The University of Southern Mississippi, officially known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated 70 miles (110 km) north of Gulfport and 105 miles (169 km) northeast of New Orleans. Southern Miss is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees. Founded on March 30, 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi comprises the main campus located in Hattiesburg, and multiple permanent branch campuses: Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, Mississippi, , Stennis Space Center, Jackson County, Keesler Air Force Base, J.L. Scott Aquarium, Gulf Coast Research Lab, and Pontlevoy, France. The University has a particularly extensive "study abroad" program through its Center for International Education, and is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the nation for the number of students studying abroad each year. It is particularly noted for its flagship British Studies program, which regularly sends 200+ students each summer to live and study in the heart of London.