Location: Jackson, Tennessee (area population: 100,000), 80 miles east of Memphis and 120 miles west of Nashville. Forbes magazine recently ranked Jackson as one of America’s top 150 cities for business and careers.
Student Body: More than 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students from 45 states and 30 countries.
Student to Faculty Ratio: 12:1
Percentage of Faculty with Highest Possible Degree in Field: 84%
Emphasis: A private, four-year, coeducational liberal arts-based university offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
History: Founded in 1823, Union is the oldest institution affiliated with Southern Baptist life.
Technology: Each residence apartment is equipped with filtered Internet and cable connections. In addition, wireless network access is available in residence commons areas, as well as in each academic building and the Student Union Building. Students receive a Union e-mail account and private file storage space on the Union network.
Activities: More than 50 major student-produced music and theatre events each academic year; 60 campus clubs, societies, fraternities, sororities and other organizations; Cardinal & Cream student newspaper, The Torch literary journal, and "Jackson 24/7" daily television news program.
Campus: Union University’s main campus in Jackson and its extension campuses in Germantownand Hendersonville cover 360 acres. The wooded Jackson campus features pine groves, sycamores, a variety of oaks including Shumardi oaks lining the great lawn, elm, dogwoods, sweet gums and cherry trees.
There are more than 40 major buildings and excellent athletic facilities. More than $120 million in new campus construction has been completed during the past decade, including several new Georgian-Colonial classroom buildings that support state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities. Most of Union’s on-campus housing was constructed in 2008. Student-suggested design features were incorporated in each new building; all residence buildings include a private bedroom for each student.
The campus is situated along the U.S. 45 bypass in north Jackson and is adjacent to one of Jackson's largest concentration of retail establishments and restaurants.
Campus Visits: Visit our campus anytime to meet with faculty or visit a class. You are also invited to join us for a Union Preview Day. This year’s Preview Days schedule is found athttp://www.uu.edu/campusvisits or call 1.800.33.UNION. Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., first and third Saturdays of the month from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Major Recognitions
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U.S.News & World Report
For a second consecutive year, Union is ranked as one of only 86 schools nationally "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching." - For a third consecutive year, Union was listed among 68 "schools to watch" across the nation. Overall, the magazine ranks Union 15th among regional universities in the South, which means Union has been classified as a Top Tier institution each year since 1997 and has ranked among the top 20 regional universities in the South for four consecutive years. Editors also identify Union as an "A+ option for serious B students." -
Princeton Review
Princeton Review ranks Union among the top 133 schools in the Southeast. Nationally, 623 schools received this regional ranking, which is only accorded to about 25% of the nation's colleges and universities. -
Forbes
In its third annual "America's Best Colleges" edition, Forbes editors evaluated more than 600 of the nation's 2,900 four-year colleges and universities based on the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve. Union ranked 287th on the Forbes list, which effectively says Forbes considers the University among the top 10 percent of all four-year colleges nationwide. -
America's 100 Best College Buys
An objective and independent research company surveys more than a thousand U.S. colleges and universities each year, then analyzes the information to find out which schools offer the best education for the dollar based upon academic performance indicators and comparative costs. Union University has been among schools identified as "America's 100 Best College Buys" since 1998. -
President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
Initiated in 2006, this award recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs. Union is among a select group of institutions that has made the list in each of the four years it has been compiled. -
College Access and Opportunity Guide
Union is listed among 284 U.S. colleges "committed to serving and supporting today's first-generation, low-income and traditionally underserved college-bound students." Union is one of only four Tennessee institutions so honored. -
Colleges of Distinction
Union and the other schools chosen for inclusion in this guide exhibit four distinctives of superior colleges and universities: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes. Union is one of only four Tennessee institutions listed. -
Templeton Foundation
Union is listed in the Foundation's guide entitled Colleges that Encourage Character Development. Schools included in this listing have "exemplary programs, presidents, and colleges and universities that inspire students to lead ethical and civic-minded lives."
Current Programs of Study
Art*
- Ceramics
- Digital Media Studies
- Drawing
- Graphic Design
- Painting
- Photography
- Sculpture
Biology*
- General Biology
- Cell Biology
- Zoology
- Conservation Biology
Business Administration*
- Accounting
- Economics
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
Chemistry
- Chemical Physics
- Chemistry*
- Medical Technology
Communication Arts
- Advertising
- Broadcast Journalism
- Digital Media Studies
- Film Studies
- Journalism
- Media Communications
- Photojournalism
- Public Relations
- Speech
- Theatre and Speech*
- Theatre
Computer Science
- Computer Information Systems
- Computer Science
- Digital Media Studies
Education*
- Elementary Education
- Learning Foundations: Grades Pre K-3, K-6, 4-8
- Special Education: Modified and Comprehensive
- Teacher Licensure, Secondary Areas
Engineering
- Mechanical Concentration
- Electrical Concentration
English*
- Literature
- Creative Writing
History*
Honors
International & Intercultural Studies
- Global Studies
- Regional Studies
- Study Abroad
Language
- Applied Linguistics
- French*
- Spanish*
- Teaching English as a Second Language*
Mathematics
- Actuarial Science
- Mathematics*
- Statistics
Music
- Church Music
- Christian Studies
- Communication Arts
- Music Management
- Music Marketing
-
Music Education
- Band*
- Choral*
- Music Theory
-
Performance
- Organ
- Piano
- Voice
Nursing
Physical Education, Wellness and Sport
- Athletic Training
- Health Education*
- Physical Education*
- Sport Communication
- Sport Management
- Sport Marketing
- Sports Medicine - Exercise Science
- Sport Ministry
Physics*
- Engineering Physics
- Physical Science
- Physics
Political Science*
Pre-professional Programs
- Chiropractics
- Cytotechnology
- Dentistry
- Dental Hygiene
- Health Information Management
- Medicine
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physician Assistant
- Podiatry
- Veterinary Medicine
Psychology
Social Work
Sociology and Family Studies
- Family Studies
- Sociology
Theology & Missions
- Biblical Studies
- Biblical Studies – Languages
- Christian Ethics
- Church History
- Philosophy – Christian Studies
- Philosophy – General Studies
- Sport Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Theology
- Sports Management
*Teacher Licensure Available
Graduate Programs of Study
- Doctor of Education
- Doctor of Pharmacy
- Doctor of Ministry
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Education Specialist
- Master of Arts in Education
- Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Christian Studies
- Master of Education
- Master of Science in Nursing
- Master of Social Work
- Master of Urban Education
History
Union University traces its roots to three antebellum Tennessee schools-West Tennessee College and its predecessor, Jackson Male Academy, both located at Jackson, and of Union University, located at Murfreesboro. Union is currently the oldest school affiliated with Southern Baptist life.
West Tennessee College originated in the mid-1840s when supporter