University Of Wisconsin-Platteville was founded in 1866 as the first state teacher-preparation institution in Wisconsin, then called the Platteville Normal School. The university grants Undergraduate, Graduate, Special and Pre-professional degrees. The programs are channeled through the university's different colleges, namely, Colleges of Business, Industry, Life Science, and Agriculture; Engineering, Mathematics, and Science; and Liberal Arts and Education. Distance education is also offered in the fields of business and Criminal Justice.