UT 3+3 Program

UT 3+3 Program

This accelerated degree program allows students at UT Martin and UT Knoxville to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years—one year less than what is normally required.

3+3 Timeline and Checklist

This program requires hard work and careful planning to qualify for law school admission and to finish both degrees in six years. Use the following as your guide.

Freshman or sophomore year:

Enroll in an approved 3+3 major at your campus.

Freshman, sophomore, and junior years:  

Get the most out of your undergraduate study.

    • Collaborate with your undergraduate advisor to get the most out of your degree program.
    • Work toward excellent grades during your three years of study so you will be an outstanding applicant for law school admission.
    • Challenge yourself to develop your writing skills by taking classes that require research papers—excellent writing skills will serve you well in law school and as a lawyer.
    • Develop your leadership, collaboration, and organizational skills through extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, community organizations, or other activities.

Spring of your sophomore year:

Register for and begin preparing to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

Summer after your sophomore year and/or fall of your junior year:

Take the LSAT. Do your best on the test—ideally, you should take the LSAT only once.


Junior year: 

Apply for admission to UT Law.

    • UT Law Application
    • Complete FAFSA for the upcoming year in October. Students from UT Martin must add the UTK FAFSA school code (003530).


First year of law school (1L year):

Complete your senior year of undergraduate and your first year of law school concurrently. 

    • If you are admitted to the UT College of Law, you will become a full-time, first-year law student following your junior year of undergraduate study.
    • Continuation of undergraduate campus-specific awards is at the discretion of the financial aid office at your undergraduate institution. Knoxville students should contact One Stop Student Services and Martin students should reach out to the financial aid department at UT Martin.
    • For more information about the use of the HOPE scholarship and federal aid, please contact the UT College of Law Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
    • Waivers that can only be applied to undergraduate tuition can not be used toward tuition and fees in the College of Law. Examples of these waivers include discounts for dependents of Tennessee state employees and public school teachers. For more information, reach out to the UT College of Law Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
    • The credits you earn will be counted toward your law degree and toward the completion of your bachelor’s degree.


2L and 3L years:

Complete your law degree.

Take advantage of all of the opportunities offered by UT Law, including concentrations in advocacy and dispute resolution and business transactions, dual degree programs, clinics, moot courts, law journals, pro bono opportunities, and more.

Contacts

If you’re a UT Knoxville student interested in a pre-professional programs major or pre-law concentration, contact:
Alexandra Brewer, Associate Director, Arts & Sciences Advising
Phone: (865) 974-4481
Email: abrewer7@utk.edu

 

If you’re a UT Martin student interested in an English major, contact:
Dr. Jeffrey Longacre, Chair
Phone: (731) 881-7300
Email: jlongac1@utm.edu

 

If you’re a UT Martin student interested in political science major, contact:
Dr. Anderson Starling, Chair
Phone: (731) 881-7226
Email: astarlin@utm.edu

  • Contact Michael Higdon, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Professor of Law
    Phone: (865) 974-2393
    Email: mhigdon3@utk.edu

Contact Sarah Busse, Director of Admissions
Phone: (865) 974-4131
Email: sbusse@utk.edu

Undergraduate students of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, can now earn both a bachelor’s degree and law degree in six years, one year less than what is normally required.

UT 3+3 is a new accelerated degree program offered by UT’s College of Law and College of Arts and Sciences. In the program, students complete three years of approved undergraduate coursework in the College of Arts and Sciences. Following their third year, participating students admitted to the College of Law become full-time, first-year law students.

The first year of law study will count toward a student’s law degree and also toward the completion of his or her bachelor’s degree. Two additional years of law study follow, after which a student earns a juris doctor degree.

“UT Law offers an excellent legal education at a great value, and our 3+3 program will make law school an even more affordable option for UT students by saving them a full year of tuition,” said Melanie D. Wilson, dean of the College of Law. “We’re excited to welcome some of UT’s most talented undergraduates to our community of future attorneys and leaders.”

In addition, during their first year of law school, UT 3+3 students will be eligible for undergraduate financial awards, including the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship or a Federal Pell Grant.

Learn more information here about UT 3+3.