The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

What is the history of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville traces its origins to Blount College, founded in 1794, before Tennessee became a state. Its later names - East Tennessee College, East Tennessee University and, from 1879, the University of Tennessee - reflect its development from a small regional college into a public university.

The institution moved to its present hilltop site in the nineteenth century and became Tennessee's land-grant university in 1869. That designation established a public-service role alongside teaching and research, particularly in agriculture and the practical sciences. Today, Knoxville is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee System; it should not be confused with the system's other universities or with the separate University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

What are the faculties and departments at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a large research university offering bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional degrees. Its academic organization spans liberal arts, professional fields, agriculture and engineering, giving students considerable choice without requiring every discipline to be housed in one college.

Major units include the College of Arts and Sciences; Haslam College of Business; Tickle College of Engineering; Herbert College of Agriculture; and the colleges of Architecture and Design, Communication and Information, Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Nursing, Social Work, Law, and Veterinary Medicine. The Natalie L. Haslam College of Music serves students pursuing music degrees.

Representative undergraduate fields include biology, psychology, computer science, journalism, accounting, mechanical engineering, nursing and architecture. Graduate and professional options include law and veterinary medicine. Requirements can differ substantially by major: an applicant considering nursing, architecture or an engineering discipline should check that program's admission sequence and curriculum, not just the university's general entry requirements. UT's published student-to-faculty ratio is 18 to 1, an institution-wide measure rather than a prediction of class size in any particular course.

What is the location of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

UT Knoxville's main campus is in Knoxville, Tennessee, near downtown and the Tennessee River. It has an urban setting, with academic buildings, residence halls and athletics facilities concentrated around the campus and adjacent neighborhoods.

Students can reach downtown businesses and community organizations from campus, while internships or clinical placements elsewhere in the region may require additional transportation planning. Campus transit and local buses offer alternatives for some trips, but routes and hours matter for students living off campus. McGhee Tyson Airport serves the Knoxville area and is south of the city; it is not within walking distance of campus.

What is the mission and vision of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

UT Knoxville describes its mission in terms of education, discovery, creative activity and service to Tennessee and beyond. Its land-grant role is central to that stated purpose: the university connects teaching and research with public engagement rather than treating them solely as campus activities.

The university's stated vision emphasizes the effect of its ideas and actions and refers to a "Volunteer spirit," a reference to Tennessee's longstanding nickname. These are institutional goals, not independent measures of how any particular student will experience a program. UT Knoxville is a public, nonsectarian university.