The University of Tennessee offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, research, and public service throughout Tennessee. As Tennessee's flagship institution UT offers more than 300 degree programs to its 26,000 students, who come from every county in Tennessee, every state in the nation, and more than 100 foreign countries.

UT holds the highest Carnegie classification of "doctoral/research university-extensive." As few as 100 public universities hold this distinction, and UT is one of only two in Tennessee. A faculty of 1,200 provides high quality educational experiences to students while also performing research and providing public service to the state and nation.

The oldest and largest public institution of higher education in the state, the University was founded in Knoxville in 1794, two years before Tennessee became a state.

Location

The University of Tennessee spans the state, but its home campus is located in historic Knoxville on the banks of the Tennessee River. Nestled in the Tennessee Valley between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau, some of the highest peaks in Southern Appalachia are just a 45-minute drive from campus.

Warm summers and mild winters bookend gorgeous dogwood springs and breathtaking, color-filled autumns. The year-round average temperature is 58 degrees.

Things to know

• A freestanding Black Cultural Center paid for by students enriches the campus culture. Free tutoring and mentorship programs are available for all students who apply.
• Campus-wide wireless Internet access improves the learning environment on campus. Students and faculty can surf the Web or check e-mail from most any building on campus.
• Nobel Laureates, Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners and astronauts have studied here.
• UT is the only university in the country to house three U.S. presidential papers collections.
• US News and World Report ranks UT a top 50 public university.
• UT is a partner in managing the world's most advanced neutron-beam research facility.

Research

The University of Tennessee as a major research institution attracts more than $114 million in research funding annually. Centers of Excellence in advanced materials, environmental biotechnology, structural biology, food safety, and information technology have exceeded projections for grant support since their founding in late 2000.

UT-Battelle manages the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located 25 miles northwest of campus. The University of Tennessee's involvement places it among a select group of universities that manage national laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy.

ORNL is the university's largest research partner. The Science Alliance, a Tennessee Accomplished Center of Excellence, strengthens research ties between The University of Tennessee and the laboratory and improves science programs at the university. As part of the Science Alliance, The University of Tennessee and ORNL share 12 Distinguished Scientists, who hold the rank of full professor at the university and senior scientist at the laboratory.

The Center for Laser Applications at the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma houses one of UT's accomplished Centers of Excellence funded by the state and various agencies of the federal government and industry. Center research includes laser-ignited combustion, laser interactions with plasmas, laser materials processing, and electric propulsion.

Health Science Center

The UT Health Science Center in Memphis is a key player in the new initiative to make Memphis an internationally recognized biotechnology center. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation gave UT facilities worth more than $40 million and gave the Memphis Biotech Foundation property adjacent to the Health Science Center that is being developed as a biotechnology research park. The biotech initiative allows UT to compete more aggressively for good faculty and grants and helps the university convert research into technology.

Colleges at the Health Science Center include Allied Health, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. A biomedical engineering program is offered jointly with the University of Memphis.

Institute for Public Service

Through its work with businesses and governments, the UT Institute for Public Service (IPS) created almost $595 million in economic impact in fiscal 2002 and helped create 6400 jobs. The Institute houses four agencies at multiple sites around the state: the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS), County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), Center for Industrial Services (CIS), and Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC).

Institute of Agriculture

The UT Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research, and public service in agriculture and related areas to students, producers, and consumers in Tennessee and to the region, nation, and world. With home offices in Knoxville, the statewide institute is comprised of the Agricultural Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

The Institute contributes to improving the quality of life, increasing agricultural productivity and income, protecting the environment, promoting the economic well-being of families, and conserving natural resources for all Tennesseans. Constituents include students, farmers, homemakers, 4-H and other youth, agribusiness, state and federal governmental agencies, and consumers.