Pre-Law Concentration
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.)
Electives 6 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.)
COM - 385: Persuasion (3 cr.)
ENG - 247: Publishing and Editing (3 cr.)
ENG - 358: Professional Writing (3 cr.)
LEG - 400: Legal Survey (3 cr.)
LEG - 401: Legal Research (3 cr.)
(prerequisite LEG 400)
MAT - 175: Statistics I (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.)
(prerequisite 3 hours in SOC)
SOC - 342: Juvenile Delinquency (3 cr.)
(prerequisite 3 hours in SOC)
SOC - 337: Corrections (3 cr.)
(prerequisite 3 hours in SOC)
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.
Request Information Classroom to Career
How does the Electoral College work? Assistant Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo explains what the Electoral College is and the role it plays in electing the president of the United States, in this episode of The Meredith Minute.
The Meredith Minute - How does the Electoral College work?
How does the Electoral College work? Assistant Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo explains what the Electoral College is and the role it plays in electing the president of the United States, in this episode of The Meredith Minute.
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Note: Audio description is narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that may not be understood from the main soundtrack alone.
Contact Information
Gregory Vitarbo
Head, History, Political Science, & International Studies Department
214 Joyner Hall
(919) 760-8089
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