Union College ( Kentucky ) Union College is a four - year private college located in Barbourville , Kentucky . The college , founded in 1879 , is affiliated with the United Methodist Church . Union College is a small liberal arts college in the Appalachian Mountains . Barbourville was a thriving and progressive town of 450 citizens and three brick buildings at the time of the college ' s establishment . Union ' s approximately 1200 undergraduate and graduate students represent 23 states and many countries . The College ' s academic program fulfills the goal of a liberal arts education . . The undergraduate liberal arts curriculum makes available a body of knowledge drawn from the applied sciences , humanities , natural sciences and social sciences . Majors and areas of study in pre - professional , technical and skills - oriented fields enhance postgraduate employment opportunities . Union ' s campus is in southeastern Kentucky . The newest of the College ' s 20 buildings include a state - of - the - art technology center , academic center and student apartment building . Approximately 44 percent of the students live in three residence halls and the apartments on campus . Dozens of student organizations offer many opportunities for participation in a wide range of extracurricular activities . Union ' s full - time campus minister organizes various religious activities , including weekly voluntary chapel services . Union ' s teams are known as the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs . The college offers 21 varsity sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ( NAIA ) . Location . Just east of Interstate 75 , the town of Barbourville sits in the Appalachian Mountains surrounded by four state park s filled with falls , lakes and streams . The campus itself includes more than 100 gently rolling acres covered in overhanging elms , mountain laurel and Georgian architecture . The famous Wilderness Road spans the east side of the campus , and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is just away . Majors and degrees . Union College offers the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees . Majors are available in accounting , biology , business administration , chemistry , Christian ministry , criminal justice , education ( elementary , middles grades , physical , secondary and special ) , English / communication , health , history , history / political science , mathematics , psychology , recreation management , religious studies , sociology and sports management . In addition to majors in the pure disciplines of biology , chemistry , mathematics and their education counterparts , Union has programs in place for professional and health science careers . These programs combine the advantages of the small private college and those of the large university and include dentistry , medicine , optometry , pharmacy , physical therapy , law and veterinary medicine . The college also offers Master of Arts in Psychology and Education . The Department of Psychology offers master of arts degrees in General , in both traditional and online formats , Clinical , Counseling and School Psychology . The Graduate Education Program offers the Master of Arts degrees in Elementary Education P - 5 , Health / PE P - 12 , LBD ( Special Education ) P - 12 , Middle School 5 - 9 , Principalship , Reading and Writing Endorsement P12 , Secondary 8 - 12 and Rank I degrees in Elementary Education P - 5 , LBD ( Special Education ) P - 12 , Middle School 5 - 9 , Reading and Writing Endorsement P - 12 , Supervisor of Instruction P - 12 . Academic program . Upon admission to the College , students begin a process whereby career counselors and academic advisors help them articulate career goals , select academic courses of study appropriate to those goals , and achieve suitable placement upon completion of their studies . The College operates on a two - semester calendar , with a May interim session and two summer terms . Students must successfully complete a total of 128 semester hours to earn a bachelor ' s degree , including 43 hours of required core classes from the four major divisions of study . Off - campus arrangements . Union College is a cooperating member of the Kentucky Institute for International Studies ( KIIS ) . The College joins with a number of other Kentucky colleges and universities to provide summer study opportunities in ten different locations . The programs in Argentina , France , Spain , Mexico , Germany , Austria , Italy and Ecuador are open to all Union College students , who may earn credits toward their degree at Union . Academic facilities . The Weeks - Townsend Memorial Library contains more than 160 , 000 books , periodicals , government documents , media materials and on - line reference and full - text databases . Library functions , including the public catalog access ( OPAC ) , circulation and reserves are fully automated through the Sirsi Unicorn Collection Management System . The 20 - seat computer lab is the center of campus access to the Internet , including email and the World Wide Web . The College also has a variety of computers accessible to students . The library and Centennial computer labs each contain 20 workstations and a laser printer connected to the campus network . A third lab , the Hensley lab , provides the same type of access with 17 computers . The labs are open a variety of hours each week to support the academic programs and provide student access to the campus network . The Academic Resource Center ( ARC ) provides free services to Union College students in several academic support areas . Individual tutoring is available in a variety of subject areas in both upper and lower division classes . Students may work with a tutor to review for classes , refresh study skills , or prepare for professional examinations such as GMAT , LSAT , MCAT , GRE and NTE . Each semester , courses that have been deemed academically challenging are selected for Supplemental Instruction ( SI ) . Students attend group study sessions , which are held a minimum of three times a week with a student leader who has already excelled in that particular course . The SI leaders model good study strategies and encourage collaborative learning . Costs . Tuition for the 2010 - 2011 academic year is $ 20 , 004 . 00 ; room and board is $ 6 , 000 . Books and supplies are estimated at $ 900 per year . Financial aid . In 2003 - 04 , 98 % of Union ' s undergraduate students received financial assistance . Students wishing to be considered for aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ) by March 15 . The Federal Pell Grant , Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work - Study programs of the federal government are sources of aid . Non - need - based academic scholarships range from $ 1 , 000 to full tuition . Kentucky residents may apply for the Kentucky State Tuition Grant . Faculty . The faculty - to - student ratio 12 : 1 . Athletics . Union College teams are known as the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs . The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ( NAIA ) , primarily competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference ( AAC ) , while competing in the Mid - South Conference for football . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , bowling , cross country , football , golf , soccer , swimming and track & field ; while women ' s sports include basketball , bowling , cross country , golf , soccer , softball , swimming , track & field and volleyball ; coed sports include cheerleading , cycling , and dance . Intramural sports vary according to student request . The college recently completed new tennis courts , a softball field , and refurbished the baseball , soccer and football fields .