• Universities

The University of Mary Washington is based in Virginia and specialises in the liberal arts and sciences. It dates back to 1908 when the university was originally established as Fredericksburg Teacher's College. In 2004, the institution sought university status to reflect the addition of master's degree programmes. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and it focuses primarily on undergraduate education. Popular programmes include: geography, business administration, musical theatre, nursing, environmental science, political science and women’s and gender studies.The university offers adult learners an opportunity to take weekend and evening classes to complete several of the bachelor and masters degree programmes on offer.Sustainability has become a major part of the university’s mission, and the first LEED-certified building was built in 2007. The school also signed an Energy Performance Contact with the energy service company NORESCO, which enabled the campus to install water saving devices, which reduces campus water consumption by 50 per cent. UMW has over 100 student clubs and organisations on campus for students to join. These organisations include the Student Government Association, Honour Council, Asian Student Association, Latino Student Association, Students Educating and Empowering for Diversity and Women of Colour. Athletic teams at UMW participate as members of the NCAA Division III institution and play in the Capital Athletic Conference. Sports on offer include: basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field and the IHSA riding team.Notable alumni include Judy Muller, an American journalist who has been a correspondent for ABC News since 1990, Desiree Marie Velez, an American actress who has starred in a large number of television programmes and films, and Shin Fujiyama, a Japanese-American philanthropist who co-founded Students Helping Honduras.