uthsc.edu

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is Tennessee's only public, statewide academic health science system and the largest educator of health care professionals in the state. If you want to understand how the state's dentist, pharmacist, nurse, and physician pipeline is supplied, UTHSC is the central institution to look at: it trains 75 percent of Tennessee's dentists, 34 percent of its pharmacists, and is the largest producer of doctorally prepared nurses in the state. Its faculty and clinicians also staff major hospitals across Tennessee.

The scale of UTHSC's role

UTHSC describes itself as "Tennessee's Only Public, Statewide Academic Health Science System." That framing matters because it distinguishes UTHSC from a single-campus university: its colleges and clinical sites are distributed across the state rather than concentrated in one city.

The workforce numbers UTHSC publishes are the clearest evidence of its role:

These figures describe UTHSC's contribution to the state's licensed and graduate-level health workforce, not its total enrollment or national ranking.

How the colleges map to workforce needs

UTHSC's academic structure is organized around six colleges, each tied to a distinct part of the health care labor market:

• Dentistry — Founded in 1878, it is the third oldest public college of dentistry in the United States and one of the earliest dental colleges established nationally. This long history helps explain why it accounts for such a large share of the state's dentists.
• Graduate Health Sciences — Prepares scientists through research, education, and outreach, feeding the basic and applied research side of health care.
• Health Professions — Trains health professionals to address care needs in Tennessee and beyond; 62 percent of its graduates remain in Tennessee.
• Medicine — Promotes statewide medical education with campuses in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis.
• Nursing — The largest producer of doctorally prepared nurses in Tennessee.
• Pharmacy — Trains roughly a third of the state's pharmacists.

Why the statewide structure matters

Because UTHSC operates as a statewide system, its clinical and educational sites extend beyond a single campus. The university states that patient care, professional education, and research are carried out at hospitals and other clinical sites across Tennessee, and that its faculty and clinicians staff major hospitals statewide.

This has two practical implications for anyone evaluating UTHSC:

1. Training is distributed. Medical education in particular spans multiple Tennessee cities, so a student's experience depends partly on campus placement.
2. Clinical staffing and education overlap. The same faculty and clinicians who teach also deliver care in Tennessee hospitals, which links workforce training directly to service delivery.

What this means if you're researching UTHSC

• If your question is "who trains Tennessee's health professionals?", the answer centers on UTHSC as the state's largest educator in this field, with the specific shares listed above.
• If your question is "which programs exist?", the six colleges above are the entry point, and each has its own admissions and program pages.
• If your question is "where would I study or work?", note that UTHSC is statewide, with medicine spanning Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis and clinical sites across Tennessee.

For current program details, admissions requirements, and campus specifics, consult UTHSC's official pages for each college rather than relying on the summary figures here, which describe the university's stated workforce role.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is Tennessee's only public, statewide academic health science system. Established in 1911, it is a public academic health science center whose stated mission is "transforming lives through collaborative and inclusive education, research/scholarship, clinical care, and public service." If you are trying to understand what kind of institution UTHSC is, what it teaches, and where its reach extends, the sections below cover the essentials.

What UTHSC is

UTHSC is an academic health science center rather than a traditional undergraduate university. Its work centers on health professions education, research, clinical care, and public service. According to the university, it is the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee and trains the largest number of residents in the state.

Its faculty and clinicians staff major hospitals across Tennessee, so the institution's footprint extends beyond a single campus into clinical and educational sites statewide.

Colleges and academic programs

UTHSC organizes its education across six colleges:

The College of Medicine promotes statewide medical education, which aligns with UTHSC's positioning as a statewide system rather than a single-city school.

Scale and impact in Tennessee

Several figures from the university illustrate its role in the state's health workforce:

• Trains 75 percent of Tennessee's dentists
• Trains 34 percent of Tennessee's pharmacists
• Is the largest producer of doctorally prepared nurses in Tennessee
• Reports that 62 percent of College of Health Professions graduates stay in Tennessee

These numbers are useful if you are evaluating UTHSC as a pipeline into Tennessee health care careers or as a partner institution.

Where it operates

UTHSC describes itself as having campuses and clinical and educational sites across Tennessee, with patient care, professional education, and research carried out at hospitals and other clinical sites. The College of Medicine lists campuses in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis. Research activity is supported through endowed professorships, Research Centers of Excellence, and continuing relationships with research and healthcare facilities across the state.

Who this information is for

This overview suits prospective students comparing health science programs, partners or employers looking to understand UTHSC's scope, and anyone researching Tennessee's health education landscape. If you need program-specific admission requirements, tuition, or deadlines, those details sit with each college and are not covered by this general description.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is Tennessee's only public, statewide academic health science system, and it organizes its academic offerings into six colleges: Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. If you are looking for a health-science program — from professional training through doctoral study — these six colleges are the entry points, and the site's "Browse all Programs" link is where you find the specific degree or certificate that fits your goal.

The six colleges at a glance

How the colleges differ in focus

The distinction matters most when you are choosing a path:

• Clinical practice colleges — Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy — lead toward licensed patient-care careers.
• Research-oriented study — Graduate Health Sciences is framed around preparing scientists through research, education, and outreach.
• Allied and applied health roles — Health Professions trains professionals to meet broader health care needs, and UTHSC notes that 62 percent of College of Health Professions graduates stay in Tennessee.

Scale and reach worth knowing

UTHSC describes itself as the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee and the largest trainer of residents in the state. Its faculty and clinicians staff major hospitals across Tennessee. Specific figures the site provides:

• Trains 75 percent of Tennessee's dentists
• Trains 34 percent of Tennessee's pharmacists
• Largest producer of doctorally prepared nurses in Tennessee

Medical education is delivered statewide, with College of Medicine campuses in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis.

How to find a specific program

1. Go to the Academics section of uthsc.edu.
2. Choose the college that matches your intended field (for example, Dentistry or Health Professions).
3. Use Browse all Programs to see the individual degrees and offerings within that college.
4. If you are not yet a student, the Admissions and "Request More Information" links let you confirm prerequisites and application details for the program you pick.

The site also links to the Health Sciences Library and a "Future Students" section, which are useful once you have narrowed down a college.

Choosing between colleges

Pick Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, or Pharmacy if your goal is direct patient care and licensure. Pick Graduate Health Sciences if you want a research and scholarship path. Pick Health Professions if you are aiming at an allied health or applied role and want strong odds of staying and working in Tennessee. In every case, confirm the exact program — not just the college — through Browse all Programs before applying, since requirements and campus locations vary by program.

Prospective students can start at the UTHSC homepage (uthsc.edu) and use the top navigation, where Admissions and Visit appear as primary links, alongside Future Students and Request More Information under the Students section. From there, applicants move to the specific college page for their intended program, since UTHSC's six colleges handle their own academic programs and admissions paths. This guide applies to anyone exploring UTHSC as a future student; it does not cover financial aid deadlines or application requirements, which are not detailed in the available site information.

Start With the Main Navigation

The UTHSC site organizes prospective-student entry points in a few predictable places:

• Admissions — the main gateway to admissions-related pages.
• Visit — for planning a campus visit.
• Future Students — a section aimed at people not yet enrolled.
• Request More Information — a form-based way to get in touch.

These links sit in the site's main menu and sub-menus, so they are reachable from the homepage without needing to know a specific URL.

Then Go to Your College

UTHSC is Tennessee's only public, statewide academic health science system, and its programs are split across six colleges. Each has its own program pages, which is where you confirm what is offered before applying:

If you already know your field, going straight to that college's page is faster than working through the general admissions link.

Use the Right Systems Once You're In

Current students use Blackboard and Banner for academic resources. As a prospective student you won't need these yet, but knowing they exist helps you recognize the difference between admissions pages (for applicants) and student portals (for enrolled students).

A Practical Sequence

1. Open uthsc.edu.
2. Click Admissions in the main menu.
3. If you're still deciding, browse Colleges and Academic Programs to compare the six colleges.
4. Once you've picked a college, open its program page for details.
5. Use Visit to schedule a campus visit, or Request More Information if you want to be contacted.

Common Sticking Points

• Confusing the general admissions page with a college page. The general page orients you; the college page is where program-specific information lives.
• Looking for application deadlines or costs on the homepage. The available site information does not include pricing or deadline details, so don't assume they're absent from the site entirely—check the relevant college or admissions page directly.
• Assuming one application covers everything. With six separate colleges, the path to admission depends on which program you're targeting.

If your goal is simply to confirm that UTHSC offers your intended field, the Colleges and Academic Programs listing answers that in one pass before you go any deeper.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) provides clinical care through University Clinical Health and affiliated physician groups, including UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists and UT Regional One Physicians. This care is delivered at hospitals and other clinical sites across Tennessee, where UTHSC combines patient care with professional education and research. If you are looking for a specific service or provider, the UTHSC website offers Patients and Clinical Care entry points for further inquiry.

How UTHSC's Clinical Care Is Organized

UTHSC describes itself as Tennessee's only public, statewide academic health science system. Its clinical mission is not confined to a single hospital or clinic; instead, patient care, professional education, and research are carried out at hospitals and other clinical sites across the state.

The clinical care side of UTHSC is represented by these named entities:

These groups reflect the academic health center model: faculty and clinicians who teach and conduct research also staff major hospitals across Tennessee.

Where Clinical Care Fits in UTHSC's Mission

UTHSC's stated mission is "transforming lives through collaborative and inclusive education, research/scholarship, clinical care, and public service." Clinical care is therefore one of four core pillars, not a separate side activity.

This matters for patients and prospective students alike:

• For patients: Care is connected to an academic institution, meaning clinicians are often involved in teaching and research alongside treatment.
• For students: Clinical sites across Tennessee serve as training environments, so education and patient care happen in the same settings.
• For the state: UTHSC faculty and clinicians staff major hospitals across Tennessee, tying the academic center directly to the state's health care delivery.

Colleges and Programs Behind the Clinical Enterprise

UTHSC's clinical care is supported by six colleges and academic programs:

• Dentistry — founded in 1878, the third oldest public college of dentistry in the United States; UTHSC trains 75 percent of Tennessee's dentists.
• Graduate Health Sciences — prepares scientists through research, education, and outreach.
• Health Professions — trains health professionals to address health care needs locally, nationally, and globally; 62 percent of graduates stay in Tennessee.
• Medicine — promotes statewide medical education with campuses in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and elsewhere.
• Nursing — UTHSC is the largest producer of doctorally prepared nurses in Tennessee.
• Pharmacy — UTHSC trains 34 percent of Tennessee's pharmacists.

Each of these programs feeds into the clinical care system, since students and residents train at the same hospitals and clinical sites where patients receive care.

How to Find Specific Clinical Care Services

If you need to locate a particular service, provider, or clinical site, the UTHSC website provides dedicated navigation for this purpose:

1. Start with the Patients section — the site's main menu includes a Patients entry, intended for those seeking care information.
2. Check the Clinical Care section — this area lists University Clinical Health, UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists, UT Regional One Physicians, and University Health Services.
3. Use the site search — a "Search the Site" function is available if you already know the service or provider name.
4. Look at campuses and clinical sites — UTHSC maintains a Campus Map and a list of Clinical and Educational Sites, which can help you identify where care is delivered.

Because UTHSC operates across multiple Tennessee campuses and affiliated hospitals, the specific location of a service depends on the provider group and clinical site. The website's Patients and Clinical Care entries are the appropriate starting points for confirming details.

What This Means for You

• If you are a patient or family member: UTHSC-associated care is delivered through University Clinical Health, UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists, UT Regional One Physicians, and University Health Services, at hospitals and clinical sites across Tennessee. Use the Patients or Clinical Care sections of uthsc.edu to find the right entry point.
• If you are a prospective student: Clinical care and your education are intertwined — you will train in the same hospitals and clinics where UTHSC faculty and clinicians practice.
• If you are researching UTHSC: The clinical care pillar is one of four mission areas, supported by six colleges and a statewide network of clinical and educational sites.