Oct 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Legal Studies Minor


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Coordinator: Melinda Adams
Phone: (540) 568-3377
Email: adams2mj@jmu.edu

An understanding of law is vital to an understanding of political, social and economic life and is an important element in becoming an “educated and enlightened citizen.” The minor in legal studies offers an interdisciplinary program of study that will give students the opportunity to examine law from a variety of perspectives. The minor in legal studies is not a program in pre-professional legal training; it is designed to serve pre-law students at JMU as well as students who are interested in careers in government, health, technology, business or the non-profit sector. The minor focuses broadly on the skills needed to study the law (logical and ethical reasoning, critical thinking, strong writing, and close reading) as well as the philosophy, praxis and applications of the law writ large. As such, it can serve as a strong complement to many major fields of study or as an area of interest to those who think they may want to pursue law school or a legal career.

Program Goals:

  • To develop students’ critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills
  • To introduce students to an interdisciplinary study of law from a variety of perspectives
  • To expand and enrich students’ understanding of law and the multiple functions it plays in our national (and global) society

Required Core Course: 3 Credit Hours


Take one of the following logic courses:

Electives: 15 Credit Hours


Choose five (5) elective courses beyond those used to fulfill the Logic requirement:

No more than nine credit hours (three courses) may be taken from a single discipline. Students should check with their major advisors regarding the ability to double count courses between the Legal Studies Minor and their major(s).

Other courses outside of this list may be counted towards the minor with the approval of the minor coordinator(s). A maximum of two courses (six credit hours) can count in this way. Courses must be approved before the student enrolls.

Minor Total: 18 Credit Hours


Footnote


1 SMAD 330  and SMAD 370  can count toward the Legal Studies minor with minor coordinator permission.

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