University of Tennessee Knoxville

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville was founded in 1794, which was two years before the state of Tennessee was incorporated. First known as Blount College, it was an all-male institution that struggled with attendance during its early years. In 1807, the school became known as East Tennessee College, and in 1840, became known as East Tennessee University. By the 1860s, the school was known for teaching subjects such as agriculture, mechanics, and military fighting, as the country was in the throes of the Civil War. Following the Civil War, the school went through a final name change, and was renamed the University of Tennessee.

Today, the University of Tennessee – Knoxville is the flagship of the University of Tennessee system, which includes campuses across the Volunteer State. The university is home to more than 21,000 students, most of which come from the Southeast region of the county. The university is ranked as the 47th best public university in the country, and 103rd among all US universities in the 2016 rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville Accreditation Details

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1897. Individual departments also hold accreditation in specific subjects. These accreditations come from organizations including The National Architecture Accreditation Board, National Association of Schools of Music, Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, and the American Psychological Association.

Application Requirements for the University of Tennessee – Knoxville

Students who wish to apply for the University of Tennessee – Knoxville can begin applying August 1 of each year. The deadline for priority admission is November 1, and is December 1 for regular admission. Students who are admitting via the priority admission process can fill out applications for the Chancellor’s Honors Program or for competitive scholarships.

There are two ways a potential student can apply for admission at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville: via the university’s website or by filling out the Common Application.

Potential students who wish to use the university website to apply for admission can do so by creating a “Vol in Progress” account. Once accepted, students can also apply for scholarships. Other things a potential student can do with this account is check their application status, register for events, schedule campus visits, and more.

The other method to apply to University of Tennessee – Knoxville is to use the Common Application. With this method, the potential student fills out one application, and then sends it to the schools they wish to apply to.

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville has several admission requirements including the following:

• Meeting the general education requirements from the Tennessee Department of Education
• High school GPA
• ACT or SAT scores
• Two essays
• Optional letter of recommendation
• Optional personal statement

Tuition and Financial Aid for the University of Tennessee – Knoxville

The tuition for the University of Tennessee – Knoxville is $6,362 a semester for undergraduate in-state admission, and $15,572 a semester for undergraduate out of state admission. Housing, dining, and parking are additional costs.

Financial Aid is available for students who qualify, and the funds come from a number of sources including from the university and the state of Tennessee. Funds might also come from the Federal government in the form of grants and loans. Approximately 60 percent of undergraduate students receive financial aid of some type, and the average award is about $8,900.

Psychology and Counseling Programs at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville offers a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling.

To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, a student must complete at least 30 credit hours in psychology. At least 21 of these must be from courses at the 300-level or over. There are also prerequisites that a student must complete to earn the degree including General Psychology and Statistics in Psychology. Students are also required to take several biology classes, and must earn a C or better in all classes. Additionally, the student must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0 to earn their psychology degree.

There is an honors psychology BA available, too, which can be earned by students who have an ACT score of 29 or over. Other requirements for the honors BA include maintaining a GPA of 3.25 and an additional 12 credit hours made up of an honors project, thesis, and project.

The university also offers a master’s degree in counseling, which covers several concentrations. Students who want to earn this degree must go through a 2.5 year graduate program, which is a total of 60 credit hours. These hours are made up of 39 course hours, a research course, psychopathology course, and human development course. Students will also need to choose either an additional four elective courses or a thesis.

The concentrations for the master’s degree in counseling are Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration, Psychosocial Rehabilitation Concentration, Rehabilitation Counseling Concentration, Deafness Rehabilitation Specialization, and School Counseling Concentration. Each concentration has its own requirements and require students to regularly meet with an academic advisor to set their course of study. Some classes are only offered once a year, so it is important that students remain on their academic track in order to finish their degree on time.

There is also a distance learning opportunity for students who do not live in the Knoxville area, but those who are chosen for the program must be willing and able to come to campus for a week for training.

Studying psychology and counseling at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville will prepare students to enter into a number of career paths including those at schools, hospitals, and counseling centers. The goal of both programs is to create effective, strong, and self-aware psychology professionals who are ready to develop healing relationships with their clients and patients. Graduates of both programs are well-prepared to enter the field thanks to solid instruction. Most who graduates from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville with a degree in psychology or counseling experience a life-long passion for mental health, and thrive long after their graduation date has passed.

You may also like: 50 Best Psy.D. Programs in Clinical Psychology