University of Tennessee launches new degree in civic and constitutional thought

The University of Tennessee has approved a new undergraduate degree in civic and constitutional thought, adding a civics-focused program as colleges and universities face renewed pressure to expand instruction in American government and public life.

Axios Local Nashville reported on July 1 that the UT board approved the program this week. The new degree is linked to the university’s Institute of American Civics, which was established in 2022 with bipartisan support from Tennessee lawmakers.

Josh Dunn, the institute’s executive director, said the degree is intended to prepare students for a range of professional paths, not only careers in politics or government.

A civics-centered degree

The new major extends UT’s civic-education footprint beyond existing offerings and places the university within a broader trend in higher education. A Washington Post opinion essay in May described a resurgence of civics education on college campuses and cited UT among institutions expanding that work.

UT already offers civics-adjacent coursework and programs, including a minor in American Civics listed by the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs. The new undergraduate degree takes that direction further by formalizing a full major in civic and constitutional thought.

Timing and context

The announcement comes just ahead of the July 4 holiday and as universities, lawmakers and civic groups are increasingly focused on the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

That timing gives the degree added symbolic weight. It also places UT in a national conversation about whether colleges should do more to teach the history, structure and responsibilities of American citizenship.

What is known now

The reporting available so far does not include an official UT press release with curriculum details, enrollment timing or staffing plans.

Questions that remain include when students will first be able to enroll, which courses will be required, and how the program will be staffed and administered.

For now, the confirmed development is straightforward: UT has approved a new undergraduate degree aimed at civic and constitutional study, and the university is moving deeper into a policy area that has gained visibility well beyond Tennessee.