Using university research-based knowledge, University of Missouri Extension engages people to understand change, solve problems and make informed decisions.
MU Extension addresses a wide range of needs that fall into three grand challenges for the state of Missouri:
- Economic opportunity
- Educational excellence
- Healthy Futures
The University of Missouri Extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri campuses, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through county extension councils, and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Land-grant mission
MU is a land-grant university, meaning it is a part of a federally mandated mission to carry the benefits of university research beyond campus. Federal legislation in the 1800s provided for the donation of public land to individual states. Missourians chose to apply their land grants to the existing Columbia campus. This created two universities in one a land-grant institution leading in research for all citizens of the state, across the nation and around the world, and an intellectual center to advance liberal arts scholarship. Today, through statewide offices, publications, and Web-based services, extension faculty in every county of Missouri continue to carry the benefits of MU research throughout the entire state.
The University of Missouri Extension, Building a Bridge to Community Learning (.pdf)
This document explains the meaning and value of being a Land-Grant institution and cooperative extension service. It also includes program profiles for Agriculture, 4-H Youth, Business Development, Continuing Education, Human Environmental Sciences and Community Development.