The University of Virginia Community The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, who outlined the institution’s purpose, designed its original buildings, supervised the construction, planned the curriculum and directed the recruitment of its first faculty.  As the first Rector of the University, Mr. Jefferson presided over the school’s governing body, known as the Board of Visitors.  James Madison and James Monroe were members of the Board of Visitors in the University’s early years.  Mr. Jefferson designed what he referred to as his “academical village” to house teachers and students alike in four long rows of rooms, with larger components (“pavilions”) providing classrooms.  The Rotunda, a half-scale version of the Pantheon, is the centerpiece of the historic Central Grounds.  In 1976 the American Institute of Architects voted the Rotunda to be the outstanding achievement of American architecture.  These historic buildings were named to the prestigious World Heritage List in 1988. When it opened for classes in 1825, the University of Virginia represented a dramatic innovation in American education.  In an era when colleges trained students almost exclusively for teaching and the ministry, Thomas Jefferson dedicated his University to the education of leaders in practical affairs and public service. The University offers fifty-one bachelor’s degrees in forty-seven fields, eighty-three master’s degrees in sixty-six fields, six educational specialist degrees, two first-professional degrees (law and medicine), and fifty-nine doctoral degrees in fifty-eight fields.  The University’s ten schools are (listed by founding date):  School of Architecture, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Colgate Darden School of Business Administration, McIntire School of Commerce, Curry School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Law, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing.  In the Fall of 2007 the total student enrollment was 20,258 students, consisting of 13,726 undergraduate students and 6,532 graduate and professional degree students.  The undergraduate class consisted of 69% Virginia residents and 31% non-Virginia residents, with 55% female and 45% male.  Nine percent of first-year students identified as African American, 11% Asian American, 4.4% Hispanic American, and 4.6% international non-resident students.  The University of Virginia is proud to have the highest African-American student graduation rate of any public university at 86.3%. John T. Casteen III has been the president of the University since 1990. The University of Virginia is located in the city of Charlottesville in central Virginia, which, including surrounding Albemarle County, has a population of approximately 100,000.  Charlottesville is located two hours from Washington, D.C. and one hour from the Richmond, Virginia’s state capitol. Charlottesville is rich in cultural activities, including fine restaurants, an annual international film festival, and an array of musical and theatrical venues.  The area is replete with historically significant sites, such as Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, several civil war battle sites, and well-known colonial era sites such as Williamsburg and Jamestown.  Charlottesville is also known for the beauty of the countryside, with the Blue Ridge Mountains one-half hour by car to the west.  Information about Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and surrounding area Return to Internship Home Page