The College of Health we know today began with the two-year Nursing Program started in September of 1969 as a part of the Clayton Junior College’s Division of Science and Mathematics’ Career Programs track. The program provided one year of general education and one year of nursing instruction. Students in this program graduated with an Associate of Arts in Nursing. A year later Clayton Junior College began offering the Dental Hygiene Associate’s Degree Program, also under the Career Programs track. In 1971 the first full class of the Nursing program graduated.

In 1973 the Division of Health Sciences was created and programs such as the Nursing, Dental Hygiene, and Health Science courses were grouped within this new division lead by Dr. Doris Bates. In 1975 the Division of Health Sciences was eliminated and Clayton Junior College transferred the Nursing and Dental Hygiene Departments to the Division of Science and Mathematics. During this time, Dr. Leonard Schreiber became the head of the Dental Hygiene Department while Mrs. Jimmie Ruth Coffey was named head of the Department of Nursing.

By 1987 900 hundred nurses had graduated with an Associate Degrees from the Clayton State College Nursing program. That same year, the institution began offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree, after the school became a four-year state college the prior year. Clayton State also reorganized the institution into four schools in 1987. The Nursing and Dental Hygiene programs, as well as the Health Science courses were then placed under The School of Health lead by Dean Robert Puddy.

The School of Health acquired a Master of Science in Nursing program in 2008. A year later the School of Health was renamed the College of Health with Dr. Lisa Wright Eichelberger serving as Dean. Today the College of Health is comprised of the Nursing, Dental Hygiene, and Health Management Programs, along with a Master of Health Administration degree program. It continues to be led by Dr. Lisa Eichelberger. The College’s focus is to create medical professionals who serve and educate diverse communities through state-of-the-art treatments and advanced techniques.