Mission:

The primary purpose of The University of Tennessee at Martin is to provide a quality undergraduate education in a traditional collegiate atmosphere characterized at all levels by close collaboration among students, faculty and staff. In addition, the university is dedicated to meeting lifelong educational needs by providing graduate programs, distance-learning opportunities and other creative endeavors. Furthermore, the university is committed to advancing the regional and global community through scholarly activities, research and public service.

About Us:

The University of Tennessee at Martin provides high-quality undergraduate and graduate educational programs to West Tennessee and beyond. From the founding in 1900 of Hall-Moody Institute, through the establishment in 1927 of UT Junior College, to today’s status as a comprehensive public university, UT Martin is committed to preparing students for success in the global economy.

The main campus is located in Northwest Tennessee about 125 miles northeast of Memphis, 150 miles northwest of Nashville and 60 miles north of Jackson. Educational Outreach teaching centers in Jackson, Parsons, Ripley, and Selmer, and dual-enrollment course offerings in Tennessee high schools, bring UT Martin academic programs to people across West Tennessee. UT Martin is home to UT Online, the University of Tennessee’s online programs for both undergraduate and graduate education.

UT Martin's investment in its faculty and instructional technology is helping to ensure that the university's graduates are prepared to meet the challenges in an international economy. The state-of-the-art Instructional Technology Center, located in the Paul Meek Library, brings instructional technology capacity to all university faculty members.

Outside the classroom, UT Martin students have multiple opportunities for involvement in the university community. More than 100 organizations are available for students to join including academic clubs, honor societies, service groups, student government, fraternities and sororities, and special student associations. The Office of Campus Recreation offers many on- and off-campus recreational opportunities, while the university’s Department of Visual and Theatre Arts offers ongoing cultural events to the region.

History

UT Martin began in 1900 as Hall-Moody Institute in Martin, Tennessee, a Baptist junior college. In 1927 the school was in danger of closing, and area civic and political leaders asked the state of Tennessee to step in and operate the school under the auspices of the University of Tennessee, which it did, renaming the institution the University of Tennessee Junior College. It operated under this name until 1951, when, with the addition of four-year fields of study leading to a bachelor's degree, it was redesignated the University of Tennessee Martin Branch. In 1967 it was designated as a primary campus of the UT system and given its current name. The school grew greatly from the post-World War II era, largely under the influence of the G. I. Bill of Rights, through the 1960s under the leadership of dean (later chancellor) Paul Meek. It was noted that the school had almost as many entering freshmen in 1969 as it had overall students in 1961.