Program: Political Science, Pre-Law Concentration, B.S. - Middle Tennessee State University

Apr 04, 2025

2015-16 Undergraduate Catalog

Department of Political Science and International Relations
615-898-2708
Stephen Morris, program coordinator
Stephen.Morris@mtsu.edu

Students majoring in Political Science can choose a general focus or a concentration in either Public Administration or Pre-law.

The Pre-law concentration is designed for the student who plans to attend law school. A combination of core political science courses and courses in related disciplines has been found to provide a sound background for law school. Some law schools will not accept any professional or technical courses as part of their minimum requirement. It is essential that the student consult with his or her advisor in instances where such courses will be taken.

The concentration in Pre-law requires 37 semester hours of work, including

Required Courses

Core (19 hours)

PS 1005 - Introduction to American Politics 3 credit hours (formerly PS 2010)
PS 1010 - Introduction to Global Politics 3 credit hours
PS 2000 - Political Science and International Relations as a Profession 1 credit hour
PS 2440 - Law and the Legal System 3 credit hours
PS 3370 - American Constitutional Law 3 credit hours
PS 3380 - American Constitutional Law 3 credit hours
PS 4800 - Senior Seminar 3 credit hours

Two of the following (6 hours):

PS 3001 - Research Methods in Political Science 3 credit hours (formerly PS 4000)
PS 4230 - Classical Political Theory 3 credit hours
PS 4700 - American Political Thought 3 credit hours
PS 4920 - Modern Political Theory 3 credit hours
PS 4930 - Introduction to Contemporary Political Philosophy 3 credit hours

Electives (12 hours)

Four elective courses with at least one in each of the following areas:

American Government
Public Administration
Comparative Government
International Relations

Cognate (18 hours)

In addition, students should also complete the following courses in consultation with their advisor. This cognate takes the place of one minor (18 hours):

PHIL 2110 - Elementary Logic and Critical Thinking 3 credit hours
PHIL 3150 - Ethics 3 credit hours
COMM 3560 - Intercultural Communication 3 credit hours OR
ENGL 4785 - Law and Literature 3 credit hours
ECON 2410 - Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics 3 credit hours OR
ECON 2420 - Principles of Economics, Microeconomics 3 credit hours
PS 3530 - Legal Writing and Research 3 credit hours OR
ENGL 4605 - Advanced Composition 3 credit hours
PS 3010 - Women and the Law 3 credit hours OR
PS 3490 - Alternative Dispute Resolution 3 credit hours OR
PS 3500 - International Law 3 credit hours OR
PS 4040 - Pre-Law Internship 3 credit hours OR
PS 4590 - Administrative Law 3 credit hours

Curriculum: Political Science, Pre-Law

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.