History

West Virginia Junior College was founded in 1922. The institution (originally called Morgantown Commercial College) was located on High Street and if offered basic courses that emphasized business skills required at the time, such as typing, bookkeeping and penmanship.  The institution grew over the decades both in student body and course offerings.

In 1952, the institution received its initial institutional accreditation and it was renamed the Morgantown Business College. As it grew, the institution began expanding its curriculum by adding medical and computer courses.  In 1968, the current campus was constructed, and the institution moved from its original location on High Street to its current location.

In the 1970’s, the institution continued to expand both its computer and medical curriculums.  In the early 1970’s, it was one of the first institutions in the state to develop a curriculum for the evolving career field that is known today as medical assisting. Also, in the 1970’s, the institution was granted the authority to offer associate degrees by what was then known as the West Virginia Board of Regents.  (Today, the institution is authorized to operate as a post-secondary institution by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.)

Growth in both student body and curriculum offerings continued in the 1980’s as the institution established a branch campus in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. In the 1990’s, the institution embarked on a program to upgrade and enhance both the institution and its curriculum.  As a result, in 1998 the Institution received a higher grant of accreditation and changed its name to West Virginia Junior College.  Recognizing the increasing need for medical personnel, the institution has continued to increase its emphasis on health career education.