Philadelphia University

Philadelphia University (PhilaU) is located in Pennsylvania, with roots dating back to 1884 as a textile school. At the time, a local textile manufacturer believed that Philadelphia’s textile industry was falling behind rivals. As such, the Philadelphia Association of Manufacturers of Textile Fabrics was formed which transitioned into the university it is today.

The university's 100-acre wooded campus is just a few minutes from downtown Philadelphia, where students are able to go to concerts, cheer on professional sports teams and visit historical sites such as the Liberty Bell.

The university offers more than 60 bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programmes in popular fields such as architecture, business administration, design, engineering, liberal arts, science and health. 

Degrees are divided among the College of Architecture and the Built Environment, the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, the College of Science, Health and the Liberal Arts, and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Students are also available to study courses online via PhilaU Online.

Uniquely, Philadelphia University also requires undergraduate students to spend two semesters taking physical education classes or playing sports.

In addition, PhilaU runs the Philadelphia University Research Centre – which is housed in a restored textile mill – which contains both the Engineering and Design Institute and the Laboratory for Engineered Human Protection.

Athletic sports teams at the Philadelphia University are known as the Rams and the Lady Rams, who compete in the NCAA’s Division II in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The university’s most notable team are the men’s basketball team who are coached by former student and ‘most successful basketball coach in NCAA history’, Herb Magee. 

Notable alumni include Maurice Kanbar, an American entrepreneur and inventor who is particularly well known for his creation of SKYY vodka, Jay McCarroll, a fashion designer who gained fame after winning the competitive reality show Project Runway in 2005, and Herb Magee, a Division II men's college basketball coach at Philadelphia University himself.