East Carolina University - Colleges and Schools

Colleges and Schools

ECU is home to nine undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, and four professional schools. The oldest school is the modern day College of Education. The University offers 16 doctoral degree programs, 4 first professional degree programs, 76 master’s degree programs, and 102 bachelor’s degree programs.

The liberal arts college at East Carolina University is the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. It consists of 16 departments, making it the fourth largest school at East Carolina University, after the College of Education, the College of Technology and Computer Science, and the College of Fine Arts and Communication. The liberal arts college has its roots in the beginning of the University.

The College of Business is a professional school consisted of five undergraduate majors with concentrations in each, plus a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accounting program. The College beginnings came in 1936 when the Department of Commerce was organized. It later changed to the Department of Business Education, and then to the Department of Business. Finally, in 1960, the School of Business was formed. The college undergraduate programs was accredited in 1967, and the graduate programs was accredited in 1976 by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college is a governing school of the Graduate Management Admission Council. The college runs a Small Business Institute to advise small business owners on how to succeed.

The College of Education is the oldest and largest college at ECU. It houses and administers all of the education majors and an international open access journal, the Journal of Curriculum and Instruction. There are 17 undergraduate degree programs, 22 graduate degree programs, six advanced certifications and the Doctor of Education program. The College prepares more professionals for North Carolina schools than any other university in the state. The College scored higher than other North Carolina universities when the state board evaluated teacher education programs in 2006. In addition, the Institution of Higher Education Performance Report showed ECU was first in the number of graduates who were employed in public schools across the state. The college is considered one of the exemplary professional preparation programs according to the North Carolina State Board of Education’s Higher Education Performance Report.

The College of Fine Arts and Communication comprises four schools that range from dance to design and broadcast journalism. The college officially opened on July 1, 2003, but can trace its roots to ECU founding; the school hired art and music professionals in 1907 to train teachers.

The College of Health and Human Performance is made up of three departments and handles all of the recreational and exercise degrees at East Carolina University. It took on its name in 2003, but traces its legacy to the Department of Physical Education in 1930. It was the 1930 East Carolina Teachers College Planning Document number two priority. In 1938, the Department of Physical Education was established and Physical education became a specialty area for high school teachers.

The College of Human Ecology houses four departments and one school along with two institutes. It was first incorporated in 1968 and started to admit students in 1971. "The Carolyn Freeze Baynes Institute for Social Justice is an international forum for addressing questions, presenting ideas, and developing innovations. The Institute's focus in these activities is the identification of injustices and development of more just alternatives through systematic professional research, scholarship, and public presentation of findings and ideas."

The College of Technology and Computer Science comprises four departments. The college offers nine degrees including engineering, computer science, construction management, design, distribution and logistics, industrial engineering technology, information and computer technology, and industrial technology.

The College of Allied Health Sciences encompasses the health science majors outside of nursing. The school offers over 15 majors. All of the health sciences majors are located in the Allied Health Sciences building which is on the Health Sciences Campus beside The Brody School of Medicine. It was established in the 1967–68 school year.

The College of Nursing is a professional school that offers one undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The school was created in 1959 and now offers Bachelor of Science, Masters, and Ph.D programs. The college has over 100 faculty teaching the students everything about the nursing field while practicing in the under-served Eastern North Carolina. There are three departments within this school: Department of Undergraduate Nursing Science Junior Division, Department of Undergraduate Nursing Science Senior Division and the Department of Graduate Nursing Science. On October 12, 2007, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors permitted the re–designation of the School of Nursing to the College of Nursing. The National League for Nursing named the college a Center of Excellence. The college produces more nurses than any other school in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Graduate School consist of 85 master's degree, 21 doctoral programs and 62 certificates. It coordinates the graduate offerings of all departments in the nine colleges. The School also runs the non–professional degree programs of the professional School of Medicine. The school offers 17 master's degree in Accounting, Arts, Business Administration, Construction Management, Education, Environmental Health, Fine Arts, Library Science, Music, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Public Administration, Public Health, School AdministrationScience, Social Work and Teaching. It also offers four doctoral degrees in Audiology, Education, Philosophy and Physical Therapy.

The Brody School of Medicine is a professional school at the university. It consists of seven graduate majors, plus the Doctor of Medicine, all located on the Health Sciences Campus. The first appropriations were approved in 1974, with the first medical students arriving in 1977. The medical school is one of four in North Carolina.

The School of Dental Medicine is a professional school at the university. The school graduates one degree, Doctor of Dental Medicine. It will also have two residencies in Advanced Education in General Dentistry and Dental General Practice. The school also will offer a specialty program in Pedodontics. It was founded on February 24, 2006 at the East Carolina Board of Trustees meeting. The dental school was unanimously approved by the UNC System Board of Governors as well. The facilities are located on the Health Sciences Campus and will house the first three years of education. Dental students will complete their final year at ECU Community Service Learning Centers to be located throughout the state. The School of Dental Medicine is one of two dental schools in the state.