Education
As important as they are, commerce by themselves to sustain a community. Another key ingredient is education, and there, too, Memphis excels. Public and private schools offer first-rate and varied opportunities for students from kindergarten through high school. Beyond that, training in vocational and technical areas, liberal arts education, and professional fields is offered at the city's many colleges and universities.
In fact, locals can begin with a preschool program and progress to a Ph.D. - all in Memphis. At the same time, students from around the world are attracted to Memphis to study at colleges that are recognized as some of the best in a variety of academic disciplines.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Memphis City Schools system - the 19th-largest in the nation - represents one of the city's strongest resources. It is one of the few systems in Tennessee in which all schools are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The system's 28 high schools, 14 junior high schools, 10 middle schools, 101 elementary schools, and two special education centers serve more than 107,000 students in grades K-12. The system also operates seven vocational-technical centers, and, since 1982, five schools in the city school system have been honored by the U.S. Department of Education as models of excellence in education.
Twenty-eight schools in the district are tuition-free "optional schools," where highly motivated, talented students may enroll in curricula such as health sciences, international studies, engineering, creative and performing arts, and advanced placement courses for college credit. The system's Special Education Program is nationally recognized, serving a variety of students, from those with multiple handicaps to those who are intellectually gifted.
The Shelby County School System administers all public schools in the county outside the Memphis city limits, including those in six incorporated cities - Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, and Millington. The system covers approximately 400 square miles, serves a total of nearly 44,000 students, and has been growing at an average annual rate of 1,600 students over the past seven years.
Five new schools and several additions have recently been constructed, and the system now operates seven high schools with grades 9-12, as well as 34 elementary and middle schools with grades ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. In addition, one new elementary and two new middle schools will be in operation in August 1995.
The PTA organization in the Shelby County system, with about 37,000 members, is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the nation. The support provided by parents is a key to the success of the system.
PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
For those familes preferring a private school education, there are a number from which to choose in the Memphis area: schools that stress outstanding academic standards, schools that operate in a religious setting, schools for the slow learner, and schools that feature alternative teaching methods. Most are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and all place a strong emphasis on college preparatory work. There are approximately 21,000 students enrolled in some 71 private and parochial schools in the Memphis area.
HIGHER EDUCATION
There are almost 30 colleges, universities, and technical schools in the Memphis area, offering everything from doctoral study in law to Oriental humanities courses at one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the nation. Memphis' colleges and universities provide an opportunity for the student to study in virtually every discipline and profession.
As the oldest major college in Memphis (established in 1871), Christian Brothers University is a four-year, coeducational institution offering 30 major areas of study ranging from engineering and computer sciences to liberal arts and philosophy. The schools' main area of expertise, however, has become engineering. CBU is one of only a few private colleges that offer degrees in four major engineering fields: mechanical, electrical, civil, and chemical. Other especially strong programs include accounting, premed, and prelaw.
CBU is one of the few colleges in the United States to offer an Executive Development Graduate Program in Telecommunications and Information Systems Management. This program is designed for corporate managers who have the responsibility of operating large information technology bases and for individuals who need to understand how to marry systems planning with business planning.
A private, four-year liberal arts institution offering bachelor's degrees in three major areas of study, LeMoyne-Owen College is one of the nation's oldest predominately African-American institutions of higher education. LeMoyne-Owen has religious affiliations with both the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Tennessee Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention.
LeMoyne-Owen is a coeducational institution with a student body of approximately 1,400. Among the more active areas of study at LeMoyne-Owen are economics, English, political science, social work, accounting, business administration, biochemistry, and computer sciences.
Located amid the forest of Overton Park, the Memphis College of Art is an accredited, private institution that offers both bachelor of fine arts and master of fine arts degrees in a number of visual arts disciplines. Around 250 undergraduate students attend the coeducational school, majoring in painting, sculpture, decorative arts (fibers and surface design), print making/papermaking, graphic design, and illustration. All art courses are taught by established, practicing artists. In addition to intensive study in their fields, students at MCA are required to complete a comprehensive series of liberal studies courses.
In addition to its degree programs, MCA offers a wide variety of evening community education classes in subjects such as watercolor, interior design, and computer graphics. There is also a Saturday School art program for children ages two through 18, as well as advanced-placement art classes for high school juniors and seniors.
Known nationally for its academic program as well as its Gothic architecture, Rhodes College continues to solidify its reputation as one of the finest small liberal arts colleges in the nation. Recognized by Time magazine as one of nine colleges "challenging the nation's elite schools" for prominence, Rhodes was also identified as the "top up-and-coming" national liberal arts college in America. Rhodes is included in the New York Times "Selective Guide to Colleges," Barron's "Most Prestigious Colleges," and Peterson's "Competitive Colleges."
Rhodes offers 22 major departmental areas of study, as well as 13 established interdisciplinary programs, giving students an ample variety of degrees to pursue. The school is a four-year, coeducational, undergraduate institution with almost 1,500 students working toward bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degrees.
A two-year community college, Shelby State offers both liberal arts education and a variety of quality, career-oriented degree options. Associate degrees and certificates are offered in a number of areas, such as allied health sciences, business technologies, consumer and family studies, general and early childhood education, nursing, nutrition and dietetics, and office administration. The current enrollment is around 7,000 students.
In addition to its degree programs, SSCC offers noncredit continuing education courses in a number of areas. Courses are taught on two main campuses, at one learning center, and at a number of teaching locations throughout the city, making the school's programs widely accessible.
As Tennessee's largest two-year college, State Tech continues to move into a position of prominence in the area's business, industrial, and governmental circles by offering a wide range of courses in both technical education and special management skills. The school offers 26 associate degree programs in three major areas of study: business, engineering, and computer technologies.
All students are required to study such basics as mathematics, English, and social science to better prepare them for their chosen fields. About 11,000 students attend State Tech, which has been named one of the nation's top two-year colleges by U.S. News & World Report, due in part to its excellent relationship with area business and industry. State Tech engages in a unique formal partnership with the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce to work closely in developing specific training programs and degree paths for area corporations and businesses needing highly qualified, well-trained workers.
The largest institution of higher education in the city, the University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University) serves as a regional center for education, service, and research. Six undergraduate colleges, two undergraduate schools, a graduate school, and a law school offer 17 baccalaureate degrees in 70 majors, 10 master's degrees in 51 majors, 18 doctoral degrees in four areas, one specialist degree, and one progessional degree.
The University of Memphis has more than 20,000 students who attend classes on the 140-acre main campus located in the geographic center of Memphis. The faculty consists of approximately 750 full-time and 300 part-time professors and instructors.
A two-year graduate professional school granting the Master of Science in Social Work degree, the UT College of Social Work is an extension of the university's Knoxville campus. The course of study - four semesters over two years - is designed to train students to work in a variety of health and welfare settings. To accommodate employed students, part-time programs are offered, including night and weekend courses. Current enrollment is about 1,660 students.
MEDICAL EDUCATION
Some 14 years before the Civil War, Memphis had two medical schools in operation, guaranteeing a heritage of medical education unmatched in other cities in the region. Furthermore, Memphis has been regarded as a leading center for medical education, treatment, and research throughout its history.
Shelby State offers course work that can lead to an Associate of Applied Science degree in emergency medical technology, medical assistant, medical laboratory technology, nursing, nutrition, dietetics and food service administration, orthotics/prosthetics technology, physical therapist assistant, and radiologic (X-ray) technology. In addition, academic certificates may be earned in EMT-Basic, EMT-Intravenous Therapy, EMT-Paramedics, and Phlebotomy.
In operation since 1932, the Southern College of Optometry offers a comprehensive, coeducational, four-year course of study culminating in either the Bachelor of Science of Doctor of Optometry degree. With around 440 students and 42 faculty members, the college's curriculum includes training in all phases of biomedical sciences, visual sciences, and clinical practice.
U of M's Loewenberg School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to beginning students and to registered nurses with associate degrees or diplomas. The program is enhanced by the school's $1 million William A. and Ruth F. Loewenberg Chair of Excellence in Nursing. Part-time and full-time study options are available.
As a part of Tennessee's Health Science Center, the University of Tennessee College of Nursing offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and Ph.D. in Nursing degrees. The BSN program accepts students with two years of previous college work for two additional years of study; RNs can complete the accelerated BSN program in one year. The MSN requires three semesters for the student with a BSN. An RN to MSN program is available. The Ph.D. program is individually tailored to the goals and previous education of the student.
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