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Social Science - BS: Law & Society Option

Page last updated June 8, 2009

(Previously Pre-Law)

Attorneys play a key role in modern society. Acting as advisors they counsel clients on legal rights and obligations and recommend courses of action, whether in business or personal matters. Acting as advocates, they play a central role in civil and criminal proceedings. Beyond strictly legal careers, a law degree can lead to career positions in government, business, and education, as well as other fields. The profession requires daily use of reading, analytical, and communication skills. American law schools do not prescribe a particular major or series of courses for admission. However, the Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools notes, "because a lawyer's work involves most aspects of our complex society, a broad liberal arts curriculum is the preferred preparation for law school."

The Law & Society Option of the Department's B.S. in Social Sciences degree is designed to provide such a broad-based curriculum through exposure to a broad-based education.

The Law & Society curriculum provides a grounding in the legal mode of thinking through a set of departmental courses focusing on government and policy issues, such as "American Government," "Environmental Policy," and "International Law." These are supplemented with courses taken outside the department in areas like labor law, business law, environmental law, ethics, and political philosophy. The Law & Society curriculum provides a solid background in communications skills by requiring students to take courses in such areas as advanced composition, speech, logic, and/or accounting. Much of the course work requires the exercise of analytical skills. The Law & Society curriculum provides students with a substantial block of free electives with which they can round out their pre-legal education in the manner in which they desire.

Graduation Requirements are for Non-transition Students.

For information about courses, see Undergraduate Instruction.