The University of Louisville is a premier, nationally recognized metropolitan research university. The state-supported, research university is located in Louisville, the largest metropolitan area in Kentucky. The university traces its origin to 1798, when eight men declared their idea of establishing a seminary, the Jefferson Seminary. The seminary was established in 1813, and was closed in 1829, after a great struggle. The Louisville Collegiate Institute, in 1844, occupied the land of the seminary. In 1846, the Kentucky legislature merged the Louisville Medical Institute, the Louisville Collegiate Institute, and a law school into the University of Louisville. Over the years, the university added many new schools and colleges. The University of Louisville offers graduate, professional, baccalaureate, and associate degrees in over 170 fields. It has 12 schools and colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, School of Education, Graduate School, Kent School of Social Work, Brandeis School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Music, School of Nursing, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, and the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. In addition, the university offers opportunities to continue education through their distance and continuing education programs, and facilities to research and study abroad. The University of Louisville has six libraries and an archives and records center. Its collections include more than 2 million volumes, 16,000 current journal subscriptions, 20,000 full-text electronic journals, various special collections, media, and microforms. The University of Louisville is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees (D.M.D., J.D., M.D.).