The University of Texas System
Establishment of a state university for Texas was provided first by act of the State Legislature in 1881. It provided for the location of the institution by popular vote and for appointment of a Board of Regents to be entrusted with its organization and governance. By results of an election in September 1881, the site of the main university was designated as Austin and Galveston was chosen as the location for the Medical Branch. An undergraduate college and law school were established and The University of Texas formally opened on September 15, 1883.
Since then numerous campuses, schools, colleges, divisions and branches have been added to The University of Texas System at several locations throughout the state. The System now includes nine academic campuses in Arlington, Austin, Dallas, Edinburg, El Paso, Nacogdoches (Stephen F. Austin University), Odessa, San Antonio, and Tyler. The five health-related institutions are located in Dallas, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) was established in late 1972 to administer and provide for the operation of the several biomedical and health-related units located in the city through the integration and coordination of functions and activities. The Health Science Center presently includes, in order of establishment:
1905 School of Dentistry (originally as the Texas Dental College – joined UTHealth Houston in 1943)
1963 MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
1967 School of Public Health with five off-campus instructional sites across Texas
1970 McGovern Medical School
1972 Cizik School of Nursing
1973 McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics
1990 Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC)
1995 Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases
2022 Behavioral Sciences Campus (encompasses HCPC and the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center)
2022 School of Behavioral Health Sciences (planned enrollment for fall 2025)
As a component of The University of Texas System, UTHealth Houston is subject to The University of Texas System Board of Regents – Rules and Regulations for the governance of The University of Texas System.
The official name of the institution is The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, known familiarly as UTHealth Houston.
Today, UTHealth Houston employs more than 11,000 faculty, staff and residents and has over 5,000 students enrolled in various health and biomedical disciplines at its component schools.