Our Campus

In the early 1960s, the college relocated from a single building across from New Hanover High School on bustling Market Street to a 600-acre tract of pine forest along a two-lane road on the outskirts of the city. The campus began with three buildings – Alderman, Hoggard and James Halls – designed in modified Georgian architecture, which to this day remains the distinctive style for all campus buildings.

Buildings were added gradually over the years, keeping pace with enrollment growth, funded by state appropriations and supplemented by contributions from university supporters like the Kenan, Trask, Cameron, Dobo and Fisher families.

One of UNCW's largest construction efforts – more than $300 million – kicked off the 21st century, using $108 million in higher education facilities bonds and other sources of funding.

Among the projects were the Education Building, the Cultural Arts Building, the Computer Information Systems Building (now Congdon Hall), Fisher Student Center, Seahawk Village, Seahawk Landing, Seahawk Crossing and McNeill Hall.

The $17.5 million, 80,000-square-foot Center for Marine Science at Myrtle Grove opened in 2000. It was later supplemented with a research shellfish hatchery and marine biotechnology facilities, creating one of the premier marine science education and research facilities on the East Coast.

In 2016, UNCW received $66 million as part of a $2 billion statewide bond, and used the funds to construct an allied health and human services building, now known as Veterans Hall.

Between 2018 and 2023, planning, construction and renovation projects totaled more than $600 million, including Dobo Hall, four new residence halls, coastal engineering building, film studies building, The Shore dining hall, additional recreation fields and facilities, a second parking deck and the renovation and expansion of Randall Library.

While the number of buildings on campus grows, preserving our natural areas has always been a priority for campus leadership. During the late 1990s, parking lots in the center of campus were dug up and replaced by water features, winding walkways and an outdoor amphitheater, the centerpiece of the Campus Commons.

The scale and placement of buildings form a sequence of open spaces and plazas along Chancellor’s Walk, the principal walkway across campus, creating a unique pedestrian experience for students, staff, faculty and visitors.

Approximately 100 acres of longleaf pine forest on the eastern edge of campus offers walking and biking trails and a challenging ropes course.