Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, commonly known as Harrisburg University (HU), is a private, STEM-focused university located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with an additional instructional site in Philadelphia. Founded in 2001 as Harrisburg Polytechnic Institute, the university was established to address the region’s need for education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, at a time when Harrisburg was the largest U.S. state capital without a four-year university. The institution was renamed Harrisburg University of Science & Technology in the same year and received significant state support, including $12 million in capital funding in 2003 for its initial development. HU offers a wide range of STEM-centered academic programs, including 15 bachelor’s degrees, 13 master’s degrees, three doctoral degrees, and several certificate programs, with a strong emphasis on engineering, applied sciences, and advanced technologies. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Harrisburg University is also home to multiple research and innovation centers, such as the Center for Advanced Entertainment and Learning Technologies, the Security Center of Excellence, the Government Technology Institute, the Center for Advanced Agriculture and Sustainability, and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, supporting applied research and industry collaboration. In recent years, the university has experienced financial challenges, including employee downsizing in 2023, missed bond payments in 2024, additional layoffs, and the closure of its international locations in Dubai and Panama. The institution has also faced public controversy, notably in 2020 following criticism of research claims related to facial recognition technology, which were later withdrawn. Despite these challenges, Harrisburg University has continued to strengthen its academic standing, earning designation as a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. This recognition highlights the quality of its cybersecurity education, particularly within its Master of Science in Computer Information Sciences and related cybersecurity degree programs.