Curated for those students who plan to attend law school, the BA/BS in Political Science, emphasis in legal studies is a rigorous program of study that gives students the opportunity to learn and develop skills that will help them to succeed in law school in particular, and in any other career they may choose to pursue.
The undergraduate program requires students to select courses from four subcategories: Political Theory and Philosophy, Public Policy, American Government and Politics, and Comparative Politics and International Relations. Each subcategory contains a range of 6-7 courses, from which students must choose two courses (6 semester hours) per subcategory, for a total of eight courses (24 semester credit hours) across all subcategories. In addition, students are required to select 6 semester hours of elective credit (Electives in the Major) from a list of approved courses, along with the Required Courses in the Major.
The Bachelor of Science in Political Science degree also offers an emphasis in Legal Studies, which consists of six specific courses. Please note that some of the Political Science (PSCI) courses that make up the Legal Studies emphasis are also available as electives or as part of the subcategory course listings. Students who choose to complete the Legal Studies emphasis must take the 6 emphasis courses in addition to the required subcategory and elective coursework. Courses cannot be counted toward both the Legal Studies emphasis and the subcategory requirements. In other words, students cannot "double dip" by using Legal Studies emphasis courses to fulfill both subcategory and emphasis requirements.
For students pursuing the Legal Studies emphasis as part of the BS in Political Science degree, it is important to plan accordingly to ensure that these courses are taken beyond the required subcategory and elective coursework.
| Core Curriculum Requirements | ||
| See the Core Curriculum Requirements | 42 | |
| Required Courses in the Major | 30 | |
| Intro to Research Methods | ||
| Contemporary Ideas | ||
| Political Theory and Philosophy | ||
| Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| Democ & Democratization | ||
| Order, Justice, and Community | ||
| Liberty, the State, and the Person | ||
| The Age of Ideology | ||
| Amer Political Thought | ||
| Rev & Revolutionary Movmt | ||
| Public Policy | ||
| Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| Political Economy | ||
| Intro to Global Pub Pol | ||
| Intro to Public Policy | ||
| Foreign Policy | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Civil Liberties and Civil Rights | ||
| American Government and Politics | ||
| Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| American State and Local Government | ||
| American Presidency | ||
| Amer Pol Par/Electoral Po | ||
| Public Opinion | ||
| Congressional Politics | ||
| Law, Politics, and the Judicial Process | ||
| Comparative Politics and International Relations | ||
| Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| Intro to Comp Politics | ||
| European Political System | ||
| Democ & Democratization | ||
| Non-European Polit Systm | ||
| Intro to Global Pub Pol | ||
| Rev & Revolutionary Movmt | ||
| Foreign Policy | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Electives in the Major | 6 | |
| Choose 2 courses from the following that were not used to satisfy a requirement above | ||
| Politics and Sports | ||
| Intro to Comp Politics | ||
| European Political System | ||
| Democ & Democratization | ||
| Non-European Polit Systm | ||
| Political Economy | ||
| American State and Local Government | ||
| American Presidency | ||
| Intro to Global Pub Pol | ||
| Amer Pol Par/Electoral Po | ||
| Public Opinion | ||
| Intro to Public Policy | ||
| Order, Justice, and Community | ||
| Liberty, the State, and the Person | ||
| The Age of Ideology | ||
| Rev & Revolutionary Movmt | ||
| Foreign Policy | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Congressional Politics | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Civil Liberties and Civil Rights | ||
| Law, Politics, and the Judicial Process | ||
| Special Topic | ||
| Required Courses In the Emphasis | 18 | |
| Law and the Courts | ||
| Logic | ||
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Civil Liberties and Civil Rights | ||
| Law, Politics, and the Judicial Process | ||
| BS Option | ||
| Required courses for the BS | 3 | |
| Applied Data Analysis | ||
| Minor Required | 18 | |
| Additional Emphasis Elective (Choose 1 from the following courses - only those courses that have not satisfied another requirement may be selected as an elective) | 3 | |
| Courts and Criminal Procedure | ||
| Prin Macro Economics | ||
| History of Philosophy I | ||
| History of Philosophy II | ||
| General Ethics | ||
| Legal Aspects of Law Enforcement | ||
| Criminology | ||
| Order, Justice, and Community | ||
| Liberty, the State, and the Person | ||
| The Age of Ideology | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| ENG 1301 or CID 2301 |
College Reading & Writing or The Human Experience |
3 |
| CID 1300 | The Student and The University | 3 |
| MATH 1332 | Contemporary Mathematics | 3 |
| PSCI 2305 | United States Government and Politics | 3 |
| HIST 1301 | History of the United States through Reconstruction | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 1302 | Written Argument/Research | 3 |
| NON-SCIENCE MAJORS LIFE & PHYS. | 3 | |
| LANG PHIL AND CULTURE | 3 | |
| PSCI 2306 | Texas Government and Politics | 3 |
| HIST 1302 | History of the United States Since Reconstruction | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| SOC AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | 3 | |
| NON-SCIENCE MAJORS LIFE & PHYS. | 3 | |
| COMPONENT AREA PATHWAY | 3 | |
| American Politics 1 | 3 | |
| PSCI 347 | Intro to Research Methods | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| CREATIVE ARTS | 3 | |
| PHIL 2303 | Logic | 3 |
| American Politics 2 | 3 | |
| MINOR 1 | 3 | |
| PSCI 348 | Applied Data Analysis | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MGT 301 | ||
| PSCI 442 | Constitutional Law | 3 |
| Comparative/IR 1 | 3 | |
| Public Policy 1 | 3 | |
| MINOR 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| Comparative/IR 2 | 3 | |
| Political Theory 1 | 3 | |
| PSCI 443 | Civil Liberties and Civil Rights | 3 |
| MINOR 3 | 3 | |
| MINOR 4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSCI 488 | Contemporary Ideas | 3 |
| Legal Studies Elective | 3 | |
| Political Science Elective | 3 | |
| Public Policy 2 | 3 | |
| MINOR 5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Political Theory 2 | 3 | |
| Political Sceince Elective 2 | 3 | |
| PSCI 444 | Law, Politics, and the Judicial Process | 3 |
| CJ 431 | Law and the Courts | 3 |
| MINOR 6 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 117 | |
