Montclair State University

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use American English Template:Infobox university

Montclair State University (Montclair) is a public doctoral research university<ref name="kaulessar">Template:Cite news</ref> in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Clifton and into Little Falls. As of June 2024, there were 22,570 total enrolled students: 18,062 undergraduate students and 4,508 graduate students.<ref name="At a Glance" /> It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The campus covers approximately Template:Convert. The university offers more than 300 majors, minors, and concentrations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Plans for the State Normal school were initiated in 1903,<ref name="montclair1908">Template:Cite web</ref> and required a year for the State of New Jersey to grant permission to build the school.<ref name="montclair1908"/> It was then established as "New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair", a normal school, in 1908<ref name="montclair1908"/> approximately 5 years after the initial planning of the school.<ref name="montclair1908"/> At the time, Governor John Franklin Fort attended the dedication of the school in 1908,<ref name="montclair1908"/> and the school was to have its first principal Charles Sumner Chapin that same year. The first building constructed was College Hall (now known as Cole Hall), and it still stands today. At the time, the campus was around Template:Convert, had 8 faculty members and 187 students.<ref name="montclair1908"/> The first graduating class, which numbered at 45 students,<ref name="montclair1908"/> contained William O. Trapp, who would then go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1929. The first dormitory was then built five years later, in 1915, and is known as Russ Hall.<ref name="montclair1908"/>

In 1927, Harry Sprague was the first president of Montclair,<ref name="montclair1908"/> and shortly afterwards the school began being more inclusive of extracurricular activities such as athletics. In 1927, however, after studies had emerged concerning the number of high school teachers in the state of New Jersey (only 10% of all high school teachers received their degrees from New Jersey), the institution became "Montclair State Teachers College" and developed a four-year (Bachelor of Arts) program in pedagogy, becoming the first US institute to do so. In 1937 it became the first teachers college accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.<ref name="montclair1908"/>

In 1943, during World War II, several students, with permission from the president, Harry Sprague, joined the US Navy as volunteers to train for the war. It was also a time when students and faculty sold war bonds to support US American troops.<ref name="montclair1908"/>

In 1958 the school merged with the "Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene" to become "Montclair State College".<ref name="montclair1908"/> The school became a comprehensive multi-purpose institution in 1966.<ref name=montclair1908 /> The Board of Higher Education designated the school a teaching university on April 27, 1994, and in the same year the school became "Montclair State University".<ref name=montclair1908 /> It has offered Master of Arts programs since 1932, Master of Business Administration since 1981, Master of Education since 1985, Master of Science since 1992, Master of Fine Arts since 1998, Doctor of Education since 1999, and Doctor of Environmental Management in 2003 (now the PhD in Environmental Science and Management). PhD degrees were added in Teacher Education and Teacher Development in 2008, Counselor Education, Family Studies, Mathematics Education, Communications Sciences and Disorders by 2014, and most recently Clinical as well as Industrial/Organizational Psychology (2021). In 2018, Montclair State University graduated more than 30 doctoral students.

In 2004, NJ Transit opened the Montclair State University station,<ref name="njtransit.com">Template:Cite web</ref> which links the university to New York City.<ref name="njtransit.com"/> The building of the MSU Station cost $26 million<ref name="njtransit.com"/> to complete, including a 1,500-space parking deck.<ref name="njtransit.com"/> In 2015, the university established the School of Communication and Media and added two new buildings to its campus; the Feliciano School of Business and the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS). Partridge Hall was fully renovated and in 2016, became the new School of Nursing, which welcomed its inaugural class of students that fall. In 2016, Montclair State University was designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).<ref name="Hispanic">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, Montclair State was designated a public research university by the New Jersey Legislature.<ref name="kaulessar"/> The new state-of-the-art home for the School of Communication and Media opened in fall 2017, followed in 2018 by the opening of the Center for Computing and Information Science in the former Mallory Hall, which underwent a complete renovation and expansion. In 2016, the university's classification was changed from a Masters to a Doctoral Research University,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2019, was changed to R2: Doctoral University – High Research Activity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Presidents

Number President<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Years in Office Notes
– Charles S. Chapin 1908–1924 Principal of New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair. Chapin Hall is named for him.
1 Harry A. Sprague 1924–1951 Principal, then first president of the College. Harry A. Sprague Library and Sprague field named for him.
2 E. DeAlton Partridge 1951–1964 Partridge Hall is dedicated to him.
3 Thomas H. Richardson 1964–1973 Acting President from 1964 to 1966. Namesake of Richardson Hall.
4 David W.D. Dickson 1973–1984 First African American president of the College. Dickson Hall is dedicated to him.
5 Donald E. Walters 1984–1987 Initiated an honors program, an international studies program and seminars on ethics and values.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
6 Richard A. Lynde 1987–1989 Acting President
7 Irvin D. Reid 1989–1998 "...Spearheaded a successful effort to upgrade Montclair State from a college to a university... "<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Irvin D. Reid Hall is dedicated to him.
8 Gregory L. Waters 1997–1998 Acting President
9 Susan A. Cole 1998–2021 First female and Jewish president of the university. Susan A. Cole Hall is dedicated to her.
10 Jonathan G.S. Koppell 2021–present Current president of the university

Colleges and schools

Montclair State University comprises seven colleges and six schools, each led by a dean or director. The colleges and schools organize and conduct academic programs within their units (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, and Certificate Programs) and work cooperatively to offer interdisciplinary programs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

College of the Arts

John J. Cali School of Music

The John J. Cali School of Music is part of the College of the Arts.<ref name="Degrees and Programs - College of the Arts">Template:Cite web</ref> The Cali School of Music provides a wide range of study and performance opportunities for its undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a professional certification program in Music Education and the Artist's Diploma and Performer's Certificate degrees in classical and jazz performance.<ref>"John J. Cali School of Music: Academic Programs" Template:Webarchive on the Montclair State University website</ref> The noted string quartet, the Shanghai Quartet, was in residence at MSU from 2002 to 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As part of their new residency programs, the Cali School welcomed the Harlem Quartet as its new quartet-in-residence and introduced Jessie Montgomery as its composer-in-residence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, the Cali School implemented the Cali Pathways Project, a scholarship program designed to create dynamic and comprehensive pathways to higher education and careers in music for talented student musicians from underrepresented backgrounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

College of Communication and Media

Initially the School of Communications and Media within the College of the Arts, CCOM launched as Montclair's newest college in July 2025. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The then-school opened a new facility in fall 2017. It features a 187-seat Sony Digital Cinema Presentation Hall, four broadcast-ready HD + 4K studio and control rooms, motion picture stage for digital filmmaking, and an audio production center featuring a Foley stage, a performance stage, and audio sound labs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

College of Education and Human Services

The College of Education and Human Services houses the Center of Pedagogy, with oversees the Teacher Education program. Majors across the university earning teacher credentials are administered jointly by the Center of Pedagogy and the department that houses the student's major.<ref name="cehs.montclair.edu">Template:Cite web</ref>

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State offers 20 undergraduate majors and more than 40 minors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest college by enrollment within Montclair State.

Montclair State supports and encourages interdisciplinary programs. In 2019, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics have teamed up to offer the only Master of Science in Computational Linguistics program in New Jersey.

College of Science and Mathematics

The College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) offers programs in the natural, physical, life, and computational sciences. Located in Richardson Hall are the Department of Physics and Astronomy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Student Success Center. Reid Hall houses the Department of Biology and the Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences Program.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The School of Computing and the Department of Mathematics are housed in the Center for Computing and Information Science.

The Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) houses the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which includes Earth and Environmental Science; Geographic, Environmental and Urban Studies; and Sustainability Science. CELS also houses the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology, Clean Energy and Sustainability Analytics Center, Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Lab, Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, and the interdisciplinary PhD Program in Environmental Science and Management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Feliciano School of Business

The Feliciano School of Business offers undergraduate as well as MBA programs. Students may opt to choose the Bachelor of Arts approach or the Bachelor of Science. The school offers a BA degree program culminating in a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. In 2016, the MBA program became available in a fully online format.<ref name="masters degrees">Template:Cite web</ref> The School of Business also offers post-MBA certificate programs. In 2015 a brand new building for the Feliciano School of Business opened, dedicated to Mimi and Edwin Feliciano.

School of Nursing

In 2016, Montclair State University launched a School of Nursing. It offers RN-to-BSN and four-year BSN programs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The school is housed in a state-of-the-art facility that includes mediated classrooms, computer study areas, a nursing skills laboratory, anatomy laboratory, and high-fidelity and home care simulation rooms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Graduate School

Montclair State began offering master's degree programs in 1932, beginning with the Master of Fine Arts degree; the university began to grant doctoral degrees in 1998, after receiving state approval to establish a Doctor of Education degree in pedagogy<ref>Montclair State University Timeline, Montclair State University.</ref> and Doctor of Environmental Management degree in 2003. In the fall of 2019, the university had about 300 doctoral students in eight programs.<ref>Doctoral Students, Montclair State University.</ref>

University College

University College is an initial academic home for students to pursue interests that will lead them to their eventual academic major. University College admits about one-third of incoming freshman, as well as approximately 1,400 returning and transfer students who have yet to declare a major. Once University College students have been admitted to their chosen majors, they transition into the college or school of that academic program.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rankings

Template:Infobox US university ranking

U.S. News & World Report listed Montclair State as No. 152 among all national universities in its 2025 rankings, tied for No. 12 in Top Performers on Social Mobility and tied for No. 81 in Top Public Schools.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Graduate Schools ranked several of the university's programs among the best in the nation, including its education program at 107th, its Master's in Public Health program tied for 140th, and its part-time Master's in Business Administration program 207th.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Montclair State University's online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program was ranked 25th in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report 2020 Best Online Programs rankings. The Feliciano School of Business was included in the 2020 edition of "The Best Business Schools" published by The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition included Montclair State in its rankings of America's greenest campuses. Money magazine ranked Montclair State among the nation's "Best Colleges for Your Money" in 2020. Money also ranked the university at No. 16 on its 2020 "Most Transformative Colleges" list. Campus Pride named Montclair State a "Premier Campus" in its 2020 Campus Pride Index, the national listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. Montclair State earned the maximum five stars out of five, one of only two institutions in New Jersey to do so.

In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Montclair State 57th among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on Montclair State's contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Campus

The original Montclair State University campus consisted of College Hall, Russ Hall, Chapin Hall and Morehead Hall, all built between 1908 and 1928. It was 2 miles south of the intersection of U.S. Route 46 and Route 3. Housing for students returning from World War II was added near the end of the war. Between 1950 and 1980, Montclair State gradually acquired land from a former traprock quarry and expanded its facilities with an additional 23 buildings. Montclair State University began its next phase of growth in the late 1990s to accommodate New Jersey's growing student population. Dickson Hall was dedicated in 1995. The building is named for David W.D. Dickson, the first African American president of Montclair State University. The Floyd Hall Arena, an ice skating rink, was built in 1998. Science Hall, the home of the Department of Biology, opened in 1999. The Red Hawk Diner was built in 2001, making it the first diner on a university campus in the United States.

Other additions (2002–2011)

  • The Red Hawk Deck, MSU's first parking garage, opened in spring 2003
  • The Village Apartments at Little Falls, an apartment complex accommodating 850 students, opened in fall 2003.
  • The Women's Softball Stadium opened in 2004.
  • The 500-seat Alexander Kasser Theater opened in fall 2004.
  • The NJ Transit Montclair State University station and Parking Deck was opened October 20, 2004. It provide direct access to and from New York Penn Station, the city's main public transportation hub. This is also a major parking and transfer point on the Montclair-Boonton Line.
  • The Children's Center, Montclair State University's daycare facility for children of students and faculty, opened in fall 2005.
  • University Hall, the largest building on campus at the time and home of the College of Education and Human Services, opened in spring 2006.
  • The George Segal Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the Red Hawk Deck, opened in spring 2006.
  • Cafe Diem, a cafe attached to Sprague Library, opened in January 2007.
  • Chapin Hall, nearly 100 years old, was completely renovated and expanded to house the new John J. Cali School of Music.
  • A Template:Convert Student Recreation Center opened in spring 2008.
  • Sinatra Hall, a new suite style residence hall near the Village, housing 300 undergraduate and graduate students, opened in August 2010.
  • CarParc Diem, the largest parking structure at MSU with approximately 1,600 spaces, opened in August 2010.
  • The Heights, two new housing complexes and a dining facility accommodating 2,000 students, opened August 2011.

Capital master plan (2013–2018)

Montclair's most recent master plan contained $650 million in capital construction and improvements.<ref name="capitalmasterplan">Template:Cite web Retrieved 2016-8-12</ref> The major projects under this new program were:

  • Two student housing and dining complexes, The Heights, are adjacent to the Student Recreation Center and CarParc Diem Garage. Opened in August 2011, they house approximately 2,000 students, increasing the on-campus housing capacity to 5,500, the second largest college residential population in New Jersey after Rutgers University in New Brunswick. They have also increased dining capacity at MSU by 25,000 gross square feet.
  • A Template:Convert building to house the Feliciano School of Business, adjacent to University Hall. It opened in Fall 2015.
  • The Template:Convert Center for Environmental and Life Sciences building, located adjacent to Richardson Hall, opened in 2015. CELS houses the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies and all of its research facilities, the Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Laboratory, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, the New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, and the interdisciplinary PhD program in Environmental Science and Management. The majority of the funding for this facility came from a bond issue passed by statewide referendum on November 6, 2012.
  • A Template:Convert expansion of Morehead Hall, which connects the building with Life Hall and the DuMont TV center to form the Communication and Media Studies Center.
  • Various expansions, improvements and renovations of residential buildings, athletic facilities, and academic facilities including College Hall, Partridge Hall, Mallory Hall (now the Center for Computing and Information Science), Life Hall, the Bond House, and Richardson Hall.

Census-designated place

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race and ethnicity Total
Hispanic Template:Bartable
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Black Template:Bartable
Asian Template:Bartable
Unknown Template:Bartable
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Economic diversity
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Montclair State University is a census-designated place (CDP) covering the Montclair State University campus in Passaic and Essex counties.

It first appeared as a CDP in the 2020 Census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with a population of 2,180.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

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2020 census

Montclair State University CDP, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> % 2020
White alone (NH) 878 40.28%
Black or African American alone (NH) 695 31.88%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 119 5.46%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 1 0.05%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 43 1.97%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 444 20.37%
Total 2,180 100.00%

Athletics

File:Montclair st athletics wmark.png
Montclair State athletics wordmark

Montclair State University's athletic teams have played under many names in the school's history. From the late 1920s to '30s, the school played as the "Big Red" and featured a large scarlet "M" on its uniforms. Next, Montclair State Teacher's College competed as the Indians, using a logo with a Native American chief's profile with the initials "MSTC" emblazoned on the caricature's headdress.<ref name="logo history">Template:Cite web Retrieved 2016-8-12</ref>

File:CNU Christopher Newport University Va. Montclair State Virginia baseball Captains (12908961783).jpg
A Montclair baseball player in 2014

The initials were changed to "MSC" when the school became Montclair State College in 1958. In response to the growing concerns voiced by Native Americans, the school changed its nickname to the Red Hawks in August 1989,<ref name="logo history"/> named after the Red-tailed hawks that are indigenous to the area. Montclair's athletic teams all play in the NCAA Division III (Campus Teams). The 2023 season for the men's soccer team was noteworthy with an NJAC Division title and competition in the semifinal round of the national championship.

Division III sports

Montclair State University athletics are in the NCAA Division III in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The university offers the following sports:

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Fall Sports
  • Women's Cross Country
  • Men's Football
  • Men's Soccer
  • Women's Soccer
  • Field Hockey
  • Women's Volleyball

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Winter Sports
  • Men's Basketball
  • Women's Basketball
  • Men's Swimming and Diving
  • Women's Swimming and Diving
  • Men's Indoor Track and Field
  • Women's Indoor Track and Field

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Spring Sports

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Club sports

Sports fields and facilities

  • Sprague Field: The 6,000-seat field is home to the MSU football team, men's and women's lacrosse and field hockey teams.
  • Panzer Athletic Center Gymnasium: The 1,200-seat arena is home to the MSU men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team.
  • Panzer Athletic Center Pool: The 500-seat Panzer Pool is home to the Red Hawk men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
  • MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field: The 3,000-seat artificial turf field, which opened in 1998, is the main home for both the men's and women's soccer teams. Starting in 2017, Pittser Field will be the home of New York Red Bulls II.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Yogi Berra Stadium: The 3,400-seat stadium is home to the MSU baseball team and the Yogi Berra Museum. It was the former home of the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Frontier League from 1998 to 2022.
  • MSU Softball Stadium: The 300-seat stadium opened its doors in 2004 and is home to the MSU softball team, and also hosted the 2009 NCAA Division III Women's College World Series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Montclair State University Ice Arena: The ice skating arena, formerly known as Floyd Hall Arena, opened in March 1998 with two NHL size rinks, an off-ice training area, meeting rooms, concession stand, pro shop, and facilities for birthday parties. The arena now attracts over 500,000 visits per year and has become the home to many groups including The MSU Hockey Club, the Montclair Hockey Club, The North Jersey Figure Skating Club, the Clifton HS Mustangs and Nutley and Passaic Valley High School Hockey Teams. In 2020, the arena was acquired by the university and re-named Montclair State University Ice Arena.<ref name="impaglia">Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Student Recreation Center: The 77,000-square-foot facility is home to two fitness floors, a six-lane swimming pool, two racquetball courts, a full-size basketball court with an overhead track, and two multi-purpose rooms. Montclair State University's Student Recreation Center hosts 13 intramural sports, a variety of fitness classes, and many special events throughout each year.

Notable alumni

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Science and technology

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Politics and government

Business and industry

  • Howie Hubler, Morgan Stanley bond trader whose positions on subprime-mortgage-related securities cost Morgan Stanley $9 billion in 2007.<ref>Hyman, Vicki. "Notorious 'subprime villain' Howie Hubler unloading Rumson estate for $4.5M" Template:Webarchive, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 10, 2016. Accessed February 19, 2018. "Hubler, a New Jersey native who played football for Montclair State University, resigned from Morgan Stanley in 2007, taking with him with tens of millions in back pay, according to Lewis."</ref>
  • Janine K. Iannarelli (born 1961), aircraft broker, founder and president an aircraft marketing firm<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • A. J. Khubani (born 1959), founder, president and CEO of Telebrands Corp.<ref>"Your Name in Stickup Light Bulbs!" Template:Webarchive, New York Magazine. Accessed February 19, 2018. "Khubani inherited his peculiar acumen from his father, an Indian immigrant and serial entrepreneur who made enough money importing Japanese-made pocket radios—an inexpensive, sixties precursor to the Walkman—to move his family from a third-floor walk-up in Union City to a modest house in Lincoln Park, New Jersey. The lesson wasn’t lost on the budding tycoon, who made his own first foray into direct mail in 1983, after graduating from Montclair State University."</ref>

Arts and entertainment

File:Allen ginsberg 675.jpg
Allen Ginsberg, briefly attended
File:Bruce willis cinedom.jpg
Bruce Willis, theatre major

Sports

File:Yogi Berra.jpg
Yogi Berra

Others

Notable faculty

  • Brenda Miller Cooper (1916–2008), operatic soprano<ref>Levin, Jay. "Brenda Miller Cooper, 92; opera singer from Teaneck", The Record, April 8, 2008. Accessed April 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Brenda Miller Cooper of Teaneck, a Juilliard-trained opera singer who embarked on a career as a music teacher and mentor after leaving the stage, died Thursday. She was 92. The retired Montclair State College professor was giving private voice lessons at her home until a few months ago.... Mrs. Cooper spent two decades at Montclair State, rising from assistant professor of music to associate professor to full professor."</ref>
  • Ken Kelsch, (1947–2023), cinematographer (also alumni)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notes

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References

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