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Social Science Major (Pre-law Option)

Students who plan to become attorneys must overcome a series of challenges. They need to excel in college and score high on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). They need to gain admittance to law school and master their legal studies. Finally, they need to pass the bar examination.

Law schools seek able, motivated students regardless of their undergraduate major. Students have graduated in a wide variety of majors from Waynesburg and have gone on to law school. What matters most in a student’s undergraduate studies is enrolling in challenging courses to develop intellectual skills. Students should learn to read carefully and precisely, to reason logically, and to write and speak clearly.

To aid the student the University provides a Pre-Law Advisor. The Pre-Law Advisor does not substitute for the major advisor but aims to complement the work of the major advisor. The Pre-Law Advisor advises students regarding course selection with an eye to developing the skills law schools seek. The advisor helps the student prepare for the LSAT and guides the student through the process of deciding which law schools to apply to for admission, and which, once admitted would be best to attend.

Students considering attending law school should register with the Pre-Law Advisor as early in their college careers as possible.

The Pre-Law Major follows the recommendation of the American Bar Association in developing a wide range of skills that have been recognized as necessary for the successful completion of law school and a career in the law.

Through specific learning objectives embedded in each course, pre-law students should be able to:

  • demonstrate a wide range of analytic and problem solving skills;
  • show the mastery of critical reading skills in a variety of genres and disciplines;
  • apply effective writing skills in different formats;
  • utilize effective oral communication and listening abilities;
  • demonstrate general research skills in the social sciences, humanities, and the natural sciences; and
  • apply effective time management and task organization in a demanding academic environment.

These skills are developed through specific courses in political science, business, advanced expository writing, history, philosophy, criminal justice administration, economics, geography, and sociology and through the variety of disciplines represented in the General Education requirements.

Note: In addition to completing the following required courses, students must fulfill the General Education Requirements. Major requirements and/or General Education Requirements may be changed by official action of the faculty.

Under “Recommended Sequence” below, a number indicates the year during which it is recommended that the course be taken (i.e., 1-first year; 2-second year, etc.); a letter indicates that the course should be taken during a particular semester (i.e., F-Fall; S-Spring). This is a recommended sequence which will be individualized based on the course rotation schedule and in consultation with the faculty advisor.

Required courses

Department

Course Number

Credits

Course Title

Recommended Sequence Year/Semester

ACC

101

3

Principles of Financial Accounting

2F

BUS

102

3

Principles of Managerial Accounting

2

ENG

206

3

Advanced Expository Writing

4

HIS

101

3

The United States to 1865

1 or 2

HIS

102

3

The United States since 1865

1 or 2

HIS

111

3

Western Civilization to 1450

1 or 2

HIS

112

3

Western Civilization since 1450

1 or 2

PHL

105

3

Introduction to Philosophy

3

PHL

106

3

Logic

3

POL

105

3

American National Government
or POL 106 Introduction to Politics

1

POL

305

3

Jurisprudence

3

POL

315

3

Political Theory

4

POL

___

3

Any Political Science course except POL 465

 

POL

___

3

Any Political Science course except POL 465

 

POL

___

3

Any Political Science course except POL 465

 

POL

___

3

Any Political Science course except POL 465

 

 

___

12

Four courses from Criminal Justice Administration, Economics, Geography, or Sociology (at least two disciplines)

 

There are 60 credits required for this major. Prerequisite courses may be necessary and the General Education Requirements must be completed.

Recommended Courses

Department

Course Number

Credits

Course Title

BUS

318

3

Business Law

ENG

___

3

Any advanced literature course(s)

MAT

215

3

Applied Statistics I

POL

306

3

American Constitutional Law