Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University has evolved from a coeducational preparatory school into a modern, independent, four-year baccalaureate and master-level institution of higher learning.
The Evolution of Centenary
No stranger to change, Centenary evolved from its origin as a coeducational preparatory school to a girls’ preparatory school (1910), a junior college for women (1940), a four-year women’s college (1976), a coeducational baccalaureate-degree-granting institution (1988), a master-degree-granting institution (1995), and now a university (2016).
Centenary plays a significant role in providing educational programs to northwest New Jersey. In 1976, Centenary began to offer coeducational degree programs for evening students.
True to its Methodist origins, Centenary is proud to bear the distinction of being the first college within the State of New Jersey to require service education as a condition of graduation. Centenary is also proud of its international outreach, with international students from as many as 20 nations providing a distinct international character to the University’s student body.
Center for Adult and Professional Studies
In 1999, it developed the Center for Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS), with an off-campus learning center located in Parsippany, New Jersey. This program provided working adults with accelerated degree programs at the undergraduate (BSBA and AA) and Graduate (MBA) levels.
School of Professional Studies
In 2011, Centenary’s dedication to reaching out to students increased significantly with renaming of the program to the Centenary University School of Professional Studies (CUSPS). This change added a new accelerated Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Organizational Studies, and solidified Centenary’s partnerships with area corporations.