Legal Studies Minor

Why a Legal Studies Minor?

Although professional legal training in the United States takes place at law schools, the study of law and the legal system as a part of American society and culture is an integral part of a liberal arts education. According to the American Legal Studies Association, a Minor in Legal Studies provides alternative approaches to the study of law by exposing the undergraduate to an interdisciplinary curriculum composed of classes in the social sciences, humanities, business, and education.

Legal Studies offers opportunities in many fields. Many positions in the public and private sectors require knowledge of the law or may require interaction with legal professionals. Employers are also seeking graduates who possess the strong thinking, analytical, writing, and research skills, which this minor would seek to develop.

Requirements for Completion of a Minor

All students pursuing a Minor in Legal Studies (LST) must complete 18 semester credit hours of required courses and electives (see below). The minor may be completed face-to-face or online. None of the courses taken by Legal Studies minors may be used to satisfy the requirement of any other major or minor.

A. Required Courses (9 hours):

Every student enrolling in the Legal Studies Minor will be required to take:

POLS 3334 Judicial Systems (3 hours); and

POLS 4334 Constitutional Law I: Individual Rights & Liberties (3 hours); and

POLS 4335 Constitutional Law II: Governmental Powers & State-Federal Relations (3 hours)

These required core courses provide students with the traditional foundation for understanding the Constitutional underpinnings of the American legal system.

B. Electives (12 hours):

Category 1: Law-Related Skills Course (Students will choose 1 course from the following):

  • ENGL 3377 Argument and Persuasion
  • PHIL 2352 Introduction to Contemporary Logic
  • PHIL 2303 Critical Thinking (must be writing enhanced)

Category 2: Substantive Legal Content Courses (Students will choose 2 courses):

  • POLS 3338 Victims' Rights, Politics, and Policy
  • POLS 3372 Contemporary Political Theory
  • POLS 3385 International Law and Organizations
  • POLS 4383 International Human Rights
  • POLS 4081 Problems in Political Science (when course topic is pertinent to Minor in Legal Studies)
  • CRIJ 4330 Law and Society
  • CRIJ 4332 Legal Aspects of Corrections
  • CRIJ 4394 Constitutional Issues in Law Enforcement
  • BUAD 3338 Entrepreneurial Law
  • BUAD 3355 Business Law
  • BUAD 3360 Human Resources Management Law
  • BUAD 4340 International Business Law
  • HIST 3322 Black Civil Rights Movement
  • KINE 3365 Sport Law
  • SCST 3380 Law and Ethics in Homeland Security
  • PHIL 4336 Philosophy of Law
  • PSYC 3383 Psychology and the Law