American University College of Arts and Sciences

The Nuclear Studies Institute was founded in 1995 at American University in Washington, D.C. as a component of the American University College of Arts and Sciences. The purpose of the Institute is to educate American University graduate and undergraduate students, as well as the general public, about the key points of nuclear history, nuclear culture in the United States, and the threats still posed by nuclear weapons in the modern world.Under the direction of Dr. Peter Kuznick, the Institute runs during the University summer session, offering on-campus classes dealing with American nuclear culture and also a two-week study trip to Japan. In Japan, American University students, along with other American and Canadian students, travel and study alongside Japanese students, mainly from Ritsumeikan University as well as other universities in Japan and the region. The study tours the cities of Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, where the students hear lectures, visit landmarks, and attend the memorial ceremonies for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as their respective peace museums, in an effort to foster closer ties on both sides of the Pacific. The 2010 Nuclear Studies Institute trip to Japan was covered by NHK, Japan's national broadcasting corporation, and broadcast on Japanese television and featured on the NHK program “Japan Seven Days.”The Institute provides participants to hear many stories of the hibakusha (被爆者, literally “explosion-affected people"), including those of Koko Kondo, peace activist, American University graduate, and daughter of Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, who figures heavily in John Hersey’s Hiroshima. Tadatoshi Akiba, mayor of Hiroshima and president of the Mayors for Peace organization, also regularly meets with the participants during their study in Hiroshima. The Institute participates in the Nuclear Education Project; a worldwide effort to improve access to teaching and learning materials regarding the history of the nuclear arms race and the ongoing movement to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Education Project was founded in 2004 by Dr. Peter Kuznick, Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, Dr. John W. Dower of MIT and Dr. Mark Selden.

The Navy Bomb Disposal School , was a World War II era U.S. naval training installation built on American University property in Washington, D.C.

The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893 at the urging of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst, who sought to create an institution that would promote public service, internationalism, and pragmatic idealism. AU broke ground in 1902, opened as a graduate education institution in 1914, and admitted its first undergraduates in 1925. Although affiliated with the United Methodist Church, religious affiliation is not a criterion for admission. American University has eight schools and colleges: the School of International Service, College of Arts and Sciences, Kogod School of Business, School of Communication, Professional Studies and Executive Education, School of Public Affairs, School of Education, and the Washington College of Law (WCL). It has over 160 programs, including 71 bachelor's degrees, 87 master's degrees, and 10 doctoral degrees, as well as JD, LLM, and SJD programs. AU's student body numbers over 13,000 and represents all 50 U.S. states and 141 countries; around a fifth of students are international. American University is among the top three feeder schools to the Department of State. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".The university owns National Public Radio's flagship capital affiliate, WAMU, which has been a source of nationally and internationally distributed programming such as The Diane Rehm Show and the more recent 1A, styled as "the 1A", as in "the 1st Amendment".

Ward Circle is a traffic circle at the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues in Northwest, Washington, D.C. The circle, totaling 30,243 sq ft (2,809.7 m2), is owned and administered by the National Park Service through its Rock Creek Park unit. On three sides is the campus of American University, while the fourth is occupied by the Nebraska Avenue Complex, a U.S. government facility. The circle was constructed and landscaped in the 1930s to display the 27.5-foot (8.4 m) bronze, memorial statue of Artemas Ward. Ward was the first Commander-in-Chief in the American Revolutionary War. Sculptor Leonard Crunelle created the statue over a three-year period, while the base and pedestal were built by J. F. Manning Co. The pedestal is made from Stony Creek granite.The president and fellows of Harvard University donated the $50,000 to cover the cost of the statue. The donation fulfilled the terms of the will of Artemus Ward, an alumnus of Harvard and the great-grandson of Maj. Gen. Artemus Ward. The statue was unveiled on November 3, 1938, by Mrs. Wesley Feick, the great-great-granddaughter of Maj. Gen. Ward. Secretary of War Harry Hines Woodring spoke at the unveiling.Located on the west side of the circle, the home of American University's School of Public Affairs was named for and is still sometimes known as Ward Circle. In 2017, the official name of the building was changed to Kerwin Hall after former university president Cornelius M. Kerwin. On the North side of the circle is American University's Katzen Arts Center.

General Artemas Ward is a bronze statue of American Revolutionary War general Artemas Ward. It is sited in the center of Ward Circle, which was specifically made for the statue, at the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenue in the American University Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The 10-foot (3.0 m) statue of Ward was completed in 1936, but was not unveiled for two years. Ward was the first Commander-in-Chief of colonial forces during the Revolutionary War and served in a number of government roles, including as representative to the United States House of Representatives. Congress authorized the installation of a statue in 1928. Sculptor Leonard Crunelle from Chicago was chosen to create the statue. The pedestal was made from granite from Stony Creek, Connecticut. The president and fellows of Harvard College donated the funds to cover the cost of the statue. The donation fulfilled the terms of the will of Artemus Ward, an alumnus of Harvard and the great-grandson of Major General Artemus Ward, who donated $5,000,000 to the university. The statue was unveiled on November 3, 1938, by the great-great-great-granddaughter of Ward. Secretary of War Harry Hines Woodring spoke at the unveiling and accepted it on behalf of the president and the nation. The figure of Ward is wearing a Revolutionary War general's uniform, with a hat and gloves in his left hand, and a cannon ball at his feet. The Ward statue is one of 14 American Revolution statues in Washington, D.C., that were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. They were listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites the following year.

The School of International Service (SIS) is American University's school of advanced international study, covering areas such as international politics, international communication, international development, international economics, peace and conflict resolution, international law and human rights, global environmental politics, and U.S. foreign policy. The School of International Service was established in 1957 and has an alumni network of over 20,000. SIS enrolls more than 3,000 students from over 150 countries. The school makes extensive use of the academic and governmental resources offered by its location in Washington, D.C. The School of International Service consistently ranks highly among international relations programs. SIS is a member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. SIS also has partnerships with schools such as the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

The Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum It is located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues in Washington, D.C. This 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) space, designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in the arts, provides instructional, exhibition, and performance space for all the arts disciplines. Its 30,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) art museum exhibits contemporary art from the nation's capital region and the world. The museum gallery is the Washington region's largest university facility for art exhibition.The Center houses many academic departments for the university, including Art History, Graphic Design, Studio Art, Arts Management, Dance, Music, and Theatre. The center also features a 30,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) museum; a 6,000-square-foot (600 m2) sculpture garden; a 211,000-square-foot (19,600 m2) parking garage; 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) of performing arts space; 37,000 square feet (3,400 m2) of studio space including theatre studios, a music ensemble room, art studios, and dance studios; an admissions welcome center; and the Abramson Family Recital Hall.The construction of the Center was made possible by Dr. Cyrus and Mrs. Myrtle Katzen, who house much of their modern art collection within the building.

The American University Museum is located within the Katzen Arts Center at the American University in Washington, DC.

The National United Methodist Church is a United Methodist congregation in the Wesley Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Designated as the national church of the United Methodist Church, the building complex occupies a 6-acre campus adjoining the American University, comprising a church structure and administrative building. It includes a neo-Gothic main church, the fourth largest religious structure in the nation's capital.

The McKinley Building was the second building constructed on the American University campus, built in 1907, in northwest Washington, D.C. McKinley was designed by Henry Ives Cobb, well known for his architectural work in Chicago. The McKinley Building became the new home for the School of Communication after renovations were completed in 2014.

Camp Leach, formerly known as the American University Experimental Station and Camp American University, was a World War I era United States Army camp built by the Corps of Engineers on American University property in Washington, D.C. It was named in honor of Colonel Smith S. Leach, Corps of Engineers. The camp was established in 1917 for the organization of engineer units and subsequently used by the Chemical Warfare Service. Abandoned in January 1919, it was ordered salvaged.