Heidelberg University in the city of Tiffin in the US state of Ohio, was founded in 1850 as a school for the state’s German population by two Reverends of the German Reformed Church. The first classes took place on the upper floors of a commercial building in the town’s “Commercial Row” and were attended by five students. The first college building, Founders Hall, began construction in 1851 and remained the university’s only academic building for over 30 years. Throughout its early years the college ran a seminary alongside its educational institution and its mission was primarily to train Christian scholars. The university has broadened the scope of its education over time and student numbers have grown and in 2009 Heidelberg College became Heidelberg University. The university now offers a broad liberal arts program but it still retains ties to the Christian faith, promoting the ideals of integrity, thoughtfulness and academic excellence in its faculty and student body.
Today Heidelberg University students studying a broad range of postgraduate and undergraduate programs. The university offers 36 undergraduate courses, four graduate programs and 16 minors for students to choose from. Heidelberg University also has an innovative honours program called The Life of the Mind which allows students to study thematic areas. Heidelberg has links to the wider world with its long-running exchange program and international student body.
The university campus is 100 acres of landscaped grounds dotted with 26 buildings (10 of which are old enough to have been included on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places) housing academic, residential and administrative facilities. The university also has its own theatre, stadium and library as well as sports and leisure facilities.
