To study at Howard University is choosing an institution that is experienced, dynamic, and diverse – with a tradition of quality education since 1867 provided by the constant engagement of its faculty toward the students and their needs, and by its rich campus social and cultural life. Howard University is an excellent school in an exciting place--Washington, D.C. A private historically black college founded in 1867, Howard was originally a college of liberal arts and medicine. Howard has a stellar academic reputation--some refer to it as the "Black Harvard." Howard offers degrees at the bachelor's through doctoral and professional level. Its professional schools include medicine, dentistry, and law. Howard's Washington, D.C. location provides students with great opportunities to explore the U.S. government and institutions like the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art. Famous alumni of Howard University include the Nobel Prize winning novelist Toni Morrison, the civil rights leader Thurgood Marshall, and the opera singer Jessye Norman.