Wicked's ending, the pair uncover a sprawling conspiracy that threatens to pull them apart for good.

One of the many reasons that Wicked has become so well-respected over the years is thanks to its expansive world-building and character development, which does a great job of expanding the world created in The Wizard of Oz without changing any of the important details. The story takes all the ideas and locations from the original film, detailing them further to make them truly feel real and authentic, with characters whose lives are complex and engaging. The movie adaptation of Wicked is split into two parts, with the first installment dedicating much time to introducing these iconic locations.

Shiz University Is A College In Oz

The School Is Where Elphaba And Glinda First Meet

One of the most important locations in the entirety of Wicked (but particularly in the first half) is Shiz University, the college where Glinda and Elphaba first meet each other. The school is set in the magical land of Oz, much of which was explored in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz - but Wicked gives more detail and backstory to this realm, explaining exactly how it differs from the world we live in. The actual structure of the university differs between the Broadway production and Gregory Maguire’s original novel, but it’s always described as a collegiate school with jumbled architecture.

In both the Broadway production and the cinematic adaptation, Shiz University is a huge campus where all the colleges surround each other in close proximity. This explains how students such as Glinda and Elphaba, who attend an all-girls college, interact so easily with characters like Fiyero and Boq. The segregation of genders is an important feature of Shiz University, as it allows Wicked to comment and satirize the stereotypes enforced on Elphaba and Glinda.

Each College At Shiz University & Which Characters Go To Them

Wicked's Main Cast Attend Several Different Schools

Just like in the Broadway show, several of the main characters in Wicked attend different colleges and study different subjects at Shiz University. The most frequently mentioned college is Crage Hall, which is where Elphaba and Glinda first meet each other. Described as a general studies school, Crage Hall is seemingly one of the lower-ranked colleges within the university. It’s headed by Madame Morrible, the ambitious headteacher who accompanies Elphaba and Glinda on their journey to the Emerald City.

The other main colleges at Shiz University are Briscoe College and Ozma Towers, attended by Boq and Fiyero respectively. The former is described as an agricultural college, where Boq is studying to improve his farming skills. It’s notorious for having the largest library on the campus. Ozma Towers is thought to be a mostly political school, which links to Fiyero’s high status and politically important family in the original novel.

The remaining colleges are Three Queens, Deckens College, and St. Prowd’s Academy. Not much is known about these schools, other than that St. Prowd’s is an academy for younger students with a more general curriculum. Three Queens is one of the few all-male colleges at Shiz, seemingly with a focus on theater and performance. Although the Wicked movie makes several changes from the Broadway show (namely focusing more exclusively on Elphaba and Glinda), these foundational colleges are mostly the same.

Every Teacher At Shiz University

Each Subject Has A Different Professor

As with any school, Shiz University also has several teachers and of staff who take charge of different aspects of the academy. The most notorious is Madame Morrible, the heistress of the school and the leader of Crage Hall College. She’s the teacher whom both Glinda and Elphaba gravitate towards during their first term at Shiz, and her role in the first movie is primarily as a mentor to the young girls. Importantly, Morrible also serves as the newly appointed press secretary to the Wizard of Oz, a role that’s exploited by the Wizard to get closer to Elphaba.

Peter Dinklage's Doctor Dillamond is a teacher of Life Science at Crage Hall, and he’s a hugely important figure in Wicked. The character is a walking, talking goat - but he’s frequently mocked by both the students and staff because of his species. Wicked’s treatment of animals and their respective rights in Oz is a huge part of the story, furthering the play’s key themes of discrimination and acceptance. Elphaba is one of the only people that truly accepts Dillamond, bonding with him because of their shared status as social outcasts.

While the movie focuses primarily on Morrible and Dillamond, there are many other of staff at Shiz University that have been mentioned in both the novels and the Broadway production.

While the movie focuses primarily on Morrible and Dillamond, there are many other of staff at Shiz University that have been mentioned in both the novels and the Broadway production. These include Doctor Nikidk, who replaces Dr. Dillamond as Crage Hall’s Life Science teacher, Grayce Greyling, Mister Mikko, Professor Lenx, and an unnamed rhinoceros who serves as the librarian at Three Queens.

Where Shiz University Is Located In Oz

The University Lies In Oz's Most Industrial Province

Although Oz isn’t fully mapped out in the movie, Shiz University is described as being situated in the region of Gillikin, which is the northernmost province of Oz. As explained in Maguire’s novel, Gillikin is renowned for its sense of industry and technology, allowing it to develop a reputation as one of Oz’ most advanced and lucrative regions. With Shiz as the region’s capital, Gillikin is ruled by the Lord-Mayor of Shiz, and influenced heavily by the Ozma family.

The city of Shiz is one of the most wealthy and respected in the entirety of Oz, second only to the Wizard’s Emerald City. It’s known for its sense of academia and knowledge, which is why it was chosen to house Oz’s most popular university. Known residents of Gillikin in Wicked include Glinda, Madame Morrible, and Avaric Tenmeadows.