Requirements for the Legal Studies Major
Admissions to the major are open to all. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required for graduation as a Legal Studies major and overall. Legal Studies requires its majors to complete a minimum of 37 credits. No courses used for the major may be taken on a pass/fail basis.
These requirements are for students entering UMass Fall 2018 or later. For information prior to Fall 2018, please contact an advisor.
Legal Studies 101 (formerly Legal 250) - Introduction to Legal Studies (4 credits) is a prerequisite for most Legal Studies courses.
| Course Title | Gen Ed | Offered | Prereq | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEGAL 101 Intro to Legal Studies | SB, DU | Fall, Win, Spr, Sum | none | 4 |
Complete seven Legal Studies courses (200-400 level), including one Integrative Experience (IE) class.
- Note that 250, 296, 298, 396, 398, 450, 496, and 498-499 may not be used toward your upper-level requirement.
- Practicum and Independent Study courses may not be used toward major requirements, nor can courses be used that are taken pass-fail.
- For student completing Legal Studies as a secondary major, a Legal Studies IE course is not necessary.
Complete Legal Studies 450 - Legal Research and Writing (3 credits).
This requirement is waived for students who are studying Legal Studies as a secondary major.
| Course Title | Gen Ed | Offered | Prereq | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEGAL 450 Legal Research & Writing | JYW | Fall, Spr | LEGAL 101, ENGLWRIT 112, Junior or Senior standing, Primary major | 4 |
Complete three law-related liberal arts courses (9-12 credits) outside of the department from a pre-approved course list. No more than one of these can be at the 100-level. These classes may be taken at any time during the student’s academic career, including their first year.
If taken Fall 23 or later, a combination of three credits from Legal Studies Internship/Practicum and Research courses (LEGAL 298, 298C, or 398R) can be used in place of one LRLA course.
Complete three courses (9 - 12 credits) for the Global Law & Society requirement area, choosing one of the following options. Coursework in this area can overlap with work completed above.
- Option One: Global Course - three courses from the GLS list (two must be Legal, only one cane be at the 100-level)
- Option Two: Study Abroad - two study abroad courses & one course from the GLS list
- Option Three: Foreign Language - two foreign language courses (in sequence) & one course from the GLS list
How to Declare the Major
Legal Studies is an unrestricted major which means a student can declare/change at any time. There are no required prerequisite classes or cumulative GPA required to move into the Legal Studies major.
For more information or to declare, please make an advising appointment (select Legal Studies) in Navigate. For Advising Care Unit, choose “Explore How to Declare or Change Majors.” Then, select “Explore Legal Studies Major” as the Service.
Questions
The Legal Studies Advising Team is always ready to help. To meet with an academic advisor, make an appointment in Navigate.