Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the institute of American civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to develop materials and curricula for a course in a baccalaureate degree program including American government or American history; requires each student enrolled in a public institution of higher education to complete a course of instruction that includes such curricula prior to the student obtaining a baccalaureate degree. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

SB 1077 requires all public Tennessee universities to offer a mandatory 3-semester-hour course in American government or history before students earn a bachelor's degree. The course, developed by the University of Tennessee-Knoxville's Institute of American Civics, must cover specific foundational documents including the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," plus one additional document from the African-American freedom struggle. Students must complete this course by 2025-2026, with exemptions for those who took equivalent advanced placement, IB, or dual-credit courses meeting the same content requirements. The bill mandates final exams testing knowledge of these required documents and prohibits adding credit hours or conflicting with accreditation standards.