Winona State University

Winona State University was founded in 1858 when the first Minnesota State Legislature established normal schools “to prepare teachers for the common schools of the state.” The first tax-supported school west of the Mississippi River was established at Winona to train teachers for a new frontier. Citizens of Winona quickly supported the school with donations of more than $7,000 in money and land.

Classes began in 1860, although the school closed for nearly three years during the Civil War. It reopened in November 1864 to continue its mission of preparing teachers for the new State of Minnesota. Construction of the first building was completed in 1866, and classes were held in Main Hall by 1869.

Phelps Hall, with a kindergarten teaching lab, gymnasium, and library opened in 1909. Classes for students in Rochester were first offered in 1917. The Winona State Normal School became Winona State Teachers College in 1921 and was authorized to grant the bachelor’s degree. In 1926, four students – two men and two women – graduated with the four-year teaching degree.

The boom following World War II spurred rapid growth. In 1957, the institution was renamed as Winona State College, reflecting an expanded mission that included the addition of the bachelor’s, master’s, and associate’s degrees. By the late 1960s the campus had six residence halls, a new library, five academic buildings, athletics facilities, a student center, and an expanded and remodeled Somsen Hall.

Mission
The mission of Winona State University is to educate and enlighten our citizenry at a distinctive institution: a community of learners improving our world.

Library
Located less than a mile from the Mississippi River and in the center of the city of Winona, Minnesota, the Darell W. Krueger Library is the library for Winona State University. As a resource for thWSU Library Entrancee greater southeastern Minnesota and WSU community, the library not only serves the WSU Academic community through its many resources, but also serves as a U.S. Government Depository.

Courses Offered
Undergraduate Programs

• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Economics
• Finance
• Human Resources Management
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing

Graduate Programs

• MS Community Counseling (Focus on Chemical Dependency Counseling)
• MS School Counseling
• MS Professional Development
• MS Developmental Disabilities
• MS Learning Disabilities
• MS Early Childhood Special Education
• MS Master Teacher Program
• MS Graduate Induction Program
• MS General Education Leadership
• MS Teacher Leadership
• MS Outdoor Recreation / Adventure Based Leadership
• MS Sports Management
• MA Literature & Language
• MA TESOL
• MS Studies in Literature, Language, and Education
• MS Clinical Nurse Specialist
• MS Nurse Administrator
• MS Nurse Educator
• MS Adult Nurse Practitioner
• MS Family Nurse Practitioner
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• Early Childhood Education
• Elementary Education
• Middle School
• Learning Disabilities
• Developmental Disabilities
• Principal / Assistant Principal K-12
• Superintendent / Assistant Superintendent
• Post-Baccalaureate Secondary Teacher Licensure
• Training and Development
• Post-Master’s Certificates in Nursing
• Outdoor Education / Adventure Based Leadership
• Sports Management

Colleges

• College of Business
• Colleges of Education
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Nursing & Health Sciences
• College of Science & Engineering

Contact Details
Winona State University
P.O. Box 5838
175 West Mark Street
Winona, MN 55987
TTY: 877.627.3848, 1.800.342.5978
Official Website: http://www.winona.edu/