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Area of study

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.

students perform water testing outside on a creekbed

Our alumni have gone on to work at places like the US Department of Defense and Artificial Intelligence Office and Ball Aerospace.

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 

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.

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.

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.

student working in a biology lab works with vapors
a microbiology student does detail work measuring liquids in a lab

I currently do research with the Department of Microbiology, in which I’m engaged in my own independent research project on the gut brain axis and its effects on human health. And I’ve been able to present that research at a bunch of different locations, both on campus and off campus, and to connect with a lot of really amazing experts in their fields.

Tyler
Class of 2025
Microbiology

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