Museum of Art and Archaeology

The Columns are the most recognizable landmark of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Standing 43 feet (13 m) tall in the center of Francis Quadrangle and at the south end of the Avenue of the Columns, they are the remains of the portico of Academic Hall. Along with Jesse Hall, they are one of the most photographed sites in Missouri. The Columns have been at the center of many traditions and events including graduations, concerts, pranks, weddings, and protests. Mizzou's school song mentions the columns, and they have been the setting for a work of fiction. They are a contributing structure to the Francis Quadrangle National Historic District. The columns underwent preservation work in 2017.

Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns, stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recognizable symbol of the University of Missouri.

David R. Francis Quadrangle is the historical center of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Known as The Quad, it is the oldest part of Red Campus and adjacent to Downtown Columbia at the south end of the Avenue of the Columns. At its center are six Ionic columns, all that remains of the original university building Academic Hall. Twelve buildings front the modern quadrangle including the domed main administration building Jesse Hall, the tallest building in Columbia. The Quad was designed and constructed by architect Morris Frederick Bell and his assistant William Lincoln Garver. It is named after Missouri governor David R. Francis. Eighteen structures, including the entire quad and most of Red Campus are listed as the Francis Quadrangle National Historic District. An obelisk, the original tombstone of Thomas Jefferson, stands in front of the Chancellor's Residence. It was gifted to the University by Jefferson's descendants in recognition of Missouri's ties to Virginia. In front of Jesse Hall stand markers honoring university president Richard Henry Jesse and Missouri governor David R. Francis. Nearby is another obelisk in memory of Missouri's first U.S. senator David Barton, The Missouri School of Journalism is located at the northeast corner of The Quad, comprising Walter Williams Hall, Neff Hall, Gannet Hall, along with the Reynolds Journalism Institute. To the west, Switzler Hall is the oldest academic building on campus, though the Residence on the Quad, home of the chancellor, is the oldest building overall. The University of Missouri College of Engineering completes the west side. Pickard Hall is currently closed due to radiation contamination from turn of the century experiments. Swallow Hall was recently renovated and houses the Departments of Anthropology, Visual Studies and Ancient Mediterranean Studies.

The Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs is one of twenty-one schools and colleges at the University of Missouri. Established in 2001, it was previously known as the Department of Public Administration. The school mission is to "advance the knowledge and practice of governance in Missouri, the nation, and beyond by informing public policy, educating for ethical leadership in public service, and fostering democratic discourse among citizens, policy makers, and scholars." As part of the College of Arts and Science, the school awards master's, and doctoral degrees. The school is named after Missourian and U.S. President, Harry S. Truman. It was ranked the 38th best public affairs program by U.S. News & World Report in 2020.

Switzler Hall is an academic hall on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. The building was completed in 1872, and it is located on the west side of the David R. Francis Quadrangle. Switzler Hall is the oldest academic building and second oldest structure on campus after the Chancellor's Residence. The building was named after Colonel William Franklin Switzler, editor and publisher of the Missouri Statesman and supporter of the University. Today the building houses the Department of Communication, Women's and Gender Studies, and the Special Degrees Program. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Missouri School of Journalism housed under University of Missouri in Columbia is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in all areas of journalism and strategic communication for undergraduate and graduate students across several media platforms including television and radio broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, photography, and new media. The school also supports an advertising and public relations curriculum. Founded by Walter Williams in 1908, the school publishes the city's Columbia Missourian newspaper and produces news programming for the market's NBC-TV affiliate and NPR member radio station. Considered one of the top journalism schools in the world, it is known for its "Missouri Method," through which students learn about journalism in the classroom as well as practicing it in multimedia laboratories and real-world outlets. It also operates an international journalists' magazine, a local city magazine, a statewide business journal, a statehouse news bureau, and two student-staffed advertising and public relations agencies. Several affiliated professional organizations, including Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Pictures of the Year International, allow students to interact with working journalists. In 1930, the school established its Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. The faculty selects medalists based on lifetime or superior achievement for distinguished service; each year a different aspect of journalism is selected for recognition. In 1960, the school established the Penney-Missouri Awards to recognize women's page journalism "that went beyond traditional content." In 1994, the awards were renamed the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards.

Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's 4th most populous with an estimated 128,555 residents in 2022.As a Midwestern college town, Columbia maintains high-quality health care facilities, cultural opportunities, and a low cost of living. The tripartite establishment of Stephens College (1833), the University of Missouri (1839), and Columbia College (1851), which surround the city's Downtown to the east, south, and north, has made Columbia a center of learning. At its center is 8th Street (also known as the Avenue of the Columns), which connects Francis Quadrangle and Jesse Hall to the Boone County Courthouse and the City Hall. Originally an agricultural town, education is now Columbia's primary economic concern, with secondary interests in the healthcare, insurance, and technology sectors; it has never been a manufacturing center. Companies like Shelter Insurance, Carfax, Veterans United Home Loans, and Slackers CDs and Games, were founded in the city. Cultural institutions include the State Historical Society of Missouri, the Museum of Art and Archaeology, and the annual True/False Film Festival and the Roots N Blues Festival. The Missouri Tigers, the state's only major college athletic program, play football at Faurot Field and basketball at Mizzou Arena as members of the rigorous Southeastern Conference. The city rests upon the forested hills and rolling prairies of Mid-Missouri, near the Missouri River valley, where the Ozark Mountains begin to transform into plains and savanna. Limestone forms bluffs and glades while rain dissolves the bedrock, creating caves and springs which water the Hinkson, Roche Perche, and Bonne Femme creeks. Surrounding the city, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Mark Twain National Forest, and Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge form a greenbelt preserving sensitive and rare environments. The Columbia Agriculture Park is home to the Columbia Farmers Market. The first humans who entered the area at least 12,000 years ago were nomadic hunters. Later, woodland tribes lived in villages along waterways and built mounds in high places. The Osage and Missouria nations were expelled by the exploration of French traders and the rapid settlement of American pioneers. The latter arrived by the Boone's Lick Road and hailed from the culture of the Upland South, especially Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. From 1812, the Boonslick area played a pivotal role in Missouri's early history and the nation's westward expansion. German, Irish, and other European immigrants soon joined. The modern populace is unusually diverse, over 8% foreign-born. White and black people are the largest ethnicities, and people of Asian descent are the third-largest group. Columbia has been known as the "Athens of Missouri" for its classic beauty and educational emphasis, but is more commonly called "CoMo".

The University of Missouri College of Arts and Science (A&S) is the liberal arts and sciences unit of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Established in 1841, the college is currently the largest unit at MU in terms of the number of students enrolled and the largest academic division in the state of Missouri. The college encompasses a 25 departments, programs, and schools, including the University of Missouri School of Music The college is located in more than 50 buildings throughout the main campus of the university. The headquarters is located in Lowry Hall on 9th Street.

The Mizzou Botanic Garden contains thousands of plants within the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, United States. The Garden includes famous icons, such as Thomas Jefferson's original grave marker and the Columns of Academic Hall, and is open year-round, only asking for a small donation to visit. Notable collections within the Garden include: Arboretum in McAlester Park 4 acres (1.6 ha), with more than 100 trees of 43 species. Asiatic & Oriental Lily Garden. Beetle Bailey Statue and Garden: Cartoon character Beetle Bailey and the surrounding gardens pay tribute to Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey and MU distinguished alum. Bulb Display Garden. Butterfly Garden. Daylily Garden: Features more than 50 cultivars of daylily hybrids donated by the Central Missouri Hemerocallis Society. Ellis Perennial Garden. Hydrangea: 10 varieties of the genus Hydrangea. Jefferson Garden: Includes cardinal flower, columbine, Virginia bluebells, sweetshrub, and Rose of Sharon. A bronze sculpture of Thomas Jefferson, as well as the original tombstone, a simple obelisk, which once sat next to Jefferson's grave, are also located in the garden. Life Sciences Discovery Garden. Mel Carnahan Quadrangle. Memorial Union Gardens. Native Missouri Tree Collection. Peony Garden: Features peonies, lilacs and other "old-fashioned" plants. Perennial Phlox Garden: Features 11 varieties of perennial phlox and English roses. Rothwell Family Garden. The Gardens on David R. Francis Quadrangle: More than 100 hardy, herbaceous perennials, with ornamental shrubs, trees and annual flowers woven throughout the garden. Tiger Plaza. Tree Trails: There are three self-guided walks designed to highlight the trees on campus. Wildlife Pond: In the 1920s, a spring north of Stephens Hall was transformed into a pond surrounded by a Japanese garden with an arched bridge and Pagoda gate. Recently several water plants native to Missouri, including Water Lilies, Pickerel Weed, Copper Iris and Thalia have been added.

Jesse Hall, formerly New Academic Hall, is the main administration building for the University of Missouri. Its dome has towered 180 feet (55 m) above the south end of David R. Francis Quadrangle since its completion in 1895. In the lawn in front of Jesse Hall are The Columns, all that remains of its predecessor Academic Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1892. The building contains the office of the chancellor, university registrar, graduate school, admissions, and financial aid. One of the most photographic landmarks in Missouri, the building was designed by Missouri architect Morris Frederick Bell, and is his largest surviving work. Jesse Auditorium had hosted graduations and many university functions over the years. The University Concert Series presents national and international concerts, Broadway shows, performers, bands, speakers, and theater to the largest auditorium in Columbia. As the former home of the School of Music, student performances occasionally take place. The building is the most prominent contributing structure to the David R. Francis Quadrangle National Register of Historic Places District. In 1922, "New Academic Hall" was renamed "Jesse Hall" in honor of retiring University President Richard Henry Jesse.

The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in 1839 as the first public university west of the Mississippi River. It has been a member of the Association of American Universities since 1908 and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".Enrolling 31,401 students in 2021, it offers more than 300 degree programs in thirteen major academic divisions. Its Missouri School of Journalism, founded by Walter Williams in 1908, was established as the world's first journalism school; it publishes a daily newspaper, the Columbia Missourian, and operates NBC affiliate KOMU. The University of Missouri Research Reactor Center is the sole source of isotopes in nuclear medicine in the United States. The university operates University of Missouri Health Care, running several hospitals and clinics in Mid-Missouri. Its NCAA Division I athletic teams are the Missouri Tigers, and compete in the Southeastern Conference. The American tradition of homecoming is claimed to have originated at MU. Its alumni, faculty, and staff include 18 Rhodes Scholars, 19 Truman Scholars, 141 Fulbright Scholars, 7 Governors of Missouri, and 4 members of the U.S. Congress. Two alumni and faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize: alumnus Frederick Chapman Robbins won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1954 and George Smith (chemist) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 while affiliated with the university.

The Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business, more commonly known as the Trulaske College of Business, is the second largest academic division at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.