Public Affairs Major, BS in Public Affairs - Pre-Professional Law Concentration

Admissions Standards and Procedures

Applicants for admission to the program must complete the required prerequisites and pre-major core courses with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
 

Concentration (13 credit hours)

The Pre-Professional Law Concentration is restricted to students who are participating in the 3 + 3 program allowing them to complete their Baker School Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs (BSPAf) undergraduate degree and College Law Juris Doctor degree in six years. In addition to the Pre-Professional Law Concentration, students must be enrolled in one of the BSPAf concentrations. They will complete all undergraduate degree requirements except for total upper-level credit hours and total credit hours by the end of their third year. In their fourth year, students will take the standard 1L curriculum. Up to 28 credit hours earned towards their law degree will also count toward their undergraduate degree, which will officially be conferred at the end of the fourth year. Students in the undergraduate program are not guaranteed admission to UT Law.

• HBS 202 - The Legal Profession 1 Credit Hours

Campus: Knoxville

uTrack Requirements

Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students.

Term 1

• EEPS 210* - Astrobiology: Life, the Universe, and Everything 3 Credit Hours
• ¹  ENGL 101* - English Composition I 3 Credit Hours (or equivalent)
• ²  FYS 101 - The UT Experience 1 Credit Hours
• IAC 101* - Foundations of American Citizenship 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)

•  

• Select one course:

• MATH 123* - Finite Mathematics 3 Credit Hours
• MATH 141* - Calculus I 4 Credit Hours
• MATH 142* - Calculus II 4 Credit Hours

•  

• Select one course:

• POLS 101* - United States Government and Politics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)
• POLS 107* - Honors: United States Government and Politics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)

Term 2

• ¹  ENGL 102* - English Composition II 3 Credit Hours (or equivalent)
• HBS 101* - Solving Public Problems 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)
• HBS 102 - Professional Development Seminar 1 Credit Hours
• IAC 201* - Construction and Reconstruction of the American Republic 3 Credit Hours
• IAC 202* - Civil Society and the State 3 Credit Hours

•  

• Select one course:

• ECON 211* - Principles of Microeconomics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)
• ECON 217* - Honors: Principles of Microeconomics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)

Term 3

• HBS 201 - Leading Effectively 3 Credit Hours
• IAC 203* - Constitutional Foundations 3 Credit Hours

•  

• Select one course:

• CMST 210* - Public Speaking 3 Credit Hours
• CMST 217* - Honors: Public Speaking 3 Credit Hours
• CMST 240* - Business and Professional Communication 3 Credit Hours
• CMST 247* - Honors: Business and Professional Communication 3 Credit Hours

•  

• Select one course:

• STAT 201* - Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)
• STAT 207* - Honors: Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)

•  

• Select one course:

• ECON 213* - Principles of Macroeconomics 3 Credit Hours

• (prerequisite to the major)

• ECON 218* - Honors: Principles of Macroeconomics 3 Credit Hours (prerequisite to the major)

Term 4

• ¹

• JMED 330* - Communication for Media 3 Credit Hours

• (or equivalent) 

• HBS 202 - The Legal Profession 1 Credit Hours
• IAC 301* - Institutions of Democratic Policymaking 3 Credit Hours
• PHIL 392* - Philosophy of Law 3 Credit Hours
• HBS 303 - National Challenges 3 Credit Hours
• ECON 305 - Markets, Ethics, and the Law 3 Credit Hours

Term 5

• ¹ Natural Sciences Elective  4 Credit Hours * (with lab)

• HBS 301 - Thinking Analytically 3 Credit Hours
• HBS 304 - State and Local Challenges 3 Credit Hours
• HBS 401 - Evaluating Performance 3 Credit Hours
• IAC 401 - The Art of the Possible 3 Credit Hours

Term 6

Major Concentration Courses (12 credits)

• HBS 302 - Visualizing and Communicating Policy Data 3 Credit Hours
• HBS 485 - Beyond Baker 1 Credit Hours

Term 7

First-Year Law School Classes (14 credits of 800-level courses)

Term 8

First-Year Law School Classes (14 credits of 800-level courses)

Footnotes

1. Chosen from the Volunteer Core  list.
2. Students in the Howard Baker School (HBS) Pre-Professional Law concentration must enroll in the Baker School FYS 101  section. 
3. Students should select courses based on concentration. Some courses may be included in multiple concentrations. Some courses may have prerequisites or be prerequisites for other courses in the concentration. Students are encouraged to meet with advising staff to ensure they have all the required coursework to successfully complete the identified concentration. Any course may be substituted by permission from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. 

* Meets Volunteer Core Requirement .

Total Credit Hours 123-124

Concentrations available under Public Affairs Major, BS in Public Affairs

Students must complete one concentration with a 2.5 GPA or higher. Students may choose to take multiple concentrations. For students planning on advanced study a 3.0 GPA or higher is recommended. For students pursuing the 4+1 option with the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) or Masters of Public Policy (MPP) a 3.4 GPA or higher is required. Other courses to complete a concentration may be accepted upon approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Some courses may have additional prerequisites. Students are encouraged to meet with advising staff to ensure they have all the required coursework to successfully complete the identified concentration. Where available, students in University Honors should enroll in the honors version of the concentration course. 

Concentrations are available:

• Agricultural Policy Concentration  
• Economic & Community Development Concentration  
• Energy Policy Concentration  
• Environmental Policy Concentration  
• Government Relations Concentration  
• Health Policy Concentration  
• Law and Policy Concentration  
• National Security Concentration  
• Nuclear Security and Strategy Concentration  
• Policy Analytics Concentration  
• Political Communication Concentration  
• Pre-Professional Law Concentration  
• Public Management Concentration