Introduction / History

History Location Enrollment Colleges & Degrees Accreditations & Affiliations Facilities & Resources

History

Southeast Missouri State University was established in 1873 as the Southeast Normal School. The first session was held in the fall of 1873. By legislative enactment in 1919, the name was changed to the Southeast Missouri State Teachers College and authorization was given for the granting of degrees. The name was changed to Southeast Missouri State College on September 21, 1946. The present name was adopted on August 24, 1972 under permission granted by the state legislature, in recognition of changes in the basic objectives and programs of the University.

Location

The Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, a growing city of over 38,000 inhabitants and a place of genuine historic interest. It is one of the oldest towns in the state, having been founded in 1793 by Don Louis Lorimier. Under Spanish dominion it was an important military and trading post. For a century it has been an education center. Its civic and industrial development gives Cape Girardeau a desirable place among the progressive cities of the state.

Interstate 55 links Cape with St. Louis just 2 hours to the north and with Memphis 3 hours to the south. Interstate 57 is just across the river and provides easy access from Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky.

Enrollment

Approximately 9,000 students are enrolled at the University with a student/faculty ratio of 18 to 1. Out of this total, approximately 1,200 students are graduate students. Average graduate class size ranges from 6 to 30 students. Students come from all 50 states and from countries around the world.

Colleges and Degrees

An array of comprehensive graduate programs is offered in the areas of communication, counseling, education, English, history, environmental studies, business administration, music, natural science, science administration, criminal justice, industrial management, nursing, and nutrition & exercise science. In addition, specialist degrees in educational administration and counseling education are offered.

Click here to view a complete list of graduate degrees offered at Southeast

Back To The Top

Accreditations and Affiliations

Southeast Missouri State University is fully accredited by:
• North Central Association Of Colleges And Schools
• National Council For The Accreditation Of Teacher Education

The University holds specific program accreditations from:
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• American Chemical Society
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Council On Social Work Education
• National Association Of Industrial Technology
• National Association Of Schools Of Music
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• National Recreation And Park Association
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC)

Back To The Top

Facilities & Resources

Southeast offers many excellent resources and facilities to enhance your education.

The Show Me Center is home to the University’s championship basketball teams and the site of concerts featuring numerous entertainers. The Student Recreation Center is a 90,000-square-foot facility with 5 full- or 12 half-basketball courts, 6 racquetball courts, a weight room and a 200-meter indoor track. Robert A. Dempster Hall, home of the Donald L. Harrison College of Business, features state-of-the-art computer labs, seminar rooms, two fully mediated business policy classrooms and a 400-seat auditorium. The new Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building is a $9 million facility with the latest high-tech equipment and includes a Technology Resource Center.

At Southeast, technology is one of the hallmarks. Across campus, computer labs remain open day and night to allow students access to government documents, educational materials and markets around the world. Over 1,000 computers are available to students. In addition, Southeast provides free Internet access to students. Individuals who live in locations other than Cape Girardeau, however, are subject to their personal telephone charges for long distance access to the university's servers. Computer Services provides computing support for the instructional, research, administrative, and public service functions of the University.

Kent Library houses nearly 400,000 books, provides access to nearly 2,500 periodicals through print subscriptions and online databases, is designated an Official Government Document Depository and is home to the Louis Daniel Brodsky William Faulkner Collection, one of the world's finest collections of Faulkner's works. It is the site of the Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning and the Writing Center.

Back To The Top