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History of Advanced Degree Programs

The first advanced degree program, theology, was offered in 1886 when The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was known as Chattanooga University. The degree in theology was followed by advanced degrees in medicine and law. In 1910, advanced degrees were discontinued at the institution.

It was not until 1942 that a post baccalaureate degree, as we know it, was offered. The master’s degree in music was approved in 1942 and was followed in 1948 by a master’s degree in education. After this modest beginning in the 1940s and 1950s, the University added four or five graduate programs each decade until the 1990s when it added six new programs. Currently, there are 15 graduate certificates, 20 master's degrees, one education specialist, and four doctoral degree programs.

When The University of Chattanooga and City College merged with The University of Tennessee in 1969, the merger agreement stated that UTC would “become a doctoral-granted institution as soon as practicable.” UTC awarded its first doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Computational Engineering in December 2004.

History of Graduate Education at UTC