A letter of specialization is an academic credential designed to help you explore a particular area of interest within a major. A course list guides you through class selection and creates a clear pathway within the major that is focused on this area of study. As you complete the courses, you develop an expertise in that area. Upon graduation you will receive a formal letter from the director of the program which can be cited as a credential on resumes, personal statements, and in letters of recommendation.
A letter of specialization in Comparative and International Law enables students to build greater expertise in the ways that laws, legal systems, justice, and rights operate internationally and in domestic contexts outside the United States. Students who complete the letter gain an appreciation for diverse international perspectives and approaches, become more engaged global citizens, and build a strong foundation for work in the public, non-profit and private sectors, especially in fields that require cross-cultural collaboration and understanding.
Requirements: Complete five courses from the Comparative and International Law Letter of Specialization course list. At least four classes must be Legal courses from the list. Each course must carry at least 3 credits and be taken for a letter grade. Students must maintain a cumulative average GPA of 2.0 across the five courses.
To request approval for a class that is not on the course list, please email Dr. Lauren McCarthy with course title and description. If approved, please upload documentation to the declaration form.
Declaration Form can be completed when last class is in progress.
Complete Course List: For current semester offerings, please consult the Directory of Courses spreadsheet. Access to classes not guaranteed; restrictions still apply.
Legal Courses
- LEGAL 318 Russian Politics, Law and Society
- LEGAL 340 Law and Inequality
- LEGAL 343 Globalization and the Law (formerly LEGAL 397TL)
- LEGAL 353 Law and Colonial Legacies
- LEGAL 355 Crimmigration
- LEGAL 356 Law and Society in Africa
- LEGAL 362 S- Human Trafficking (formerly LEGAL 397K)
- LEGAL 370 Comparative Law and Society
- LEGAL 373 Justice in Diverse Democracies
- LEGAL 375 Human Rights & Wrongs
- LEGAL 380 Human Rights Based Social Justice (formerly 397RJ)
- LEGAL 392J Transitional Justice and Truth Commissions
- LEGAL 393LG Law & Global Migration
- LEGAL 393P Owning Property: Inequity in Law
- LEGAL 394SI Law, Societies and Global Justice
- LEGAL 482 The Irish Peace Process
- LEGAL 484 The Irish Peace Process: After the Good Friday Agreements
Law-Related Liberal Arts Courses
- GERMAN 371 Crime and Criminals in Modern German Culture
- JUDAIC 350 Jewish Law and Society
- POLISCI 253 International Environmental Politics and Policies
- POLISCI 356 International Law
- POLISCI 359 International Political Econ
- POLISCI 391E S-Rules of War
- POLISCI 394IIH International Environmental Policy and Politics
The letter of specialization in Conflict Resolution reflects student achievement in the interdisciplinary study of conflict and conflict resolution. Students gain expertise through exposure to scholarship from a variety of cultures and disputing contexts and acquire analytical skills to effectively apply socio-legal analyses to case studies and real-world applications of dispute resolution. Students completing the letter demonstrate the ability to critically assess sources of complex conflicts and the applicability of legal and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to address them. This broad foundation and set of transferable analytical skills prepare students for careers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Requirements: Complete five courses from the Conflict Resolution Letter of Specialization course list. At least four classes must be Legal courses from the list. Each course must carry at least 3 credits and be taken for a letter grade. Students must maintain a cumulative average GPA of 2.0 across the five courses.
To request approval for a class that is not on the course list, please email Dr. Leah Wing with course title and description. If approved, please upload documentation to the declaration form.
Declaration Form can be completed when last class is in progress.
Complete Course List: For current semester offerings, please consult the Directory of Courses spreadsheet.spreadsheet. Access to classes not guaranteed; restrictions still apply.
Legal Courses
- LEGAL 252 Law and Personal Freedom
- LEGAL 258 Women in the Justice System
- LEGAL 358 ST-ConflictResolutn/TrialCourt
- LEGAL 366 ST-Specialty Courts/CrimJusSys
- LEGAL 368 Alternative Dispute Resolution
- LEGAL 375 Human Rights & Wrongs
- LEGAL 391WC S-War Crimes Tribunals
- LEGAL 392J S-TransitonalJustice&TruthComm
- LEGAL 432 Environmental Justice
- LEGAL 482 The Irish Peace Process
- LEGAL 484 IrishPeaceProcess:Good Friday
- LEGAL 494DI Envrmtl & Pub Pol Dspte Res
Law-Related Liberal Arts Courses UMass
- EDUC 202 Soc.Issues/IntergroupDialogue
- ENGLISH 205 Introduction to Post-Colonial Studies
- ENGLISH 491SA South African Literature and Politics, Apartheid and Post-Apartheid
- ENVIRSCI 445 Sustainability and Problem-Sol
- HISTORY 260 Power&Violence in South Africa
- HISTORY 397GGH ST-Gandhi:Myth,Prspctve,Poltcs
- MANAGMNT 491A S-Interpersonal Skills
- PHIL 160 Introduction To Ethics
- PHIL 160H Introduction To Ethics
- PHIL 164 Medical Ethics
- PHIL 164H Medical Ethics
- POLISCI 338 Natnlsm, Ethncty&Identity Pol
- POLISCI 351 International Security Policy
- POLISCI 354 International Relations
- PSYCH 217 Psych Of Cruelty & Kindness
- PSYCH 369 Cooperation and Conflict
- SPORTMGT 335 Sport Law
Five College Courses: Check Catalogs for Availability
- Amherst College LIST 348
- Hampshire College CSI 128T-1
- Hampshire College CSI 232-1
- Hampshire College CSI 243
- Hampshire College IA 198T-1
- Mount Holyoke GEOG 206 Political Geography
- Mount Holyoke INTERNAT REL 337 Intern'l Human Rights Advocacy in Theory & Practice
- Smith College GOV 248 The Arab-Israeli Dispute
- Smith College MES 235 Perspectives on the Arab-Israeli Conflict
- Smith College WGSS 201 Gender&Diff: Critical Analyses
A letter of specialization in Constitutional Law enables students to build greater expertise in understanding the ways in which the U.S. Constitution is shaped by law, politics, and society. Students who complete the letter gain rich insights into how to read and critique case law, become more engaged in debates about how best to interpret the Constitution, and build a strong foundation for careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors, especially in fields that require a deep understanding of how the Constitution does and does not serve the people who are governed by it.
Requirements: Complete five courses from the Constitutional Law Letter of Specialization course list. At least three classes must be Legal courses from the list. Each course must carry at least 3 credits and be taken for a letter grade. Students must maintain a cumulative average GPA of 2.0 across the five courses.
To request approval for a class that is not on the course list, please email Dr. Rebecca Hamlin with course title and description. If approved, please upload documentation to the declaration form.
Declaration Form can be completed when last class is in progress.
Complete Course List: For current semester offerings, please consult the Directory of Courses spreadsheet. Access to classes not guaranteed; restrictions still apply.
Legal Courses
- LEGAL 252 Law and Personal Freedom
- LEGAL 253 Race,Citizenship,USConstitutn
- LEGAL 257 ST-Law & Politics of Voting in the US
- LEGAL 265 Power, Institutions and the American Constitution
- LEGAL 266 ST-Rights,Liberties&AmConstutn
- LEGAL 275 Interdiscipilnary LegalStudies
- LEGAL 319 Law and the Regulatory State
- LEGAL 352 Lawyering for a Better World
- LEGAL 360 Civil Liberties in Wartime
- LEGAL 360H Civil Liberties in Wartime
- LEGAL 361 Law and Public Policy
- LEGAL 391U S-Due Process/Criminal Trial
- LEGAL 395A Constitutional Amendment Workshop
Law-Related Liberal Arts Courses
- AFROAM 236 Hist of the Civil Rights Mvmt
- HISTORY 154 Social Change in the 1960s
- HISTORY 375 US Constitutional History II
- HISTORY 389 US Women's History Since 1890
- HISTORY 397DV ST-Hist/Domestic Violence Law
- HISTORY 397RR ST-Hist/ReproductiveRightsLaw
- HISTORY 397WLH ST-Women and the Law, Hons
- HONORS 322H Criminal Law & Justice in US
- JOURNAL 445 Journalism & Law
- POLISCI 162 Intro to Constitutional Law
- POLISCI 360 Constitutional Law
- POLISCI 360H Constitutional Law
- POLISCI 361 Civil Liberties
- POLISCI 365 Bill-Rght/Equal Prot
- POLISCI 383 Energy Policy
- POLISCI 391E S-Rules of War
- POLISCI 397E ST-IndigenousRights&Social Mov
- SOCIOL 242 Drugs & Society
The letter of specialization in Law and Social Justice signifies a broad base for understanding economic, social, and political inequality, and the role of law and alternative dispute resolution in perpetuating and alleviating inequality. Courses that qualify for this letter span domestic and international legal studies, and students who earn this letter demonstrate commitment to understanding how law, as part of society, can serve emancipatory and oppressive goals.
Requirements: Complete five courses from the Law and Social Justice Letter of Specialization course list. At least four classes must be Legal courses from the list. Each course must carry at least 3 credits and be taken for a letter grade. Students must maintain a cumulative average GPA of 2.0 across the five courses.
To request approval for a class that is not on the course list, please email Dr. Jamie Rowen with course title and description. If approved, please upload documentation to the declaration form.
Declaration Form can be completed when last class is in progress.
Complete Course List: For current semester offerings, please consult the Directory of Courses spreadsheet. Access to classes not guaranteed; restrictions still apply.
Legal Courses
- LEGAL 255 Bias in the American Legal System
- LEGAL 275 Interdiscipilnary LegalStudies
- LEGAL 319 Law and the Regulatory State
- LEGAL 352 Lawyering for a Better World
- LEGAL 362 S- Human Trafficking
- LEGAL 375 Human Rights & Wrongs
- LEGAL 390D Law & Politics of Death and Dying
- LEGAL 390P Poverty Law
- LEGAL 391T S-Animals, Politics & the Law
- LEGAL 392J S-TransitonalJustice&TruthComm
- LEGAL 393LG S-Law & Global Migration
- LEGAL 394AI Law & Social Activism
- LEGAL 394CI Law, Crime and Society
- LEGAL 394FI Family & The State
- LEGAL 432 Environmental Justice
- LEGAL 482 The Irish Peace Process
- LEGAL 484 IrishPeaceProcess:Good Friday
Law-Related Liberal Arts Courses
- AFROAM 236 Hist of the Civil Rights Mvmt
- AFROAM 326 Black Women in U.S. History
- ANTHRO 205 Power and Inequality/US
- ANTHRO 205H Power and Inequality/US
- ECON 144H Political Economy of Racism
- ECON 330 Labor in the American Economy
- ECON 348 The Political Economy of Women
- ECON 394LI Law and Economics
- EDUC 617 Law & Higher Ed
- HISTORY 154 Social Change in the 1960s
- HISTORY 170 IndigenousPeoples/NorthAmerica
- HISTORY 297E ST-Immgr&Migrtn/US1877-Present
- HISTORY 349H Tpcs Euro Hist: Sex & Society
- HISTORY 378J Social Justice Lawyering
- HISTORY 389 US Women's History Since 1890
- HISTORY 397DV ST-Hist/Domestic Violence Law
- HISTORY 397RR ST-Hist/ReproductiveRightsLaw
- HISTORY 397WLH ST-Women and the Law, Hons
- HONORS 322H Criminal Law & Justice in US
- JUDAIC 383 Women, Gender, Judaism
- JUDAIC 383H Women, Gender, Judaism
- JUDAIC 394MI Major Issues in Jewish Life
- LABOR 280 Labor & Work In The US
- POLISCI 360 Constitutional Law
- POLISCI 360H Constitutional Law
- POLISCI 361 Civil Liberties
- POLISCI 365 Bill-Rght/Equal Prot
- POLISCI 394FI Family & The State
- POLISCI 397E ST-IndigenousRights&Social Mov
- SOCIOL 222 The Family
- SOCIOL 224 Social Class and Inequality
- SOCIOL 242 Drugs & Society
- SOCIOL 283 Gender & Society
- SOCIOL 323 Soc Of Law
- SOCIOL 341 Social Welfare
- SOCIOL 344 Gender And Crime
- SOCIOL 345 Juvenile Delinquency
- SOCIOL 364 Sociology of Mental Health
- SOCIOL 397MC ST-Mass Incarceration/ US
- WGSS 201 Gender&Diff: Critical Analyses
- WGSS 201H Gender&Diff: Critical Analyses
- WGSS 397TP S-TransIdentitiesIssues&PubPol
Students who complete the letter will have a strong foundation in the basics of designing social and political research, as well as more extensive training in at least two techniques for collecting and analyzing data. Students will additionally have the opportunity to apply these technical skills in substantive coursework and in a hands-on research setting. Students will be well qualified to serve in positions where they work actively with specialists to design research to answer specific questions and to translate research for practitioners and other non-specialist audiences. Some students may want to combine the letter of specialization with an accelerated master’s program to build greater expertise in data analytic skills that are likely to be highly attractive for positions across the public, nonprofit and private sectors.
Requirements: Complete 12 credits of coursework and 3 credits of research experience. Coursework must consist of five classes from the DAPPLS course list and include one Research Design class, two Technical classes, and one Substantive classes. Each course must carry at least 3 credits and be taken for a letter grade. Students must maintain a cumulative average GPA of 2.0 across the five courses.
To request approval for a class that is not on the course list, please email Dr. Jesse Rhodes (for Political Science) or Dr. Doug Rice (for Legal Studies) with course title and syllabus. If approved, please upload documentation to the declaration form.
Declaration Form can be completed when last class is in progress.
Complete Course List: For current semester offerings, please consult the Directory of Courses spreadsheet. Access to classes not guaranteed; restrictions still apply.
Research Design
- LEGAL 393E S-Empirical Legal Studies
- POLISCI 328 Research Methods/Poli & Soc Sci
- POLISCI 750 Research Design
Research Experience
- LEGAL 398R Research Practicum
- POLISCI 398R Research Practicum
Technical
- LEGAL 228 Weighing the Evidence
- POLISCI 228 Weighing the Evidence
- POLISCI 229 Experiments
- POLISCI 453 Political Network Analysis
- POLISCI 499C Honors Seminar
- POLISCI 753 Political Network Analysis
- POLISCI 755 Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
- POLISCI 797BA ST-Topics/BayesianAnlysis&Stat
- POLISCI 797ML Machine Learning for the Social Sciences
- POLISCI 797SR Survey Research Methods
- POLISCI 797TA Text as Data
Substantive
- LEGAL 342 ST- Machine Bias and Law (formerly LEGAL 397BD)
- LEGAL 361 Law & Public Policy
- LEGAL 394AI Law & Social Activism
- LEGAL 394JI Judges and Judging
- POLISCI 305 Congress and the Legislative Process
- POLISCI 308 Public Opinion in Politics
- POLISCI 320 Public Administration
- POLISCI 329 Political Psychology
- POLISCI 391FPH S-Framing Pub Pol & the News
- POLISCI 391PC Immigration: Politics & Policy
- POLISCI 393M S-Media in American Politics
- POLISCI 394AI Modern Islamic Poli Thought
- POLISCI 397AP ST-Polarization/American Pol
- POLISCI 791PP Political Psychology