Law and Social Welfare

The Law and Social Welfare focus helps social workers, non-profit managers, and those in similar fields develop an understanding of the law and policy issues necessary to effectively assist low-income and other disadvantaged populations. The College of Law also partners with the College of Social Work to offer an online Master of Legal Studies/Master of Science in Social Work (MLS/MSSSW). Students design their own course plan after they complete the five program requirements. The requirements include two core courses, Law 503 and Law 504, and two foundation courses in Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, Criminal Law, or Property. Students select their curriculum pathway from the options below. 

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• Collaboration with Lawyers and Social Workers
• Structure and Operation of the American Legal System
• Introduction to Legal Reasoning and Communication
• Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Family Law
• Disability Law
• Legislation and Regulation
• Contracts
• Torts
• The Regulation of Work
• Health Law Compliance
• Civil Procedure
• Written Project (minimum of 1 credit hour)

All courses listed above are designed specifically for students pursuing the MLS or Graduate Certificate and are offered online in an asynchronous fashion unless indicated otherwise. With some exceptions, students pursuing the MLS or Graduate Certificate through the Knoxville Campus enrollment option are permitted to take JD courses. Check the Graduate Catalog for a list of JD courses.