The University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) is the oldest and largest Catholic university in Michigan, with almost 5,000 students.
UDM was formed from the union of two higher education institutions. The University of Detroit was founded in 1877 by the Society of Jesus, more commonly known as Jesuits, who had been present in Michigan since the 1600s. In 1990 the University of Detroit merged with Mercy College, run by the Religious Sisters of Mercy since 1940, to form the University of Detroit Mercy.
Detroit Mercy has eight schools and colleges: architecture, business administration, dentistry, engineering and science, health professions, nursing, law and liberal arts and education.
All students follow a liberal arts core curriculum designed to provide a foundation in critical thinking, communication and leadership skills. More than 100 academic programmes are offered at UDM.
Three campuses in the city of Detroit house UDM’s range of programmes. The main undergraduate area is McNichols campus in the northwest, with numerous historic buildings refitted with state of the art classrooms. The main fitness centre is also located here. Law students study in the Riverfront campus, located in the heart of the city’s business and legal district. The School of Dentistry is located in Corktown, Detroit’s oldest district, and features high-tech educational tools for budding dentists.
UDM law students are required to complete a semester-long clinic covering an underrepresented section of society. Students select from one of the following areas: immigration, criminal trial, veterans, juvenile, intellectual property or appellate advocacy.
