Welcome to Monsters University

"Welcome to Monsters University", alternatively titled "Welcome to Monsters University: The Origin Story" is the fourteenth TV special, and the first to take place in Monsters, Inc. The story is a reimagining of the origins of Monsters University and how the main characters first met, and is very different from the story presented in earlier webisodes such as Monsters, University. (Coming in 2026)

Story
As a group of strange monsters head toward a spooky looking school on a hill, Art narrates that monsters going to school is just as normal for them as anyone else. But how did a school for monsters come about? Art takes us back to the beginning, when Monsters University was just his father's mansion...

Art is listening to his favorite popstar Tash in his room, when his father summons him to the mansion's roof to teach him how to transform into a bat and fly. After a few failed attempts, Art gets the hang of it, and the two take a flight over the nearby town. Art spots a billboard for Tash's upcoming concert and asks his father if he can go, His Father tells him no, explaining that it's too dangerous for him to be among humans. Art complains that he never gets to leave his home and experience the outside world, and flies off in a sulk, passing by an old power station. As he passes, a figure watches his from a window...

Art returns and records a video to his blog (which has no followers) about how he wants to have friends, when someone knocks on the front door for the first time in years. He opens the door to meet the son of One-Eyed Monster's creature, Mike Wazowski, who saw him passing by the old power station. Art offers to let him stay at the mansion, and though Father is reluctant, He and Mike convince him with their best cute expressions.

They spend the night chatting about their lives, and both agree that they want to have normal lives like the humans do, and wish they could have more friends and go to school like ordinary people. They hit on the idea of opening a school for monsters, and decide to find more monsters to help with their plan.

After searching around the town, they search the nearby moors, and come across a pack of wolf puppies... and a very angry wolf. They see the wolf wears a necklace, and realize it must be a intimidating monster. Inviting him to join their school, the wolf transforms into James P. Sullivan, and asks if he mother and brothers can join them. After some convincing, Father lets the Wolf family move in, and soon comes to enjoy their presence.

Now on board with Art's plan, the group work together to convert the mansion into a school. But they still need students. Mike teaches Art how to put his blog on the secret Monster Internet, and soon it has thousands of followers, and several monsters requesting to join Monsters University. In order to bring them to the school, Father gives the Oozma Kappa a Monster Mapalogue, a magical amulet which can teleport them to any monster in the world, provided they know their name. They decide to use it to find the first name on their list, and teleport to a pyramid in Egypt, where they meet the glamourous Two-Head Monsters Terri and Terry Perry. Then, they head to Australia to meet sporty Stare Monster Scott Squibbles. The five of them then ravel around the world and pick up various monsters, including George Sanderson, Jerry Slugworth, a shy four-armed creature named Thaddeus Bile, and a gluttonous slime creature named Gob. Other monsters arrive from afar, and soon Monsters University is full of new students, attending classes taught by Father and Sulley's mother.

Art worries that his father might need help looking after the school, and Mike suggests they both run as Student Council Presidents. They make a campaign video, promising that they will work to make a world where humans and monsters can live together, and that they will put on a huge dance party if they become presidents. Art becomes a little too eager and adds that if they win, they'll arrange for Tash to perform at the dance, something which does not go over well with his father. Just then, they receive a message from a monster named Moanica D'kay, and decide to pick her up.

The Oozma Kappa teleport to a graveyard, which is overrun with zombies. They meet Moanica, the one controlling the zombie army, and invite her to join Monsters University. Moanica declares she's more interested in taking over the human world, and sends her minions to capture the oozma kappa. The oozma kappa fight off the zombies using their powers, and make a quick escape.

The next day, life continues as normal at Monsters University, as the ghouls anticipate the dance once Art and Mike win the election. Suddenly, Moanica and her zombies appear, claiming to accept Art's invitation to join the school. She mocks the oozma kappa, claiming their efforts haven't brought monsters out of hiding, just made them hide in one place. She decides to run for Student President, and is soon charming the other students, even though she makes no secret about how she would love to eliminate humans.

Just before the candidates make their first speech, Moanica spots Gob the slime creature crying about being unable to get into the vending machines, and convinces him to go to the nearby human town and take food from there. At the election, Mike and Art promise to continue to make a world where humans and monsters can get along, while Moanica claims their dream is impossible, and that humans should be running in fear from the monsters. She then makes a bet with Art to drop out of the race if Art can convince Tash to appear at the dance.

The oozma kappa set out to find Tash's tour bus and cause it to stop, giving Art a chance to talk to Tash herself and ask her to appear at the school. But when Tash see's Art, he panics and tells him to go away so that the normies don't see her. The ghouls return to a gloating Moanica. Things become worse when they see a news report on the TV about how a slimy creature, which fits the description of Gob, has stolen all the food from a local store, and left a trail which could lead to Monsters University / Art wonders if he made a terrible mistake in creating Monsters University.

The next morning, Art awakes to good news. Despite Moanica's efforts, he and Mike have been voted Student Presidents. What's more, Gob reveals he returned the food he stole to the store, meaning Monsters University is still safe. The oozma kappa start setting up for the dance, while an angry Moanica comes up with another idea. She and her minions set out to find Tash's tour bus...

As night falls, the dance is in full swing. Suddenly, the tour bus crashes onto the dance floor. Moanica and her zombies appear, holding Tash hostage, and declares that she's going to turn Tash into a zombie so she can truly understand what being a monster is like. Art and his friends remember the Monster Mapalogue, and use it to teleport on top of Moanica and separate her from Tash. Moanica sends her minions to attack them, but the students fend them off with their powers, while Art takes on Moanica by screeching at his in bat form, and manages to knock him off the stage. But at the last moment, Moanica leaps at Tash to attack her... only to pass right through her body.

Tash admits that she is actually a ghost named Ari Hauntington, and she is able to take on a solid human form so she can fit in with other humans. Art tells her that she shouldn't be ashamed of who she really is, and that she can be herself at Monsters University. Ari apologizes for her earlier behavior, and offers to perform at the dance for everyone. As the monsters party into the night, Moanica sneaks away, vowing to return and take revenge... But Moanica gets Captured By the CDA.

The next day, Art reports on his blog that Ari has become Monsters University's official ambassador, and hopes that it's the first step toward monsters and humans accepting one another.

In a post-credits scene, a cat dressed in a burrito costume is dreaming on a sofa, going on a boat, and going places. This appears after the Walt Disney logo, the Pixar logo and the end credits.

Songs
Couldn't Be Better (Pop Version) Sung by Kelly Clarkson

Better Together (Welcome To Monster High Version)

Feeling so Amazing (Welcome To Monster High Version)

We're the Monstars (Dance the Fright Away) (Welcome To Monster High Version)

If I Didn't Have You (Welcome to Monsters University Version) Sung by Charlie Day Billy Crystal John Goodman Sean Hayes Dave Foley and Peter Sohn

Couldn't Be Better (Welcome to Monsters University Version) Sung by Charlie Day Billy Crystal John Goodman Sean Hayes Dave Foley and Peter Sohn