Western Carolina University is the fifth oldest institution in the University of North Carolina system. Now it provides an education to more than 9,000 students from 38 states and 32 countries. WCU academic programs span more than 120 specialties, including the nation’s highest-ranked entrepreneurship and project management programs, a national award-winning teacher education program, a criminal justice program used as a model for North Carolina’s accreditation program, and the nation’s first accredited four-year emergency medical care program. The number of majors and areas of concentration are provided to undergraduates through four colleges: Applied Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education and Allied Professions. WCU programs are highly competitive.

Besides, the University is accredited to award bachelor's, master's, education specialist, and doctor's degrees. The university holds 21 special program accreditations and is a member of more than 30 state and national associations and organizations to which its professional programs are related.

In addition, more than a dozen of undergraduate and graduate programs are offered entirely or partially online.

WCU is proud to offer the nation’s top-ranked programs in project management and entrepreneurship. It offers the only master of entrepreneurship program that focuses solely on the entrepreneurship discipline.