The University of Texas at Tyler, also referred to as UT Tyler, is a coeducational public university located in Tyler, Texas. Founded in 1971, it is a component institution of the University of Texas System. UT Tyler consists of four professional colleges and one traditional college of arts and sciences, offering over 90 academic degree programs at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. The University of Texas at Tyler is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university has a student body of over 6,100, a 16:1 student to faculty ratio, and a park-like campus centered around Harvey Lake. The University of Texas at Tyler was founded in 1971 as Tyler State College. The school was renamed Texas Eastern University in 1975, and then joined the University of Texas System in 1979 as a result of action by the 66th Texas Legislature. Initially, UT Tyler was a "senior" level institution ("senior" as compared to community or junior colleges), teaching only upper division undergraduate courses for juniors & seniors, as well as graduate level courses, and granting bachelors and masters degrees. Thus, until 1998, all U.T.