PSPS Careers and Alumni

What kinds of careers are UTC PSPS students preparing for?

All of our students are prepared to work in a wide range of government, nonprofit, legal, and for profit settings, but each of the concentrations can be roughly mapped onto a set of career paths.

• American Politics career paths include: Campaign manager, elected official, legislative aide, lobbyist, policy advocate, professor, teacher, journalist, government relations manager
• International and Comparative Politics career paths include: Diplomat, international business relations manager, economic development agent, international lawyer, journalist
• Public Law career paths include: Lawyer, judge, legislative aide, lobbyist, policy advocate, corporate manager
• Public Policy career paths include: Policy analyst, policy advocate, legislative aide, think tank researcher, lawyer, lobbyist, professor
• Public Administration and Nonprofit Management career paths include: Civil servant, program manager, grant manager, regulator, fundraiser, volunteer manager, program evaluator, community organizer
• Politics (the flexible, "build your own" concentration) career paths overlap with all of the above, aiming for synergies, such as international lawyer, education policy lobbyist, legal services manager, NGO volunteer manager

How do we assist students with career exploration and preparation?

We are proud to offer an education in a strong liberal arts tradition, but we also want to prepare our students to find meaningful, rewarding employment. Here are some highlights of PSPS career exploration and preparation strategies:

• PSPS Professional Network
  The PSPS Professional Network is a group of about 100 UTC PSPS alumni and other friends of the department who have volunteered to be available to PSPS students for informational interviews, job shadowing, mentoring, hosting internships, and providing other real-world learning experiences.
• Internship Program
  PSPS students may complete internships for credit toward their majors. Most internships are with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, elected officials’ offices, and law firms. Some premier opportunities include the Tennessee Legislative Internship Program, Municipal Technical Advisory Service internships, Washington Center internships, and Council on Foreign Relations internships. We maintain a list of standing opportunities and search tools, but the internship coordinator also works one-on-one with students to develop opportunities tailored to students’ academic and career goals.
• Badge in Applied Politics
  UTC students who earn a Badge in Applied Politics gain knowledge and skills that prepare them for careers in the practice of politics, such as campaign management, community organizing, lobbying, advocacy, election administration, political party leadership, and even elected office. These courses include skills-based workshops led by expert practitioners in addition to the academic foundations of applied politics. Students earn the badge by completing five courses that may also count toward the PSPS majors and minor, 150 hours of experiential learning in applied politics, and a brief reflection paper.
• PSPS-MPA JUMP
  PSPS undergraduate majors may enroll in the JUMP (Joint Undergraduate to Masters Program) option, which allows them to take up to 9 credits that count toward both the bachelor’s degree and the Master of Public Administration degree, which prepares students for administrative and analytic roles in public and nonprofit agencies.
• PSPS Career Development Course
  All PSPS majors complete a 1-credit career development course to facilitate formal career exploration, learn concrete job search skills, and develop a clear career development plan.
• Partnership for Public Service
  PSPS is a member of the Partnership for Public Service, which serves as a one-stop resource for exploring, preparing for, and applying to jobs in the federal government. The Partnership also connects students to federal internship opportunities and hosts its own internships as well.
• Diplomat in Residence
  PSPS students have direct access to a U.S. Department of State diplomat through their Diplomat in Residence Program. The Diplomat in Residence is available to meet one-on-one with students and also offers occasional educational sessions for groups of students interested in foreign service careers.
• Pre-Law Advising
  We offer students a dedicated faculty pre-law advisor, who is trained to help students explore law schools and law careers, prepare for the Law School Admission Test, and navigate the law school application process. The pre-law advisor is available to meet with students one-on-one, offers a series of information sessions for pre-law students, and advises the Pre-Law Society.

Where do UTC PSPS alumni work?

We admit it: PSPS alumni are on the move, and it's had to keep track of them! Of the 64% of Fall 2020 to Summer 2022 alumni we have information about, the sectors of their employment:

We do know our alumni have some impressive job titles. Here's a brief sampling: Research Analyst for the Tennessee General Assembly, Legal Analyst for City of Corpus Christi, Judicial Law Clerk for Shelby County Criminal Justice Center, Policy and Communications Associate for the National Council of Urban Indian Health, attorney (lots of attorneys), Donor Relations Manager for the American Diabetes Association, Health Policy Manager for the American Academy of Physicians, Paralegal for a local law firm, Operations Business Analyst for Unum, Legal Assistant for the Tennessee Secretary of State, Deputy Political Director for a U.S. Senate campaign, Community Engagement Manager for City of Mobile, U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Officer, Grants Writer for City of Chattanooga, Senior Long Range Planner for Adams County Community and Economic Development, Director of United for Working Families for United Way of Greater Chattanooga, Project Leader for Honda Foundation, Chief of Staff for National League of Cities, Regional Planner at Southeast Tennessee Development District, Chief Financial Officer for TennCare, Executive Director of the Chattanooga Regional Homelessness Coalition, Executive Officer of the U.S. Army Chattanooga Recruiting Company, Tennessee Senate Government Operations Research Analyst ... the list goes on and on.

Alumni: Keep us posted!

We love to receive updates from our alumni. Hearing your good news makes us proud, but it also helps us attract resources and provide networking opportunities to our current students. Please send news about your career, advanced degrees, and other accomplishments to [email protected].

Join the UT Alumni Association

To join the University of Tennessee Alumni Association and qualify for the associated benefits, please contact the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Giving

The growth of the department also depends very strongly on the support of former students who understand and appreciate the quality of education they received. The department’s gift funds are used to expand educational opportunities for PSPS students and to provide assistance and recognition to deserving students. To make a gift, visit https://give.utc.edu/psps. To discuss other ideas for supporting PSPS, please contact the PSPS Department Head, Prof. Christopher Horne ([email protected]),