UT Environment
Founded in 1794, The University of Tennessee was the nation's first co-ed higher education institution. More than 20,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students hail from almost every state in the country and more than 90 foreign nations.
The main campus of The University of Tennessee is located in Knoxville, an area with about 600,000 residents which consistently ranks among the nation's top metropolitan areas in surveys on quality of life. Just one hour from Knoxville, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a botanical treasure containing more varieties of trees than all of Europe and an abundance of streams, wildlife, trails and spectacular scenery. The four-season climate ranges from summer temperatures in the 90's to winter temperatures cold enough for mountain snow skiing.
The University of Tennessee is a member of the region's academic common market. An agreement among southern states for sharing academic programs allows legal residents of some states to enroll in certain programs (including Industrial and Information Engineering) at UT Knoxville on an in-state tuition basis.
For over 150 years, UT's College of Engineering has provided men and women a creative balance of academic, professional and extracurricular programs. Students can earn practical work experience while completing their degrees by participating in the College's cooperative industry/education program - the third oldest in the country. The UT College of Engineering strives to provide its students the technical competency, proficiency of inquiry and the social understanding which will enable graduates to successfully fulfill their responsibilities as professional engineers.