Located in Charleston, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) strives to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina and beyond. The public institution of higher learning is dedicated to train health professionals, biomedical scientists and other health-related personnel. It also operates as a center for research and a public hospital. Since its founding in 1824, the university has served the citizens of South Carolina. Begun as the Medical College of South Carolina, it gained university status in 1969. The university encompasses six colleges of professional education in the health sciences, and a medical center: Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Graduate Studies, Dental Medicine, Health Professions, and the MUSC Medical Center. The Medical College of South Carolina was incorporated in December 1823. With the exception of the Civil War, the institution has served to the present. In 1913, it was transferred to state ownership and incorporated into the state's higher education system. Established as a unit of the Medical College of South Carolina in 1952, the College of Dental Medicine offers D.M.D. degrees, a Dental Medicine Scientist Training Program and postdoctoral programs. A variety of programs, including molecular and cellular biology, pathobiology, pharmaceutical sciences, and environmental sciences are provided through the College of Graduate Studies, organized in 1965. The College of Pharmacy was organized in 1882 as the School of Pharmacy. It offers a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and a doctor of pharmacy degree. Started in 1884, the College of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing, nine master’s programs in nursing and a doctoral program in nursing. Formerly known as the School of Allied Health Sciences, the College of Health Professions was organized in 1966. Bachelors to doctoral-level programs are offered through the college. Additionally, the school offers degree programs at satellite sites in Greenville, Columbia, and Rock Hill. As a part of the university, the MUSC Medical Center was established in 1834. The medical center, once known as the Medical University Hospital, was designed specifically for teaching purposes. It encompasses such facilities as the University Hospital, the Storm Eye Institute, the Institute of Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital. It includes centers for specialized care and numerous outpatient facilities. Research centers are provided to promote research activities. Harper Student Center/Wellness Center, the Center for Academic Excellence, and Writing Center are additional facilities. International programs and services are offered. The university serves as the home institution for the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC), a statewide consortium of teaching hospitals and rural health education centers. More than 230,000 bound volumes, approximately 2,500 journal subscriptions, 7,000 audio/vsual volumes, 3,900 microfilm titles, and a vast array of online resources are housed in the MUSC library. As a state resource in health policy and education, the university welcomes medical students and patients irrespective of economic and religious backgrounds.