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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: About 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students from
more than 40 states and 35 countries.
Student to Faculty Ratio: 12:1.
Percentage of Faculty with Highest Possible Degree in Field: 83%
Emphasis: A private, four-year, coeducational liberal arts-based
university offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.
History: Founded in 1823, Union is the oldest institution affiliated with the
Southern Baptist Convention.
Technology: Each residence apartment is equipped with Internet and cable.
In addition, wireless network access is available in residence commons areas, as well as in
each academic building and the Student Union Building. Students are provided with filtered
Internet access, a Union email account, and private file storage space.
Activities: More than 50 major student-produced music and
theatre events each academic year; 70 campus clubs, societies, fraternities,
sororities and other organizations; Cardinal & Cream student newspaper
and The Torch, a literary journal.
Campus:
Union University’s main campus in Jackson and its extension campuses in Germantown
and 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. Roughly $90 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 within a five-minute drive 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 at
http://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
- U.S.News & World Report
Union is ranked as one of only 80 schools nationally "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching." This new category debuted in 2010. For a second consecutive year, Union was listed among 77 "schools to watch" across the nation. Overall, the magazine ranks Union 16th among master's universities in the South, which means Union has been classified as a Top Tier institution each year since 1997. Editors also identify Union as an "A+ option for serious B students."
- Princeton Review
Princeton Review ranks Union among the top 141 schools in the Southeast. Nationally, 640 schools received this regional ranking, which is only accorded to about 25% of the nation's colleges and universities.
- Forbes
In its second annual "America's Best Colleges" edition, Forbes editors evaluated 600 of the nation's 4,000 colleges and universities based on the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve. Union ranked 278th on the Forbes list -- up four places from last year -- and was one of only two institutions in Tennessee west of Nashville selected for inclusion.
- 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 also one of only 160 institutions named to the list for three straight years, and one of only six four-year schools in Tennessee with that distinction.
- College Access and Opportunity Guide
Union is listed among 220 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.
- 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 and Molecular Biology
- Zoology
- Conservation Biology
Business Administration*
- Accounting
- Economics
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
Chemistry
- Chemistry*
- Chemical Physics
- Medical Technology
Christian Studies
- Biblical Studies
- Biblical Studies – Languages
- Christian Ethics
- Church History
- Philosophy – Christian Studies
- Philosophy – General Studies
- Sport Ministry
- Youth Ministry
 Communication Arts
- Advertising
- Broadcast Journalism
- Digital Media Studies
- Film Studies
- Journalism
- Media Communications
- Photojournalism
- Public Relations
- Theatre and Speech*
Computer Science
- Computer Information Systems
- Computer Science
- Digital Media Studies
Education*
- Elementary Education: Pre K-3, K-6 or Middle Grades 4-8
- Special Education: Modified K-12 and Comprehensive K-12
- Teacher Licensure, Secondary Areas
Engineering
English*
History*
Honors
- Interdisciplinary Honors
- Interdisciplinary Studies
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
- Music Theory
- Performance
 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
- Criminal Justice
- Family Studies
- Sociology
*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
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 supporters of the Academy secured a charter for a college and received an endowment from the state to come from the sale of public lands. West Tennessee College continued until 1874, when at a time of depressed economic conditions, the trustees offered the College's buildings, grounds, and endowment to Tennessee Baptists in the hopes of attracting a southwestern regional university planned by the state's Baptist leaders.
Southwestern Baptist University, the immediate predecessor of the present Union University, originated because of a desire by Tennessee Baptists for greater unification.
In 1907, Dr. T. T. Eaton, a trustee at Southwestern from its beginning, bequeathed his 6,000 volume library to the college. He was a former professor at Union University at Murfreesboro, where his father, Dr. Joseph H. Eaton, had been president. Shortly thereafter the name of Southwestern Baptist University was changed to Union University to honor the Eatons and others from Union at Murfreesboro.
Because of an aging and landlocked campus, Union University moved in 1975 from near downtown Jackson to a new campus north of the city along Highway 45 Bypass.
During the administrations of President Robert Craig (1967-85) and President Hyran Barefoot (1987-1996), enrollment increased from less than 1,000 students to more than 2,000; the multi-purpose Penick Academic Complex was enlarged several times; many additional housing units were erected; and the Blasingame Academic Complex (1986) and the Hyran E. Barefoot Student Union Building (1994) were completed.
When David S. Dockery was elected as the fifteenth president of Union University in December 1995, he introduced a compelling vision to build on a great tradition while taking Union to the next level of regional and national prominence in Christian higher education.
The progress that has been made during this time has been remarkable: fall enrollment increased from 1972 (in 1996) to 4050 (in 2009). During that time, Union also received 17 of the largest gifts in its history.
Union started an extension program in the Memphis suburb of Germantown in 1997. Enrollment on the Germantown campus is now nearly 900 students. Classes began at an extension campus in the Nashville suburb of Hendersonville in 2008.
In the past decade, more than $90 million in improvements to the Jackson campus have been completed, including 19 residence halls, the Miller Tower, Jennings Hall, Hammons Hall, Fesmire indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, White Hall, and the Carl Grant Events Center.
Undergraduate majors have been added in political science, physics, theology, digital media studies, church history, ethics, sports management, sports medicine, engineering. There are new graduate programs in education (M.Ed., Ed.S., and Ed.D.), nursing (MSN with tracks in education, administration, nurse practitioner, and nurse anesthesia), intercultural studies (MAIS), social work (MSW), and pharmacy (Pharm.D.). Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) programs.
Union has achieved national recognitions, including a Top Tier ranking from U.S.News & World Report each year since 1997. In 2009, that publication named Union one of 77 national "Universities to Watch" and one of only 80 national schools "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching."
Accreditation
Union University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033-4097, Telephone 404.679.4501) to award baccalaureate, masters, education specialist, and doctoral degrees.
Discipline Specific Accreditations:
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
- American Chemical Society
- Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Council on Social Work Education
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- National Association of Schools of Music
- Teacher Education Program of the Tennessee Department of Education
- Tennessee Health Related Boards
Affiliations:
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing
- American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
- Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
- Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education
- Council of Independent Colleges
- Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
- Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences
- Council on Undergraduate Research
- International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities
- National Art Education Association
- North American Coalliiton for Christian Admission Professionals
- Service Members Opportunity Colleges
- Tennessee Association for Counseling and Development
- Tennessee Baptist Convention
- Tennessee Independent College and Universities Association
Athletics:
Varsity Sports
- Baseball (men)
- Basketball (men and women)
- Cheerleading (men and women)
- Cross Country (men and women)
- Golf (men)
- Soccer (men and women)
- Softball (women)
- Volleyball (women)
Recently offered intramural sports
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Sand Volleyball
- Flag Football
- Indoor Volleyball
- Ping Pong (singles, doubles)
- Racquetball
- Bulldog Madness (free throw, hot shot contest, three-point contest)
- Basketball
- Walley Ball
- Wiffle Ball
- Softball
- Team Tennis
- Soccer
- Three-on-three outdoor basketball
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