Justice Studies Graduate Certificate
Are you passionate about contributing to and enhancing change in areas of community and social justice? Our Justice Studies Graduate Certificate prepares you to join impactful research and conversations on issues related to poverty, violence, housing, and land justice, empowering you to help others and turn remarkable ideas into creative solutions.
Program Overview
The Justice Studies Graduate certificate gives students hands-on social justice and community research experience in rural areas of Appalachia and beyond.
In our program, you’ll have the opportunity to take various kinds of law courses—disability law, criminal law, and even bioethics and public health—and analyze social and political inequalities, all while completing additional coursework that emphasizes real-world research, internships, or experiences in rural communities.
Designed as an add-on certificate, this program is a great fit for students who want to enhance a primary degree with knowledge of social and community justice. You’ll work directly with faculty mentors and community members to conduct interdisciplinary research that will help you make an impact wherever your research leads.
Why Study Justice Studies?
At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a graduate certificate in Justice Studies means you’ll be part of a unique, interdisciplinary program that combines real-world experience with advanced knowledge of law, inequalities, and social injustices.
Our dedicated faculty also come from both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Law, meaning you’ll have the opportunity to be mentored by exceptional faculty that are dedicated to your academic success.
Combined with the outstanding opportunity to participate in and be a part of our unique Appalachian Justice Research Center—a transdisciplinary center dedicated to advancing community visions for a more just and equitable Appalachia—you’ll find no shortage of experiences that prepare you to be a transformative researcher on the rise.
Appalachian Justice Research Center
The Appalachian Justice Research Center (AJRC), co-run by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Winston College of Law, conducts research driven by the priorities of rural and urban Appalachian communities, including community safety, housing and community stability, and land and health justice. AJRC equips students for ground-breaking community collaborative research, preparing them for bold inquiry and action.
What Can You Do with a Graduate Certificate in Justice Studies After Graduation?
A Justice Studies Graduate Certificate opens doors to wide-ranging career paths including areas of government, non-profit organizations, higher education, journalism, and more.
Whether you’re interested in continuing your education or entering the private sector, our program prepares you to work as victim advocates, members of community outreach organizations, social workers and case managers, as well as in areas of public policy where you might directly contribute to decision-making on laws, statutes, and legislation.
Other opportunities might include resarch and teaching in higher education institutions or conducting research on the impact of community issues directly on the communities themselves.
Whatever your unique career path, our program equips you with the skills, knowledge, and intellectual curiosity to drive purposeful change.
Featured Courses
JUST 590 Special Topics in Justice Studies
Thematic focus on issues, concepts, theories, or methods in justice studies. Content varies.
JUST 593 Independent Study in Justice Studies
To be approved and completed under the supervision of the Program Chair of Justice Studies, or another faculty member approved by the Program Chair of Justice Studies. Typically this will involve a capstone experience that consists of a thoughtful teaching or research experience pertaining to Justice Studies and the student’s home discipline. This could be a separate internship or community justice opportunity, a research assignment with a primary faculty member, or selection and participation in LAW 860 and LAW 861: The Appalachian Justice Research Lab.
LAW 860/861 Appalachian Justice Research Lecture and Lab
The Appalachian Justice Research Lab (AJRL) is an interdisciplinary laboratory space designed to conduct and disseminate research that supports the needs and priorities of marginalized communities in Appalachia. Working under the supervision of multi-disciplinary faculty and in collaboration with community partners, students from multiple disciplines will conduct research and produce work product appropriate to projects housed within The University of Tennessee’s Appalachian Justice Research Center.
LAW 877 Jurisprudence
Critical or comparative examination of legal theories, concepts, and problems: legal positivism; natural law theory; legal realism; idealism; historical jurisprudence; utilitarianism; Kantianism; sociological jurisprudence; policy science; and critical studies.
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