SCIENCE PROGRAMS

Become an explorer of the world as a student in a science program at UT. Research is a key element in a student’s educational experience at UT, which is classified as an R1 high-intensity research institution. Professors are engaged in cutting-edge research and science students have the opportunity to contribute in areas from cell biology to technology to quantum materials. UT co-manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory—the nation’s largest and most diverse science and energy laboratory—and several professors hold joint positions at both institutions.

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students perform water testing outside on a creekbed

What you can do with a degree from a science program:

Science careers

Algorithm and statistical techniques

Biochemistry

Dentistry

Experimental design

Fossil energy

Genetics

Law

Medicine

Neurodiagnostic technology

Paleontology

Synthetic macromolecules

Potential employers

Correctional facilities

Environmental Protection Agency

Government agencies

Hospitals

Mining companies

Planetariums / science museums

Private research labs and organizations

Publishers

State and local public health departments

Surveying companies

Zoo or animal sanctuaries

Studying at UT

Cutting-edge facilities

Volunteers are leaders, innovators, and change-makers. Our science students contribute to making life and lives better and are equipped to do so with cutting-edge technologies and research spaces.

To name a few: chemistry students have access to the Polymer Characterization Lab, one of the premier academic labs in the world, where research on novel properties of newly designed polymeric materials is done. Microbiology students learn how to sequence and analyze DNA/RNA in our Genomics Core. Ecology and evolutionary biology students conduct research at a UT Field Station in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A partnership with NASA allows students in earth, environmental, and planetary sciences to explore other planets, including driving a rover on Mars! No matter your program, the resources available to you will equip you with the skills and experience you need to be successful in your career.

World-class professors

As a student in a UT science program, the research you participate in will be done alongside professors who are experts in their fields. They act as consultants to government agencies and some are fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of Science as well as the American Physical Society. UT physicists even contributed to the discovery of an element on the periodic table: Tennessine.

Industry partners

Collaboration is something we value greatly here at UT. Across the university, and within our science programs, we have many industry partnerships. Working together, we create real-world solutions that improve quality of life, boost economies, and advance technologies. Some of these partners and prominent sources that offer UT research support include the National Science Foundation, NASA, the National Institute of Health, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Source.

Where you’ll study

Science programs are housed within the College of Arts and Sciences and the Herbert College of Agriculture. As a student in this study area, you could pursue a degree in geology, mathematics, biology, and more. You might also select a concentration in chemical physics, astronomy, or ecology, to name a few. Through the Herbert College of Agriculture, you can study programs from plant biotechnology to veterinary science, conservation science to turfgrass science.

College of Arts and Sciences

Herbert College of Agriculture