Academics
Undergraduate Programs
Undergraduate Programs
Legal Studies (Minor)
About the Political Science Department
B218 Classroom Building
1300 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-6116
Fax: (716) 878-3369
www.buffalostate.edu/politicalscience/
Contact Faculty and Staff in the Political Science Department
Career Information
Students thinking about law school frequently ask what subjects they should take, or what majors they should select as preparation for law school. Law schools do not require any particular course of study or major as a pre-requisite for admission. Studies show there is no correlation between undergraduate major and success in law school.
The American Bar Association does not recommend any particular group of undergraduate majors or courses that should be taken by those wishing to prepare for legal education. What law schools will look for is whether a student’s course of study was a rigorous intellectual experience, which demonstrates the academic skills and the intelligence necessary to pursue a legal education. The legal studies minor is designed to prepare students for successful admission to law school by exposing students to a variety of subject matters and providing a balance in students’ educational experiences.
Selecting courses from among those offered through the legal studies minor help students develop oral and written communication proficiency, as well as acquire knowledge of legal history, theory, and philosophy. The Moot Court capstone course requires students to use analytical and problem-solving skills to construct factually sound and logically consistent oral arguments.
Program Requirements
Required Courses (18 Credit Hours)
Core Courses (6 credit hours):
PSC 250 Introduction to Law (3 credit hours)
PHI 103 Introduction to Logic or PHI 107 Introduction to Mathematical Logic (3 credit hours)
Elective Courses (9 credit hours):
Electives must be selected from at least two (2) different departments from the courses listed:
BUS 334 Business Law I
BUS 335 Business Law II
CHE 312 Chemistry and Criminalistics
COM 400 Communication Law
CRJ 303 Crime, Ideology, and the Administration of Justice
CRJ 307 Comparative Criminal Justice System
CRJ 317 Constitutional Issues in Criminal Justice
CRJ 320 Criminal Courts
CRJ 425 Race, Ethnicity and the Administration of Justice
CRJ 430 Gender and the Administration of Justice
ECO 360 Introduction to the Economic Analysis of Law
HIS 341 African Americans and Civil Rights
HIS 342 English Legal History
HTR 470 Legal Issues in Hospitality
PHI 301 History of Political Philosophy
PHI 304 Philosophy of Law
PSC 317 U.S. Constitutional Law
PSC 320 U.S. Civil Liberties
SOC 380 Sociology of Crime
SOC 382 Sociology of Law
SOC 383 Sociology of Punishment and Corrections
SPC 321 Rhetorical Criticism
Capstone project: (3 credit hours)
PSC485/CRJ485/SOC 485 Moot Court (taught by a judge)
OR
PSC420 Contemporary Constitutional Issues
