[Establishment & History of Shiraz University]

The initial nucleus of Shiraz University was formed in 1946 with the establishment of the junior college of Health which aimed at training specialists in the Medical Sciences during a four year program. In 1949 this was transformed to a Medical College and shortly thereafter in 1953 the Namazi School of Nursing and in 1955 the Colleges of Agriculture and Arts and Sciences were established.

Shiraz University which, prior to the Islamic Revolution, was called Pahlavi University was founded in 1954 with the addition of the College of Engineering and College of Veterinary Medicine. Other units that were subsequently added were the Dental School in 1969, the Graduate School and the Junior College of Electronics in 1969, and the Colleges of Law and Education in 1977.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Revolutionary Council was founded in 1980 and extensive fundamental changes were implemented at universities at large. These changes were also reflected in the context of Shiraz University which presently consists of 11 colleges and 3 junior colleges as follows:

[About Shiraz University]

The Shiraz University is both a modern as well as old institution of Higher Education in Iran. Established in 1946, the University has, since then, applied itself to the advancement of knowledge no less than to its dissemination.

Shiraz University, formerly known as Pahlavi University, is a public university located in Shiraz, Iran. It is one of the major universities of Iran. Shiraz University has always ranked as Top 5 among Iranian universities and is well respected in Iran.

The University of Pennsylvania assisted the Iranian government in transforming Shiraz University into the only institution in the Middle East based on American-style higher education. The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) thus became highly influential in shaping many of Pahlavi University's departments and institutions. Shiraz University has the second biggest campus in Iran.

Shiraz University has pioneered the establishment of doctoral programs in Iran. Presently the university has over 19,000 students, with 200 Bachelor's degree programs (B.A., B.Sc.), 300 Master's degree programs (M.A., M.Sc.), one professional degree program (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), and 150 Ph.D. programs.

As a top Iranian University, Shiraz University is research-oriented and has about 700 faculty members and 19000 students. The University offers BA/BS in 80 departments, MA/MS in 188 and Ph.D. in 129 areas of concentration. As a comprehensive and accredited University, Shiraz

University has the responsibility of training qualified faculty staff for other-higher education and research institutes in Iran. It has, thus, contributed a lot towards the scientific development of the country.

At present Shiraz University consists of 14 colleges.

[Mission and Objectives - Shiraz University]

The main mission of Shiraz University is to enrich society’s intellectual, cultural, scientific, economic, and environmental spheres. Shiraz University enjoys accomplished faculty, dedicated staff and talented students. Our faculty creates, discovers and adds to the word’s base of knowledge in everything from agriculture to humanities, from engineering to supercomputing. Our Ph.D. graduates have become valuable human resources in all Iranian and Abroad Universities. 

[Vision]

Shiraz University will try to remain one of the leading universities in Iran and will extend its educational activities globally. With this vision, surely, all Shiraz University educational members including students, faculties and staffs will work together to bring the highest standards of knowledge and research to the Shiraz University and all its Branches in abroad.

[Legal Status of Shiraz University]

The Pahlavi University (by Ministry of Higher Education) was established on June 18, 1946 as a college it was elevated to a university in 1954. The Pahlavi University was named as Shiraz University in 1979. It is a Public university.