Program Overview

The legal studies minor is an interdisciplinary course of study that allows students to examine the role and development of law from different perspectives within a liberal arts curriculum.  Students will be exposed to a range of courses that will strengthen their critical thinking and communication skills, hone their ability to interpret and apply case law, and understand the role and effect of law within various societal contexts.  The curriculum is designed to put the student in an optimal position to prepare for the LSAT and ease the transition into law school.

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Program Requirements

24 hours of coursework as follows:

1. Required Course (4 hours).
   • PSC 208 Introduction to Law
   • PSC 355 Constitutional Law and American Politics 
2. Rhetoric or Logic (4-8 hours).
   • ENGL/COMM 313W  Advanced Rhetoric • Prereq: Engl 101
   • PHIL 210  Symbolic Logic
3. Legal Reasoning and Case Law (4-8 hours)

   • BUS 223   Commercial Law

   • PSC 324S  International Law/Justice • Prereq: PSC 111 or instructor’s permission

   • PSC 356  The Politics of Constitutional Rights and Liberties

4. Law and Social Sciences (4-8 hours) (may not take more than 2 courses with the same prefix)        

• BUSN 270  Introduction to Data Analytics
• BUSN 380 Social Responsibility of Business 
• BUSN 335 Human Resources Management 
• ECON 211  Principles of Microeconomics
• ECON 212 Principles of Macroeconomics
• ECON 311 Intermediate Microeconomics
• ECON 312 Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ECON 335 Sports Economics
• HIST 312 Twentieth Century United States
• HIST 321 American Social and Intellectual History
• PHIL 202 Ethics
• PHIL/PSC 309 Political Philosophy
• PSC 335 Presidency, Congress, and Public Policy
• PSC 395 The Politics of the U.S. Supreme Court
• SOC 202 Sociology of the Family
• SOC 307 The Sociological Power Dynamics of the Political Divide
• SOC 317 Race and Ethnicity (Prereq: any introductory level sociology course)
• SOC 354 Sex and Gender in Society (Preq: SOC 101, 112, or 202)
• SPMT 360 Ethics and Regulation of Sport
• THEA 102 Voice for the Stage (Pt I 2 credits)
• THEA 103 Voice for the Stage (Pt II 2 credits)

*Course substitutions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as new and revised courses are introduced. Students may use up to eight hours credit from their majors toward the Legal Studies minor. Up to eight hours in coursework in any department may be added from outside this elective list, subject to approval by the Legal Studies advisor. Such additions may involve internships, community service, independent studies, or special topics courses with a strong emphasis on the law.

 

Course Descriptions

395.  SPECIAL TOPICS in LEGAL STUDIES (1-4 Hours)

Prerequisite:  permission of program advisor.  This may include a course not on the elective list within a discipline that has a strong legal component, or, an inter-disciplinary course developed by faculty especially for legal studies.  On demand.

491-494.  INDEPENDENT STUDY IN LEGAL STUDIES

Prerequisite:  permission of program advisor and submission of acceptable proposal.  Guided independent research of an issue in legal studies.  Written report or oral presentation will be required when appropriate.  On demand.