Legal Assistant Studies (LAS) Advisement Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
This information is provided to help you understand the advisement process at UTC. Final responsibility rests with the student to become familiar with degree requirements and university policies. Highlights of some of the general guidelines are summarized below.
Professor Karen McGuffee, Program Coordinator, is the advisor for all LAS majors/minors. It is important that you consult with your advisor regarding career goals, degree requirements, work schedule, and course selections to ensure that you receive accurate information and make good progress toward graduation. If you have questions please ask your advisor.
Frequently asked questions: (click on the question for the answer)
- What can I expect from my advisor?
- What Catalog do I use in determining degree requirements?
- What do differences in course numbers mean?
- How do you drop or add a class?
- Does the LAS Major require a Minor?
- Can work experience within the field be used to meet degree requirements?
- What can I do if I do poorly in a course?
- Do I have to take an Internship?
- What other courses across campus relate to my major?
- Can I take courses in the evening?
- Do all courses taken from other colleges and universities transfer to UTC?
- What happens if I think I have already taken the same course at another institution but that UTC has not given me credit for an equivalent course?
- What do I need to do during my senior year for graduation?
Undergraduate Program
What can I expect from my advisor?
The academic advisor serves as the coordinator of your educational experience. In that role, the advisor can help you clarify
your goals, explore career options, plan an educational program, and schedule classes needed to meet the requirements of your
program. Also, the advisor monitors and evaluates your progress and attempts to match your needs with UTC's available resources.
In order for your advisor to be of assistance to you, you must clearly and consistently convey your intentions and academic-related
actions to your advisor. You should also be familiar with course descriptions and titles as well as the prerequisites for various
classes. Your advisor is just that - an advisor. You are responsible for making informed choices and for completing registration forms.
A few days before registration is NOT the best time for this activity because so many students, especially new ones, are seeking time
and assistance. To maximize the effectiveness of your advisor, plan ahead (which includes remembering to check -- and use -- the
specific office hours that are established by your professor each semester).
What Catalog do I use in determining degree requirements?
You use the catalog that was in effect the year that you began your program (as long as you graduate within 10 years) OR you
may elect to use the catalog in effect at the time you graduate. You make this determination. Students also may elect to use
the catalog in effect when a new major is selected or a catalog reflecting a revised curriculum. Transfer students may use the catalog
in effect at the time of their first entry into college provided that the UTC degree is conferred within 10 years of that entry date.
Your advisor will help you determine which of these options best fits your needs.
What do differences in course numbers mean?
Courses are numbered from 100 to the 400 level. Course number on the 100 level are generally geared towards freshmen students
and are intended to provide an overview of the course material and to introduce the related vocabulary. Course levels numbered
200 and 300 are more specific in content, while 400-level courses integrate the vocabulary and concepts and introduce the
applications of information learned at the earlier levels. As course numbers ascend, professors assume that your knowledge and
experience will allow you to handle increasingly self-directed courses of study therefore more autonomous study is usually required
at the higher levels.
How do you drop or add a class?
In order to register or add classes through the online registration system, you will need your advisement code. You should consult with your advisor before making schedule changes of this nature. No advisement code is necessary to drop a class or change sections of the same course.
If you are trying to register for a class and that class is closed, you will need to get a Closed Class form from the Records office or the Criminal Justice Department office. You must obtain the permission and signature of the Professor that is teaching that class on the form, before approaching the Department Head for a signature. Once you have obtained the Professor of the class's signature and the Department Head's signature, you may register for the class.
There is a great deal of schedule changes at the beginning of each semester, and an opening may arise. However, with a large major and limited seats available, students who need particular courses to graduate should make every effort to pre-register and ensure that they meet other fee deadlines and university rules to ensure that they keep their seat in a specific course. Fire marshals and other regulations/laws forbid us from letting students in courses where there are no seats in the classroom so students need to plan ahead according to their graduation schedule/plan.
Dropping a class does not require the signature of your advisor, but you may overlooking a degree requirement which that class might satisfy so be sure that this will not affect your degree plan and/or consult with your advisor before changing your schedule.
Does the LAS Major require a Minor?
No. It may be advantageous, however, to do so. Popular minors that work well with a LAS major are: Criminal Justice, Political Science, English, Psychology, and Sociology.
Can work experience within the field be used to meet degree requirements?
Yes. Individuals who have not earned a baccalaureate degree may be eligible to receive credit for work experience, in-service
training and certified professional programs through the UTC Individualized Education Program (IEP). Up to 30 elective hours can be
awarded for work-related experience. Normally, IEP credits will not apply toward the last 30 hours of residency Information
concerning IEP is available in the Office of Cooperative Education, located at 233 University Center, (423) 425-4735. You can also
email Dr. Hugh Prevost.
What can I do if I do poorly in a course?
You may repeat a course and replace the grade. UTC allows a student a total of three grade replacements for grades of "C" and lower.
This includes replacement grades here at UTC and those at any other institution. The repeated courses are not used to calculate your GPA,
but you also forfeit any credit hours that were awarded when you first took the course.
Do I have to take an Internship?
Internships are a rewarding way for students to get experience in the field and they are required for LAS students. Professor McGuffee determines appropriate placements and makes referrals. Ideally, you
should contact her the semester before placement to ensure a smooth transition. Students need to be aware that they will need to
devote a substantial amount of time to an internship placement.
What other courses across campus relate to my major?
The framework of the curriculum allows flexibility for students to explore and develop their interests. Special courses in forensics
are available through Chemistry and Anthropology. Several other disciplines also are a good fit including courses in Legal Assistant Studies, Political Science, Social Work, Psychology, Communication, Sociology, Women's Studies, Africana Studies and Spanish.
Can I take courses in the evening?
Most of the LAS coursework is offered in the evening.
Do all courses taken from other colleges and universities transfer to UTC?
The answer to this question is usually yes -- if the educational institution is accredited and if a passing grade was received.
Some courses may count as elective credit though rather than direct equivalencies toward your major.
What happens if I think I have already taken the same course at another institution but UTC has not given me credit for an equivalent course?
A number of questions usually surround transfer credits. The UTC transcript evaluation specialist tries their best to determine
course equivalencies. However, what is available for review is often quite limited. If you think you have taken a substantially similar
course, consult with your advisor. You can petition this course through a committee that has the power to change the initial
classification. It is important to note, that as a general rule, UTC will not grant 300/400 level credit for a course taken at the 100/200
level even if the course is quite similar in description. The rational is that 100/200 level courses are taught at a lower and less demanding
level in terms of workload requirements and mastery of the material.
What do I need to do during my senior year for graduation?
The student is responsible for applying for a degree with the Office of Records at the beginning of his or her final year. A student
who neglects to file an application must wait until the next degree-conferring period to be awarded the degree.
A second mandatory item involves testing requirements at both the departmental and university levels. All students are required to take the UTC Senior Exam. Evaluative information obtained through testing is used to improve
the educational experience for future students and allows us to assess the quality of our program.
