Monmouth University was founded in 1933 with federal assistance as Monmouth Junior College, largely to provide opportunity for higher education to area high school graduates who could not afford to go away to college during the Depression. It was a two-year institution, holding classes only in the evening. For a time it appeared uncertain whether the College would have adequate funds to continue. With support from students and the community, however, the fledgling College survived the economic crisis and quickly assumed its present private status. In 1956, it was renamed Monmouth College and accredited by the state to offer four-year programs leading to the baccalaureate degree. Less than a decade later, it was authorized to offer master’s degree programs. In March 1995, the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education designated Monmouth a teaching university pursuant to N.J.A.C. 9:1-3.1 et seq.

Today, Monmouth offers more than ninety-five undergraduate and graduate degree programs and concentrations. Monmouth University also offers doctorate-level programs:

School of Nursing and Health Studies:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
• Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD)

School of Education:

• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership
• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership - Higher Education Track

School of Humanities and Social Sciences:

• Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.) in Human Rights Leadership

Within Monmouth’s student body, thirty-two states and forty-eight foreign countries are represented. More than 1,600 undergraduates are resident students.