Students majoring in political science with a pre-law concentration take courses in political science as well as in elective areas including accounting, business, communications, criminology, English, social work among other fields. The overarching emphasis of the program is both theoretical and practical. The core curriculum requirements in constitutional law, civil rights and civil liberties are paired with a moot court and a required legal internship. As a result, they graduate having:

• Explored current legal issues
• Sharpened their writing, speaking, and analytical reasoning skills
• Developed an understanding of human values in connection with law
• Prepared for the LSAT, law school, and a career in law

The concentration requires 36 credit hours, which include 24 hours of core curriculum, plus six additional hours required courses for concentration, and six hours of electives from at least two disciplines.

Political Science Major with Pre-Law Concentration – 36 hours
Core Curriculum – 24 hoursPOL – 100: American Political Systems (3 cr.)
POL – 200: Law and Society (3 cr.)
POL – 203: American Public Policy (3 cr.)
POL – 204: Comparative Politics (3 cr.)
or
POL – 210: International Politics (3 cr.)
POL – 205: Political Ideas Seminar (3 cr.)
POL – 334: Research Design and Methods (3 cr.)
POL – 380: Political Science Internship (3 cr.)
POL – 498: Honors Thesis in Political Studies (3 cr.)
POL – 499: Senior Research (3 cr.)
or
POL – 480: Advanced Fieldwork (3 cr.)

Additional Required courses for concentration:POL – 301: Civil Liberties (3 cr.)
or
POL – 302: Civil Rights Law (3 cr.)
POL – 401: Moot Court (3 cr.)

Electives6 credit hours chosen from the following:
(Must take courses from at least two disciplines)
ACC – 220: Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
BUS – 340: Business Law (3 cr.)
BUS – 458: Employee Relations Management (3 cr.)
COM – 225: Public Speaking (3 cr.)
COM – 320: Media Law (3 cr.)
ENG – 247: Publishing and Editing (3 cr.)
ENG – 358: Professional Writing (3 cr.)
ENG – 361: Topics in Professional Writing (3 cr.)
LEG – 400: Legal Survey (3 cr.)
LEG – 401: Legal Research (3 cr.)
MAT – 175: Statistics I (3 cr.)
POL – 235: Applied Quantitative Research (3 cr.)
POL – 301: Civil Liberties (3 cr.)
POL – 302: Civil Rights Law (3 cr.)
POL – 340: State & Local Political Systems (3 cr.)
POL – 367: Lobbying and Advocacy (3 cr.)
POL – 450: Politics Practicum (3 cr.)
RES – 104: Religious Ethics and Social Issues (3 cr.)
RES – 220: Ethics of Love and Justice (3 cr.)
RES – 344: Bioethics and Society (3 cr.)
RES – 345: Environmental Ethics (3 cr.)
SOC – 231: Social Problems (3 cr.)
SOC – 236: Criminology (3 cr.)
SOC – 242: Deviance and Society (3 cr.)
SOC – 335: Race and Ethnic Relations (3 cr.)
SOC – 342: Juvenile Delinquency (3 cr.)
SOC – 337: Corrections (3 cr.)
SWK – 200: Human Diversity and Social Justice (3 cr.)
SWK – 330: Social Welfare Policy (3 cr.)
Any student choosing to pursue an additional Political Science concentration must take an additional 9 hours of coursework that has not already been applied toward the initial concentration.