Our History
The state of Alabama founded AUM in 1967, at the request of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce. Then, like now, growing businesses desperately needed a deeper pool of educated employees. AUM’s original mission involved support of government at all levels. Just seven miles east of the state capitol, today AUM continues to support a number of local, state and regional government functions, but our mission is much bigger.
When AUM first opened its doors to students in 1969, it was a commuter campus. Our students worked throughout the River Region and they came to our campus for one reason — they wanted more and better opportunities to make a life for themselves and their families. Students still choose AUM for the same reason, but today, they come from all over the country — all over the world — at a variety of points in their lives to start building the lives they choose at AUM.
Who do we serve?
We serve an interesting mix of traditional and non-traditional students. Some are right out of high school, while others have been working for years. Together, they bring diverse experiences into the classroom that makes for a far more interesting and dynamic learning environment. People who come to AUM are serious about their education and they aren’t here (just) for the party.
From your first days on campus, you’ll be surrounded by people who take their education seriously. You’ll find that you constantly motivate and inspire each other.
A dynamic campus in a dynamic city
Just as Montgomery is a far different city than it was in 1967, AUM looks much different today from those early years. We still serve working and part-time students, but our first-time full-time student population is on the rise. Our campus is a thriving, growing place for all types of students.
Today, we offer more than 90 fields of study at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. We have unique programs, unavailable anywhere else in the region, including Geographic Information Systems, Hospitality and Tourism, Homeland Security, and Cybersystems and Information Security.
Each of our five colleges offers undergraduate and graduate classes in traditional, online and hybrid formats, with courses offered during the day, evenings and on weekends.
AUM is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
