Baker School Minor Programs
The Baker School offers three minor programs: Public Affairs, Policy Analytics, and American Civics.
Admissions Process
Admission occurs on a rolling basis. Students at all levels are encouraged to consider whether the minor fits with their career goals and academic plans. Students who want to learn more or wish to be considered for admission should start by filling out the interest form. We will reach out to set up an initial meeting and share application instructions.
Please communicate your interest with your assigned academic advisor before completing the interest form. Students are required to meet with their minor advisor upon admission to the minor.
Public Affairs Minor
The Public Affairs minor includes 3 credit hours of prerequisite courses from the Vol Core (HBS 101) and 15 credit hours of required courses (HBS 201, HBS 301, HBS 302, HBS 303 or HBS 304, and a HBS 400-level 3 credit course, selected by the student). Other courses to complete a concentration may be accepted upon approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Students must complete all courses from this list with a 2.5 GPA or higher for the Public Affairs minor. For students planning on graduate 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.
Prerequisite Courses
HBS 101 Solving Public Problems
3 Credit Hours Development of the knowledge and skills required to solve public problems, including an overview of the foundational characteristics of public policy.
Required Courses
Applicants for admission to the program must complete the required prerequisites and pre-major core courses with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
HBS 201 Leading Effectively
3 Credit Hours Skill acquisition in leadership and approaches to effective management in the public sector.
HBS 301 Thinking Analytically
3 Credit Hours Development of analytical thinking based on data collection, analysis, and interpretation, including an overview of basic econometrics frameworks and techniques.
HBS 302 Visualizing and Communicating Policy Data
3 Credit Hours Skill acquisition in communicating data and data-driven policy insights for non-expert audiences in oral and written formats.
Select one course:
HBS 303 National Challenges
3 Credit Hours Exploration of national challenges and public policy solutions.
HBS 304 State and Local Challenges
3 Credit Hours Exploration of state and local challenges and public policy solutions.
Select one course:
HBS 401 Evaluating Performance
3 Credit Hours Knowledge of practices for the evaluation of programmatic and human resource performance in the public sector.
HBS 424 Energy Markets and Economics
3 Credit Hours Theoretical and empirical perspectives on individual and industrial demand for energy, energy supply, energy markets, and public policies affecting energy markets.
HBS 434 Public Organization, Theory, and Behavior
3 Credit Hours Examination of organizational theory and behavior with emphasis on implications for public management. Includes theories of decision-making, leadership, communications, and group dynamics.
HBS 435 Leading Across Difference
3 Credit Hours Leading and managing diverse teams to achieve collective goals.
HBS 443 Energy Transitions
3 Credit Hours Energy technology and policy solutions for a growing population, increasingly industrialized world, expanding quality of life, limits of fossil fuel energy sources, and the increasing realization that renewable energy must be integrated into an energy system built around fossil fuels.
HBS 452 U.S. National Security
3 Credit Hours Overview of national and international security issues and corresponding U.S. national security policies and strategies. Focus on grand strategy, civil-military relations, conflict management, military interventions, conventional and non-conventional warfare, termination of conflict, and peacekeeping.
HBS 461 Tools for Economic Development
3 Credit Hours Policy tools for incentivizing and guiding economic development at the local government level, including tax abatements, tax increment financing, opportunity zones, and public/private partnerships. Special attention will be given to the role of public participation and the evaluation of public benefits.
HBS 494 Internship
0–9 Credit Hours Approved internships and other professional opportunities.
HBS 495 Special Topics
3 Credit Hours Seminar addressing an area of study or current issue within the field of public administration, public policy, public affairs, political communication, or related area.
HBS 496 Baker Scholars Seminar
1–3 Credit Hours Required of and restricted to Baker Scholars. Support of Baker Scholars’ professional development and progress on their required projects. Instruction on the philosophy of research and methodologies relevant to the field of public policy. Review of examples of public policy research. Exploration of internship and career opportunities.
Policy Analytics Minor
The Policy Analytics minor is intended to provide skills in employing advanced analytical methods that have become critical to the design, implementation and evaluation of public policy on the part of government agencies, nonprofits, think tanks and academicians. Students are exposed to the foundations of public policy and the policy-making process, analytical tools from economics and political science, quantitative methods and program evaluation techniques, subject matter from a selected public policy field and development of a portfolio that requires hands-on applications in conducting public policy research. The minor is open to students pursuing any major.
Minor Requirements
Please review the minor requirements, based on your catalog year. If you have any questions about the minor requirements or course petitions, please contact the advising team at BakerStudents@utk.edu.
American Civics Minor
Students must complete all courses from this list with a 2.5 GPA or higher for the American Civics minor. 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. The American Civics minor includes 3 credit hours of prerequisite courses from the Vol Core (IAC 101), 15 credit hours of required courses (IAC 201, IAC 203, IAC 301, IAC 412, and one upper division IAC 3 credit course, selected by the student). Other courses to complete a concentration may be accepted upon approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Prerequisite Courses
IAC 101 Engaging Civically
3 Credit Hours Rights and duties of citizenship; modes of citizen engagement in public affairs; the role of civil discourse in democratic debate.
Required Courses
Applicants for admission to the program must complete the required prerequisites and pre-major core courses with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
IAC 102 Visions of America
3 Credit Hours | Exploring differing perspectives on core American ideals and values, including liberty, equality, justice, and democracy.
IAC 201 Construction and Reconstruction of the American Republic
3 Credit Hours An examination of the philosophical, legal, cultural, and historical foundations of the American Revolution, the framing of the Constitution, the establishment of the new republic, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.
IAC 412 Philosophical Origins of American Ideologies
3 Credit Hours Examination of philosophical influences on modern American political ideologies.
Select one course:
IAC 302 American Legal System
3 Credit Hours An overview of the structure of the legal system and the functions of key institutions and actors within that system.
IAC 303 Legal Research and Writing
3 Credit Hours An introduction to the methodology of legal research and the practice of writing legal briefs and memoranda.
IAC 311 Might and Right in Foreign Policy
3 Credit Hours | Investigating the ongoing tension between the national interest and national ideals in formulating American security and diplomatic strategies.
IAC 313 War and Peace
3 Credit Hours | Analyzing the causes, ethics, strategy, and experiences of war, as well as how wars are concluded and peace restored.
IAC 401 The Art of the Possible
3 Credit Hours Conflict, communication, consensus building, and compromise in public policymaking. Emphasis on case studies.
IAC 404 Crime, Law, and Justice
3 Credit Hours An overview of substantive and procedural criminal law and the operations of the criminal justice system with emphasis on the courts.
IAC 405 Civil Law and Justice
3 Credit Hours An introduction to civil law, including torts, contracts, property, and family law, as well as the adjudication of civil cases.
IAC 406 Constitutional Interpretation
3 Credit Hours | Exploring ways in which the Constitution can be understood and applied to contemporary issues. Perspectives examined will include originalism, textualism, pragmatism, and “living constitutionalism.”
IAC 413 The Military in American Democracy
3 Credit Hours Constitutional and statutory underpinnings of the military establishment, civilian control of the military, the role of military leadership in policy making, changing roles for the military, policies regarding military service, interagency cooperation, military effectiveness, and operational challenges.
IAC 493 Independent Study
3 Credit Hours Individualized study of issues and/or processes in civics. Registration Permission: Consent of Instructor.
IAC 494 Internship
0–9 Credit Hours Approved internships and other professional opportunities. Grading Restriction: Satisfactory/No Credit grading only. Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 9 hours.
IAC 495 Special Topics in American Civics
3 Credit Hours Seminar addressing an area of study or current issue within the field of civics. Repeatability: May be repeated.