Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College has evolved from a coeducational preparatory school into a modern, independent, four-year baccalaureate and master-level institution of higher learning. No stranger to change, Centenary evolved from its origin as a coeducational preparatory school to a girls’ preparatory school (1910), a junior college for women (1940), a four-year women's college (1976), a coeducational baccalaureate-degree-granting institution (1988), and a master-degree-granting institution (1995).