Colleges and Schools

Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences

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A community of scholars dedicated to the intrinsic value of learning, the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences is the liberal arts college of East Carolina University. The college is a federation of departments in the traditional academic disciplines: the humanities; the natural sciences and mathematics; and the social sciences, including creative and professional programs, academic centers and institutes, and interdisciplinary programs allied to the liberal arts. College faculty are committed to excellence in teaching and advising, in research or creative productivity, and in professional service.

The college provides major and minor studies in the liberal arts at the undergraduate level and major studies at the master'’s and doctoral levels. In addition, as the university’s cornerstone academic program, Harriot College provides the liberal arts foundations curriculum for all students. College courses introduce students to traditions of learning and inquiry, present them with information essential for performing societal and professional roles,and challenge them to examine the values which guide the organization and application of human knowledge. All courses are designed to develop students’ thinking, writing, research, and mathematical skills and their lifelong commitment to continuing education.

In addition to its liberal arts programs, the college offers select professional certification programs related to ins traditional academic disciplines. Students majoring in these programs learn the basic theories and practices in their fields while preparing themselves for leadership roles and careers.

The curricula of the college are constantly examined,updated, and enhanced. Consequently, in the spirit of the liberal arts,the more than 13,000 students enrolled annually in college courses have access to current ideas and information from professors whose learning never ceases.

School of Allied Health Sciences

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The School of Allied Health Sciences offers BS degree programs in clinical laboratory science, health information management, occupational therapy, rehabilitation services, and speech and hearing sciences; minors in alcohol and drug studies and in sign language studies/pre-interpreter preparation; MS program in physician assistant, rehabilitation counseling, occupational therapy, vocational evaluation, speech-language and auditory pathology, and substance abuse counseling; a MPT and DPT in physical therapy; and a PhD in communication sciences and disorders. (See graduate catalog for graduate degrees.)

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College of Business

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The College of Business provides an environment where students, faculty, and business professionals can pursue the acquisition of applied and theoretical knowledge relevant to the operation of profit and nonprofit organizations. The college, which consists of five departments, offers the BSBA degrees in decision sciences, finance, management, management accounting, and marketing;the five-year BSA/MSA and a stand-alone MSA program in professional accounting; and the MBA degree. The college also offers a tax option in the professional accounting program as well as health care and apparel textiles options in the MBA program. Graduates are expected to be prepared to be managers and analysts in large and small organization that operate on both a profit and nonprofit basis. In addition, the faculty is engaged in the expansion of knowledge through research. The college supports the business practitioner through the Division of Professional Programs, Bureau of Business Research, Small Business Institute, and applied research projects in both graduate and undergraduate classes. The college supports primary and secondary education in the state through its Center for Economic Education.

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College of Education

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The mission of the College of Education is the preparation of professional educators and allied practitioners, including professionals in business information systems, counseling,instructional technology, and librarianship. Significant to this mission is a strong commitment to three important, related areas, all of which are realized through partnerships and other endeavors: the encouragement and nurturing of professional growth for educators and allied practitioners at all levels and in all areas of the educational endeavor, a continuing emphasis on and support for scholarship and research/creative activity, and service in all areas of professional education. Critical to such commitment is the promotion of effective teaching, staff participation in the improvement of schools; and, in concert with other state agencies, the development and creation of educational policy for North Carolina.

The College of Education offers baccalaureate degree programs through the Departments of Business, Career, and Technical Education; Curriculum and Instruction; and Mathematics and Science Education. All teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

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College of Fine Arts and Communication

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The College of Fine Arts and Communication comprises the School of Art and Design, School of Communication, School of Music, and School of Theatre and Dance.

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College of Health and Human Performance

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The College of Health and Human Performance is dedicated to the promotion of health and well-being through basic and applied research, service, and professional training of its students. Programs of study in the college provide a foundation for professional practice in the fields of health education, exercise and sport science,and recreation. The College of Health and Human Performance offers baccalaureate and master’s degree programs through its Departments of Health Education, Exercise and Sport Science, and Recreation and Leisure Studies as well as PhD program in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

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College of Human Ecology

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The College of Human Ecology seeks to improve the quality of life for individuals and families through education, research, and service. The knowledge base of the field includes criminal justice, early childhood education, human nutrition and food, individual and family development through the life span, interior design, the management of food service and lodging operations, textiles, and social work. The faculty members of the college are committed to educating students for professional practice; to conducting research on the conditions which influence the quality of life for individuals and families; and to extending this knowledge to the state of North Carolina and beyond.

The Carolyn Freeze Baynes Institute for Social Justice, established by the generosity of Charles and Hazel Freeze with the support of Michael Ray Baynes, is located within the College of Human Ecology. The gift has been made by the Freeze family of Mooresville, North Carolina, in memory of their daughter Carolyn, and to promote the issues to which she was devoted. The institute coordinates research, community partnerships, and scholarship aimed at improving the well-being of individuals and the quality of community life. The institute offers a number of activities for students, including research experiences, scholarship opportunities, and interaction with visiting scholars and alumni.

Undergraduate study is offered in birth through kindergarten teacher education, child life, criminal justice, family and community services, family and consumer sciences education, hospitality management, interior design, merchandising, nutrition and dietetics, and social work.

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School of Nursing

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The baccalaureate program in nursing educates students for professional nursing practice and is characterized by a combination of general education and nursing courses. The focus of the nursing courses is on nursing theory and scientific principles applied to the care of healthy persons as well as to acute and chronic health problems of individuals, families, and groups. Clinical experiences are provided in a variety of health care settings, such as hospitals, health departments, nursing homes, mental health centers, and other health-related community agencies. Graduates are prepared for beginning positions in nursing with the potential for positions of leadership and graduate study.

College of Technology and Computer Science

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The College of Technology and Computer Science comprises the Departments of Computer Science, Construction Management,Systems Technology, and Planning.

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