The mission of the College of Education is to provide high-quality undergraduate and graduate instruction for urban students, to conduct meaningful research designed to illuminate and solve problems, and to use our expertise to serve our community. The theoretical model uniting all of these activities is engaged scholarship.

The College of Education ensures that we are recognized as among the foremost metropolitan universities in America by living this mission. We have responded to the opportunity of being located in an urban environment by unifying teaching, research, and service in a way that contributes to the betterment of Memphis, the Mid-South region and beyond. Consistent with the mission of the university, we assert that excellence in teaching all students is our central responsibility. The academic environment of the college extends beyond campus boundaries to encompass the entire community. Programs across the college are enhanced through exposure to intellectual diversity among the student body, faculty, staff, and administration.

Central to its role in a research university, the college develops, integrates, disseminates, and applies knowledge. The faculty engages in basic and applied research and creative activities. The college’s urban environment provides a rich opportunity for research and creative scholarship, and opportunities to share that scholarship for the intellectual development of the region.