University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), a state supported land grant institution, is located in the northern part of Pine Bluff in south central Arkansas. It was founded as the Branch Normal College by the Legislative Act of 1873. On July 1, 1972, Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College were merged into the University of Arkansas System. Later, it was renamed as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The university is recognized by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It also conducts programs accredited by the National League for Nursing, National Association for Schools of Music, American Home Economics Association, and the National Association for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The Pine Bluff campus has 56 buildings on 318 acres. UAPB offers academic, baccalaureate and graduate degrees in 46 academic fields. It features the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Science, School of Arts and Sciences, Social of Behavioral Sciences, Science and Technology Units, School of Business and Management, Economic Research and Development Center, School of Education, and the Division of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education. UAPB also has a 871-acre USDA Research Farm at Lonoke.