The campus makes no distinction in requirements or quality of instruction between the degree programs offered through day or evening classes. Programs of instruction are available at special teaching institutes for residents of areas far from the campus. UH is Houston's largest public outreach university. Its goal is to provide an on-going research base to meet the needs of Houston's business, government, and cultural communities. Research faculty serve as role models and share with students information, ideas, and problems relevant to the fields of academic study.
Basic research takes place largely within disciplinary departments.
Applied, problem-oriented research, usually involving several disciplines, is conducted in a variety of UH's research institutes. The University actively seeks external support for its research programs from government and private sources. The educational mission of UH is also designed to meet the business, science and health, legal, governmental, and cultural needs of the city. Through its regular academic units and its extensive continuing education programs, UH offers the opportunity for residents of Houston to maintain or improve skills and knowledge that they need to enhance their careers and lives.