres in the nation which features tailgating, the Bearcat Marching Band, Northwest Cheer and Steppers. Northwest is a proud member of NCAA Division 2 athletics and the MIAA conference. Lamkin Activity Center is home to Bearcat Arena where Northwest's volleyball and basketball teams dominate the court. Students can attend regular-season Bearcat athletic events for free and use the field, track and court when they're available.

Outcomes

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The Joyce and Harvey White International Plaza was constructed in 1998 and helps commemorate Northwest's global enrollment. The flag plaza, which is a symbol of good will and peace, recognizes the various countries of currently enrolled students. Currently, the International Plaza boasts the flags of 54 nations and displays 5 clocks showing the time from Maryville to Instabul. We have officially reached the end of our tour. Thank you for joining us! We hope you get a chance to come to campus soon. Go Bearcats!

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