Law and Social Welfare Graduate Certificate

The add-on graduate certificate in Law and Social Welfare is a partnership between the College of Law and the College of Social Work. The certificate is intended for current law students. This certificate provides students with the coursework and practical experience needed to provide legal representation to traditionally under-represented clients in a variety of settings including but not limited to prisons, juvenile justice settings, child welfare, public defender offices and legal aid, programming and policy development. Home unit: College of Law .

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Graduate Certificate Type

Add-On

Admissions Standards/Procedures

Since graduate certificates are university credentials, a student must apply through the Office of Graduate Admissions to the graduate certificate program.
Students must be admitted to the certificate program prior to completing six graduate credit hours toward the certificate.
Students must maintain a minimum 3.00 graduate grade point average once in the program and complete the requirements of the certificate program as stated in the Graduate Catalog to be awarded the graduate certificate.
Students must submit an application to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs prior to the commencement of the student’s final semester.

Credit Hours Required

16 Law and graduate credit hours

Required Courses

NOTE: At least three (3) graduate credit hours for the certificate must be earned outside of the requirements of the degree(s) and other certificates.

Law Doctrinal Requirement

Select minimum one course (3 credit hours):

LAW 848 - Civil Rights Actions
LAW 854 - Investigatory Criminal Procedure
LAW 855 - Adjudicatory Criminal Procedure
LAW 862 - Family Law
LAW 990 - Issues in the Law (As approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs)

Social Work Doctrinal Requirement

Choose one of the following:

Select one course (3 credit hours):

SOWK 510 - Social Welfare Policy and Programs
SOWK 515 - Human Development in Context: Pre-Natal to Adolescence
SOWK 531 - Trauma Theory
SOWK 535 - School Social Work
SOWK 538 - Social Justice and Anti-oppressive Practices
SOWK 545 - Resource Development and Management
SOWK 564 - Substance Use Disorders
SOWK 573 - Forensic Social Work in the Criminal Legal System
Other College of Social Work courses (SOWK), approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in consultation with the MSSW Program Director

Law Experiential Requirement

A minimum of 6 credit hours from the following:

LAW 905 - Advocacy Clinic (6 credit hours)
LAW 908 - Mediation Clinic (3 credit hours)
LAW 911 - Family Law Mediation Clinic (6 credit hours)
LAW 948 - Public Defender Externship (6 credit hours)
LAW 951 - Domestic Violence Clinic (3 credit hours)
LAW 953 - Wills Clinic (4 credit hours)
LAW 982 - Semester in Residence Residence Placement: 10 credit hours, approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
LAW 992 - Field Placement Field Placement: up to 6 credit hours, approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Law Skills/Perspective Requirement

A minimum of one credit hour from the following:

Non-Course Requirements

To receive the certificate, students must:
1) complete the Graduate Certificate Course Verification Form (located on the Graduate School webpage under the Forms Central tab) and
2) through MyUTK, apply to graduate from the certificate program.

Undergraduates

Graduate Students