The University of Utah is a hub for higher education from the Rockies to the Sierras and boasts an academic reputation that is rivaled only by its breathtaking vistas. To the east rise the 11,500 foot, snow-capped peaks of the Wasatch Mountains. To the west, the Great Salt Lake shimmers beneath the Oquirrh Mountains. The 1,500-acre campus, nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, is a beautiful collage of native and exotic trees, fountains, flowering malls and pedestrian walkways.

Founded in 1850, the University offers 72 undergraduate majors, 70 minors and certificates, 40 teaching majors and minors, and 95 graduate majors. Academic opportunities at the U. include colleges of law, medicine, architecture, pharmacy, business and engineering. The U. also boasts the nation's first American Indian social work program. Utah draws its 28,000-plus student population from all 50 states and 114 foreign countries.

Utah ranks among the top 35 public research universities in the nation, with particular distinction in medicine, genetics and engineering. Scientists from the University of Utah have identified more genes with diseases than anywhere else in the world. University of Utah geneticist Mario R. Capecchi received the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for his work on gene targeting. Capecchi is one of many acclaimed faculty members. The U. ranks 30th among the nation's public research universities in significant awards to faculty.

Research Park, which is located on 320 acres adjacent to the campus, houses 41 companies and 71 university departments. Some of the more prominent residents of Research Park are the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, the Moran Eye Center and the Brain Institute. The Huntsman Cancer Institute has the largest genetic database in the world and is the only National Cancer Institute in the Intermountain West. Gene targeting was developed at the Eccles Institute. The Moran Eye Center is considered one of the top eye centers in the world.

The MBA program at Utah has also received international acclaim. Financial Times has ranked the U.'s David S. Eccles School of Business MBA program among the best in the world for the last four years. In 2008, the financial publication ranked Utah's executive MBA program as the 22nd best in the nation--and No. 80 in the world.

The U. is also noted for technology transfer and its Center for High Performance Computing serves as a link to major aerospace industries, high-tech manufacturers and research companies. It manages one of the three most successful technology parks in the U.S., with more than 40 high-tech companies created by University faculty. The U. has had a presence on the Internet since 1970, when it became the fourth node on the Internet. In 2008, PC Magazine ranked the U. third in its America's Top Wired Colleges' rating.

The U. provides a lively residential living experience in beautiful Heritage Commons, a multi-purpose residence complex located in historic Fort Douglas on the eastern edge of campus. Opened in 2000, Heritage Commons served as the Athletes Village for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Over 2,500 students live on campus in residence halls and apartments. The Princeton Review ranked the University of Utah No. 7 for "Best Campus Environment" in 2006.

Outside the classroom, Utah students enjoy unparalleled outdoor diversions, from skiing and snowboarding at any of eight world-class resorts in nearby canyons, to backpacking, mountain biking, fly fishing and river running.

The U.'s location in the largest city in the Intermountain West (metro population 1,333,914) allows for an urban experience in a beautiful setting. Salt Lake City is home to professional symphony, ballet, modern dance, opera and theater companies, as well as five professional sports teams.

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