Jul 21, 2024

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Political Science, Pre-Law Concentration, B.A.

Political and Global Affairs
615-904-2708
Robb McDaniel, program coordinator
pga@mtsu.edu

Students majoring in Political Science can choose a general focus or a concentration in either Public Policy and Management 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.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Political Science, Pre-Law, B.A., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (TBC)	41 hours
Major Requirements	37 hours*
Pre-Law Cognate	18 hours*
Foreign Language	6 hours
Electives	18-21 hours
TOTAL	120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the True Blue Core curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill True Blue Core requirements, the number of elective hours may increase.

True Blue Core (41 hours)

True Blue Core (TBC) requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

The following courses required by the program meet True Blue Core requirements:

PS 1005 (HSSR) and PS 1010 (HSSR)
PS 1015 (CCE)
3 credit hours from foreign language 1010, 1020, 2010, or 2020 (NWC)

Major Requirements (37 hours)

The major in Political Science requires a 2.00 GPA.

PS 1005 - Introduction to American Politics 3 credit hours
PS 1010 - Introduction to Global Politics 3 credit hours OR
PS 1015 - Introduction to Political Theory 3 credit hours
PS 3370 - American Constitutional Law I: Government Powers 3 credit hours OR
PS 3380 - American Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 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 3360 - Law and Policy 3 credit hours
PS 4800 - Senior Seminar 3 credit hours

Political Science Electives (18 hours)

PS 2020 - State and Local Government 3 credit hours
PS 3050 - The U.S. Presidency 3 credit hours
PS 3060 - The U.S. Congress 3 credit hours
PS 3110 - Politics and Literature 3 credit hours
PS 3160 - American Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3170 - Civil Rights Policy and Politics 3 credit hours
PS 3318 - Liberalism and Conservatism 3 credit hours
PS 3350 - Interest Groups and Social Change 3 credit hours
PS 3420 - African American Politics 3 credit hours
PS 3500 - International Law 3 credit hours
PS 3550 - Democratic Participation and Civic Advocacy 3 credit hours
PS 3600 - U.S. Environmental Policy 3 credit hours
PS 3780 - Study Abroad 3 to 6 credit hours
PS 3910 - International Organization 3 credit hours
PS 4030 - Human Rights 3 credit hours
PS 4040 - Pre-Law Internship 3 credit hours
PS 4230 - Classical Political Theory 3 credit hours
PS 4240 - American Foreign Policy 3 credit hours
PS 4260 - Women and Public Policy 3 credit hours
PS 4650 - Totalitarianism 3 credit hours
PS 4660 - Constitutional Interpretation 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

Pre-Law Cognate (18 hours)

In addition, students should also complete the following courses in consultation with their advisor. This cognate takes the place of one 18-hour minor. The same course cannot be used for both major and cognate.

CJA 3250 - Criminal Law 3 credit hours
COMM 4650 - History and Theory of Rhetoric 3 credit hours
PHIL 2110 - Elementary Logic and Critical Thinking 3 credit hours
PHIL 3150 - Ethics 3 credit hours
PLEG 3010 - Litigation 3 credit hours
PLEG 3420 - Torts 3 credit hours
PS 3010 - Women’s Rights in American Law 3 credit hours
PS 3370 - American Constitutional Law I: Government Powers 3 credit hours
PS 3380 - American Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 3 credit hours
PS 3490 - Alternative Dispute Resolution 3 credit hours
PS 3530 - Legal Writing and Research 3 credit hours
PS 4015 - Topics in Law and Courts 3 credit hours
PS 4040 - Pre-Law Internship 3 credit hours
PS 4290 - Public Service Internship 1 to 12 credit hours
PS 4560 - Identity and the Law 3 credit hours
PS 4590 - Administrative Law 3 credit hours
PS 4600 - Environmental Law 3 credit hours
RS 4130 - Religion and Law 3 credit hours

Foreign Language Requirement (6 hours)

B.A. students must successfully complete 2010 and 2020 or any courses numbered above the 2000 level in a single foreign language.

Electives (18-21 hours)

Curriculum: Political Science, Pre-Law, B.A.

Freshman

Written Communication 3 credit hours
Information Literacy 3 credit hours
Quantitative Literacy 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Foreign language 6 credit hours
PS 1005 - Introduction to American Politics 3 credit hours (HSSR)
PS 2000 - Political Science and International Relations as a Profession 1 credit hour
PS 1010 - Introduction to Global Politics 3 credit hours (HSSR) OR
PS 1015 - Introduction to Political Theory 3 credit hours (CCE)

Subtotal: 32 Hours

Sophomore

PS 2440 - Law and the Legal System 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature 3 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships/General elective 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Non-Written Communication 3 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression/General elective 3 credit hours
PS elective 3 credit hours
Pre-Law Cognate elective 3 credit hours
General elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Junior

PS 3360 - Law and Policy 3 credit hours
Foreign language courses 6 credit hours
General elective 6 credit hours
PS electives 3 credit hours
Pre-Law Cognate electives 9 credit hours
PS 3370 - American Constitutional Law I: Government Powers 3 credit hours OR
PS 3380 - American Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Senior

PS 4800 - Senior Seminar 3 credit hours
PS electives 12 credit hours
Pre-Law Cognate electives 6 credit hours
General electives 6 credit hours