The university was established as the Tennessee A&I State Normal School for Negroes in 1912. Its dedication was held on January 16, 1913. It changed its name to Tennessee A&I State Normal College in 1925. Two years later, in 1927, it became known as Tennessee A&I State College. In 1941, the Tennessee General Assembly directed the Board of
Education to upgrade the educational program of the college. Three years later the first masters degrees were awarded and by 1946 the college was fully accredited the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 1968, the college officially changed its name to Tennessee State University. And in 1979, the University of Tennessee at Nashville merged into Tenneessee State due to a court mandate. Today, Tennessee State University is divided into eight schools and colleges and has seen steady growth since its inception. The universitys
health science program is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the nation.
TSU was originally organized as the Agricultural and Industrial State Normal School for Negroes in 1909 and began serving students on June 19, 1912. Its status was raised to a four-year teachers college in 1922, and two years later it was renamed the Agricultural and Industrial State Normal College. In 1927, "Normal" was dropped from its name. It was elevated to university status in 1951, renamed the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial University. Notable alumni include Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Russell inventor of the cell phone microchip etc. The university is currently accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award 38 baccalaureate degrees, 24 masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in seven areas (Biology, Computer Information Systems Engineering, Education, Psychology, and Public Administration), as well as the two-year Associate of Science degree in nursing, and dental hygiene. Tennessee State is classified as a "Doctoral University with Moderate Research Activity." The University Honors College (UHC) is an exclusive academic program founded in 1964 that caters to select academically talented and highly motivated undergraduate students. TSU is a comprehensive land-grant university offering 45 bachelor’s degrees and 24 masters degrees. Seven Doctoral programs include biological sciences, psychology, public administration, computer information systems engineering, administration, supervision, curriculum and instruction.
The College of
Business is accredited by AACSB, the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business International or AACSB International; the first in Nashville to earn dual accreditation of both the undergraduate and graduate programs in 1994. The
Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Teacher
Education program by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE). The College of Engineering has developed corporate partnerships with NASA, Raytheon and General Motors. The School of
Nursing boasts a 100% first-time pass-rate for students taking licensure examinations. The College of
Health Sciences (formerly the School of Allied Health) has recently added much-in-demand programs such as the Masters in
Physical Therapy and the Bachelor of
Health Sciences. The College of Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT)
Tennessee State University is engaging in cutting-edge research to address critical challenges in our society. Our research arm supports faculty and students by taking their ideas from conception to fruition in critical areas such as biotechnology, homeland security and agriculture, to name a few. Our Centers of Excellence encourage collaborative and experimental learning opportunities and help expand the boundaries of science,
education and technology.
Last Updated on: Nov 26, 2024