History, Affiliations and Rankings
The University of Memphis was founded in 1912 as the West Tennessee Normal School, which became the Memphis State College in 1941 and was accorded full University status in 1957. It was in 1994 after several campus and department expansions, that the institution became the University of Memphis and among the three comprehensive research universities in Tennessee, United States. A global University in an immersed residential locale, Memphis provides a learning-focused environment along with a wealth of academic, research and professional opportunities for over 22,000 students. Memphis University students are called the "Tiger" community; the Royal Bengal Tiger named TOM is the official mascot of the University, which was decided on after the University's football finale in 1914 when the students paraded shouting, "we fight like Tigers." Academically, the University of Memphis is affiliated with the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), the Great Cities' Universities (GCU) and the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA). The Times Higher Education ranks the University in the bracket #801-1000 in the category of World University Rankings, while its is placed at #249 in USN National Universities Rankings for 2022.
Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses
The University of Memphis pans out on an area of 1600+ acres comprising 239 buildings at 8 different sites. The main campus of the University is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, apart from which, the University has a historic campus in Lambuth and the downtown campus dedicated to the Cecil C. Humphrey School of Law. With beautiful green stretches encompassing state-of-the-art academic buildings, the Memphis University campuses are world-class, sustainable and thronged with all amenities, including halls of residence, teaching spaces, and libraries. The University of Memphis is organized into 12 Schools of specialization in addition to an Honors College and a Graduate School. These constituent colleges offer a breadth of courses in Arts and Sciences, Communication and Fine Arts, Education, Health Sciences, Professional and Liberal Studies, Business and Economics, Engineering, Hospitality and Resort Management, Nursing, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Public Health, and Law. Across these Colleges, 17 Bachelor's degrees in 250 subject areas, Master's degrees in 54 subjects and Doctoral degrees in 26 disciplines are offered. In addition, there are 44 Graduate Certificates available for professional students, as well as the option to study with UofM Global, which is the University's fully accredited and 100% virtual, Online Campus offering 100+ online degree options.
Accomplishments and Alumni
The University of Memphis is a proud recipient of the esteemed Carnegie R1 designation, making it a top-tier research university. Recently, UofM received a grant of $3.8 million for Cybersecurity Education and Research by the National Science Foundation. It is also the first and the only University in Tennessee to offer a Doctoral program in Music. Further, the Business programs offered at the University of Memphis are one of a kind and are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Further, 40+ programs taught at Memphis are nationally ranked. The university has collaborations with corporates and agencies to conduct sponsored research, industrial research and technology transfer programs. There are more than 1,51,900 alumni who have graduated from the University of Memphis. Some of the celebrated names in this global network include - Penny Hardaway (American Basketball Coach), Derrick Rose (Professional Basketball Player), Stephen Gostkowski (Football Placekicker), Fred Dalton Thompson (Former Member of the United States Senate), Dixie Carter (American Actress), and Carolyn D. Wright (Poet, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow and Poet Laureate of the Rhode Island).
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
The University of Memphis has a student body of more than 22,000 students, out of which 4,000 are graduate students forming a small, close-knit campus community. Several international students attend the University and represent 82 foreign countries on the campus. Students are typically called "Memphis Tigers" while on campus. There are 300+ student organizations on the campus along with multiple multicultural clubs that foster cross-cultural interactions and allow the students to socialize with peers from different backgrounds. Further, to make competent professionals out of the students, the University offers a Student Leadership and Involvement center, through which students can participate in social change initiatives, get leadership trainings, and more. There are also women's leadership initiatives and internship opportunities. FedEx Services, Amazon, International Paper, AutoZone, Smith+Nephew, Medtronic and more, are some of the companies that employ Memphis graduates.
