The history of Cameron University corresponds to the history of the area it serves in Southwest Oklahoma. It was founded by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1908 as Cameron State School of Agriculture, one of six agricultural high schools in the state and placed under the jurisdiction of the State Commission of Agriculture and Industrial Education. The institution was named for E. D. Cameron, first State Superintendent of Schools.

Cameron added junior college work in 1927 when local needs demanded access to higher education. With the changed function came the name Cameron State Agricultural College. It became solely a college in 1941 when the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education was formed, and joined the group of institutions governed by the Board of Regents for Oklahoma A&M Colleges.

Baccalaureate degrees were authorized in 1966 by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, following action by the Legislature. In May of 1970, the first bachelor’s degrees were awarded. The institution's name was changed to Cameron College in 1971, and was further amended to Cameron University in 1974.

In 1988, the State Regents expanded Cameron's functions to include offerings at the master’s degree level. This change in function was the first granted to an Oklahoma institution since Cameron was given authority to offer bachelor’s degrees more than 20 years earlier. The first master’s degrees were awarded to forty‑one graduates in May of 1990.

In recognition that Cameron’s mission had become significantly more complex and predominantly urban, on June 1, 1992, governance of the University was transferred by the Oklahoma Legislature to the governing board for the University of Oklahoma, the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma (“Board of Regents”). With the transfer of governance came new affiliations between Cameron and the University of Oklahoma, which have broadened and strengthened academic offerings by both institutions.

Cameron University is a regional, public university serving Southwest Oklahoma and a global learning community. The University is governed by the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma within a state system coordinated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Cameron University offers associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs.

Cameron University provides a diverse and dynamic student body access to quality educational opportunities; fosters a student-centered academic environment that combines innovative classroom teaching with experiential learning; prepares students for professional success, responsible citizenship, life-long learning, and meaningful contributions to a rapidly changing world; and is a driving force in the cultural life and economic development of the region.

The master’s degree programs offered by Cameron University are intended to address the personal needs of individual students and the broader needs of society that are not satisfied by baccalaureate programs. These needs can be met by an advanced and specialized study in a particular academic field.

Graduate students are to demonstrate initiative and assume responsibility for the progress of their study and for personal integrity and inquiry. Class work and class assignments provide a foundation for broader reading and research. Beyond this foundation, students are expected to continue their studies in order to master specific knowledge and skills pursuant to the goals of their specific program.

Graduate programs at Cameron University are designed to

1. Encourage academic inquiry;
2. Stimulate intellectual creativity;
3. Promote competence in research, oral communication, and writing;
4. Confer knowledge and encourage scholarship in specific academic disciplines;
5. Promote professional competence and achievement; and
6. Provide opportunities to address additional objectives identified in specific programs.

All students are required to pay a general fee, which includes charges for registration, library services, and classroom and laboratory instruction. Special fees are charged for other services made available to students. The rates for both general and special fees are set by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and are subject to periodic review and revision.

Refer to the current Enrollment Schedule or contact the Business Office for current fees and refund policies.

The Graduate Council is the primary recommending body for issues related to graduate studies. The Council, co-chaired by the Dean of the School of Business and the Dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Studies or their designees, is composed of members of the graduate faculty and graduate students. Appointments to graduate faculty as well as changes in graduate policies, programs, courses, and other issues pertaining to graduate study at Cameron University are reviewed by the Graduate Council. The Council also has the responsibility for acting upon graduate grade appeals; appeals of probation, suspension, or dismissal; incidences of academic misconduct involving graduate students; and grievances.