What Reinhardt University is like

What it's like

Reinhardt is a private Methodist-affiliated university in rural Georgia with deep historical roots—founded in 1884 as a one-room schoolhouse and evolved over 140 years into a comprehensive institution. The 620-acre campus in Waleska blends outdoor recreation (hiking trails, disc golf) with cultural and performing arts programming, anchored by the Falany Performing Arts Center and the Funk Heritage Center. The university serves over 50 programs across undergraduate, graduate, and online formats, maintaining a small-town, accessible character while expanding into nursing and health sciences through a satellite campus in Jasper.

Social life

The campus supports diverse recreational and cultural life, featuring professional concerts at the Falany Performing Arts Center, athletic teams, and the Funk Heritage Center—Georgia's official frontier and Southeastern Indian interpretive center with contemporary Native American art and exhibits. The Hasty Student Life Center (opened 2007) centralizes student activities, counseling, and career services. Students reside in nine residence halls and apartment-style buildings, with outdoor amenities including hiking trails and disc golf available on the expansive property.

Strengths

• The university offers over 50 graduate and undergraduate programs both on campus and online, providing flexibility and breadth of study options.[1]
• The Funk Heritage Center serves as Georgia's Official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center, featuring contemporary Native American art, exhibits on Native American culture, extensive hand tool collections, and a recreated Appalachian settlement village.[2]
• Research productivity spans multiple disciplines including computer science (28 works), art (30 works), history (26 works), political science (26 works), philosophy (23 works), and mathematics (11 works).[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Traditions

• Founded in 1884 by former Confederate Army Captain Augustus M. Reinhardt and John J. A. Sharp to serve impoverished Cherokee County, the university maintains Methodist Church affiliation and a commitment to accessible education rooted in Reconstruction-era ideals.[2]