The History of Miller-Motte College

Over the years, Miller-Motte has undergone name changes, expansions, and mergers. The catalyst for these changes was our commitment to our students. Our main campus has changed locations several times to better accommodate our students.

We strive to provide appropriate learning environments and vocational training to our students. As we sat back to perform a review of our progress, we realized something.

We know why our students come to us and what they hope to change after leaving. We know the broad strokes of their stories, but how much do they know of ours? Aside from a small blurb on our about page, there is not much information available on our history.

Sure, you may come across a few articles over the years, but those only provide campus-specific snapshots.

We wanted to provide a more holistic view of our tale for our students which led to this post. You each share so much about your dreams, progress, and goals with us throughout your time at Miller-Motte.

What is Miller-Motte?

Miller-Motte is a vocational college. We offer training programs in healthcare, education, business, technology, and skilled trades. Each program we offer is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in their field of choice.

Miller-Motte College Through the Years

Our story begins in 1916 with Judge Leon Motte and the need for stenography training. The Wilmington, NC legal community sought trained courtroom stenographers who could accurately transcribe live testimony during court cases. This inspired Judge Motte to create a small training center and provide training for future courtroom stenographers.

Over the next 60 years, this small center would grow into a family of vocational schools called Miller-Motte Business College. During this time, Miller-Motte Business College’s main campus, Wilmington, saw an increase in student enrollment and interest.

A Decade of Expansion at Miller-Motte

In 1979, we decided to relocate our main campus to South College Road to better accommodate our increasing student body.

Between 1979 and 1987, our Wilmington student population continued expanding beyond our wildest dreams. This continued interest in vocational education made us wonder if other states could benefit from our services. This thought led to the opening of our Clarksville, TN campus in 1987.

The success of the Clarksville campus showed vocational education could benefit students in various regions across the US. Within two years of opening, our Clarksville student population quickly outgrew its initial campus.

This did not slow down our Clarksville campus in 1989. In addition to relocating, this campus was granted accreditation through the Association of Independent Colleges and Schools. Soon after, Miller-Motte Business College changed its main campus from Wilmington, NC to Clarksville, TN.

The main campus would change from the Clarksville, TN campus to the Chattanooga, TN campus a few years later. As of 2023, the Chattanooga campus remains our main campus and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).

From Business College to Technical College

During the late 1990s, Miller-Motte Business College welcomed the Phillips Business College into the Miller-Motte family. This new addition caused us to re-evaluate our mission and what we want to represent as a vocational school.

We offered business courses, but we aspired to train students interested in multiple industries. We wanted our brand and name to reflect this new direction, so we went back to the drawing board. Towards the end of 2000, Miller-Motte Business College was reborn as Miller-Motte Technical College.

A month later, we opened our Charleston, NC campus. Throughout the excitement of rebranding, opening new campuses, and expanding existing campuses, our Wilmington campus continued to thrive.

By 2002, our student body once again outpaced the size of our campus. We relocated in 2003 to 5000 Market Street where our Wilmington campus remains to this day.

A New Vision for Miller-Motte

With so much growth, relocation, and student demand, we decided to review our curriculum in 2006. We felt our programs were good, but we wanted to do better.

We understood sticking to traditional brick-and-mortar methods limited access to students who could benefit from what we offered. We aimed to provide quality training across multiple industries and began digging into other fields of student interest. This led to the creation and inclusion of programs for skilled trades, technology, education, and more.

In 2006, our North Carolina campuses were changed from Miller-Motte Technical College to Miller-Motte College. This name change trickled throughout our campuses to better represent the new direction of our company.

Present Day

Throughout the next 17 years, Miller-Motte has reviewed, assessed, and revised program options to provide quality, vocational education. We introduced online and hybrid learning options to provide our students with more control over how and where they learn. We understand not every student can commit to a traditional education format.

We provide flexible education options, so students of all backgrounds can accomplish their dreams while managing their daily lives. Learning mode availability may vary based on program, campus, and award type. We also strive to keep pace with technological improvements and changing demands of various industries.

For a list of our programs and learning modes, visit our on-campus and online program pages or this blog post.

What Comes Next?

Regardless of programs we may add or learning modes we may offer, Miller-Motte does its utmost to provide quality education. We are primarily a technical and vocational college with a mission to turn passion into industry-specific skills. However, we are also expanding into career-focused associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.

We aim to help our students overcome barriers which may negatively impact their ability to reach their academic potential. We offer flexible program options, courses led by industry-experienced staff, and hands-on training in healthcare, business, technology, and more. Our career services team is available for current students and program graduates.

Miller-Motte College and our career services team cannot guarantee employment.

However, our career services team works to provide job leads and assist students in the placement process. They may work with students throughout their program to help determine which options best align with the student’s career goals. They help students write and maintain resumes and cover letters and as well as assist in vetting job postings.

Miller-Motte College strives to improve each year our doors are open. We often revise our curriculum and program offerings to steadily increase the reach and quality of education we provide. We hope equipping our students with career-focused training may help students confidently enter the next phase of their careers.

We look forward to learning more about your journey before, during, and after your time at Miller-Motte. Remember, you can call us at (800) 705-9182 or follow us on Instagram (@millermottecollege).