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Undergraduate Catalog

Pre-Law, Bachelor of Arts

The pre-law program offers undergraduate students a multifaceted and rigorous educational path that is both enriching and pragmatic. With a comprehensive curriculum designed by the American Bar Association's guidelines, the program encourages students to pursue areas of interest that challenge and develop their research and writing skills, which are crucial for a successful legal career. The program’s structure—comprising 39 credits, including 30 foundational credits in law and related disciplines, followed by 9 credits in specialized cognate fields—facilitates a broad and deep understanding of the law and its applications. This design makes it feasible for students to consider pre-law as a double major, enhancing their academic portfolio and broadening career opportunities. The program's flexibility allows for exploration in various fields such as environmental law, biomedical and health law, criminal law, and civil rights and social justice, ensuring that students can tailor their education to their passions and career aspirations. Additionally, courses like & Shadow and Service & provide practical experience by allowing students to shadow legal professionals and engage with the community, further solidifying the program's value as a preparatory stage for legal education and beyond.

Pre Law Foundation

Required Classes (30 credits)

All Pre-Law students would take 30 foundation credits.
PL 200Introduction to Law

3
PL 210Legal Reasoning

3
PL 499Independent Study and Research

3
And
HIST 260Introduction to Historical Research

3
Or
CJ 351Social Research

3
Or
SOC 351Social Research

3
And
HIST 460Seminar in History

3
Or
CJ 465Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice

3
Or
SOC 465Senior Seminar in Sociology

3

Students must also complete 3 credits in English (beyond the general core requirement), 6 credits in History or Political Science, and 3 credits in Philosophy (beyond the general core requirement).

The following courses fulfill the ENGL, HIST/PS, and PHIL requirement:

HIST 314, HIST 320H, ENGL 220, ENGL 230, ENGL 240, ENGL 420, ENGL 425, ENGL 470, PHIL 215, and PHIL 315.

Cognate Field Options

Students will choose one of the cognate fields listed below (total of 9 credits).

Environmental

CJ 340Environmental Crime and Justice

3
CJ 302White Collar Crimes

3
CJ 470Special Topics in Criminal Justice

3
SOC 470Special Topics

3
ENGL 331Environmental Literature

3
ENGL 486Environmental Writing

3
ENGL 483Social Justice and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 484Political Writing and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 490Feminist Writing and Rhetoric

3
HIST 434Nature & the New American Nation

3
HIST 401Labor/Industrialization in America

3
PHIL 328Environmental Ethics

3
PHIL 340Animal Ethics

3
PHIL 415Climate Justice

3

Biomedical and Health

BIOL 105DNA Forensics

3
BIOL 110Principles of Biology

3
CJ 304Soc Networks of Crime, Health, & Society

3
CJ 302White Collar Crimes

3
CJ 340Environmental Crime and Justice

3
ENGL 483Social Justice and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 484Political Writing and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 486Environmental Writing

3
ENGL 490Feminist Writing and Rhetoric

3
HIST H399KST: Health in US History

3
HIST 402Pandemics Through History

3
HSA 432Legal Aspects Clinical and Health CareýOrganizations

3
PHIL 324Bioethics

3
PHIL 334Ethics, Science, and Biotechnology

3
PHIL 344Healthcare and Social Justice

3
PHIL 354Philosophy of Mental Health

3
SOC 304Soc Networks of Crime, Health, & Society

3

Criminal Law

CJ 220Law Enforcement

3
PS 315Constitutional Law I

3
PS 316Constitutional Law II

3
CJ 302White Collar Crimes

3
CJ 304Soc Networks of Crime, Health, & Society

3
CJ 425Children's Rights and Societal Responses

3
CJ 433The American Prison

3
ENGL 483Social Justice and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 484Political Writing and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 490Feminist Writing and Rhetoric

3
HIST 310Pennsylvania History and Government

3
HIST 320JCrime and Punishment: A Historical andýComparative Study

3
HIST 370Narcotics in Modern World History

3
HIST 399LST: Pandemics Through history

3
PHIL 316Philosophy, Society and Law

3
PHIL 452Philosophy of Law

3
RST 230Political & Liberation Theolog

3
SOC 304Soc Networks of Crime, Health, & Society

3

Civil Rights and Social Justice

CJ 212Violence and Peace

3
CJ 470Special Topics in Criminal Justice

3
ENGL 483Social Justice and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 484Political Writing and Rhetoric

3
ENGL 490Feminist Writing and Rhetoric

3
PHIL 326Political Philosophy

3
PHIL 344Healthcare and Social Justice

3
PHIL 345Race, Class & Gender

3
PHIL 431Global Justice

3
RST 230Political & Liberation Theolog

3
RST 231Catholic Social Teaching

3
RST 215Foundations of Christian Morality

3
RST 216Social Morality: National Issues

3
RST 233Christian Social Morality: A GlobalýPerspective

3

Courses in cognate fields may not be used to fill Foundation requirements.

Additional course option
PL 101: Shadow and Service (3 credits): This course provides an opportunity to, first, shadow a legal professional and, second, to assist the legal profession and the communities it serves. Course is designed to develop understanding of

1) the various employment opportunities available to pre-law students

2) the necessary educational and experience requirements for various professions in law

3) the specific duties and responsibilities of the major careers in law and be aware of avenues for advancement

4) the relations between law, social service agencies, and the communities they serve PL 101 may substitute for one of the courses listed above or may be taken in addition to the required 39 credits for the pre-law degree.