Law and Policy specialization

Students majoring in political science and international relations have the option of declaring a Law and Policy (LP) specialization within the major. To complete the LP specialization, students take at least 4 political science and international elective courses with a substantial LP focus (out of 7 total political science and international relations electives required for the major).

The political science and international relations major with the LP specialization is 44 credits, or 14 courses.

  • Just like all majors in political science and international relations, students must take the following 7 courses:
    • POL 102 International Relations
    • POL 103 Comparative Politics
    • POL 210 Theory of Democracy
    • POL 230 American Policy Process
    • POL 250 Research & Writing
    • POL 400 Internship
    • POL 420 Senior Seminar
  • In addition, students take 7 political science and international relations electives, which include at least 4 law and policy electives:
    • at least 4 courses from this list
      • POL 231 Media and Politics
      • POL 241 Global Political Economy
      • POL 277 Healthcare Public Policy
      • POL 300 State and Urban Politics
      • POL 306 Gender and Politics
      • POL 307 Race and Politics
      • POL 310 Political Parties and Interest Groups
      • POL 330 Judicial Politics
      • POL 335 American Constitutional Law I
      • POL 336 American Constitutional Law II
      • POL 338 Immigration Law
      • POL 339 Legal Reasoning and Administrative Law
      • POL 375 Politics of Climate Change
    • and among those 4, to include at least 1 of these
      • POL 330 Judicial Politics
      • POL 335 American Constitutional Law I
      • POL 339 Legal Reasoning and Administrative Law
    • POL (or equivalent) courses on a Law and Policy topic transferred from another institution or taken during an approved study abroad may be counted as a LP elective with approval.

Separately, we encourage students in this specialization who are considering applying to law school to also complete a minor in a law-related field, such as criminal justice, economics, history, philosophy, sociology, theology, or law, although a minor is not required.

Most courses in the major are 3 credits; POL 250 and POL 420 are each 4 credits. Note that POL 420 is typically only offered in the spring semester.

This is a sample degree plan for students pursuing a major in Political Science and International Relations with a specialization in Law and Policy and a minor in Law; not all students will follow this sample plan since their schedules or course offerings may differ year-by-year. All students must consult with an advisor in making course selections that meet their individual needs. Students pursuing a program in Political Science and International Relations and Law should consult with a faculty advisor in political science and law early in their program to plan effectively. Students interested in law may also consider the Catholic University Law School direct entry program.

Year One
Fall Spring
EN 101 – Composition I EN 102 – Composition II
POL 101 – Power and Society POL 103 – Comparative Politics
POL 102 – International Relations PH 100 – Introduction to Philosophy
TRS 100 – Theological Inquiry Introductory History
University elective University elective

 

Year Two
Fall Spring
Moral Reasoning course Introductory Literature
POL 230 – American Policy Process POL 210 – Theory of Democracy
POL 250 – Research and Writing or
Political Science elective		 POL 250 – Research and Writing or
Political Science elective
Political Science elective (LP) Introductory Social Science
Natural Science with a lab Law elective (LA 280, LA 301, LA 302, or PH 300)
Year Three
Fall Spring
Fine Arts, Advanced History, or Advanced Literature Fine Arts, Advanced History, or Advanced Literature
Political Science elective Political Science elective
Law elective (LA 280, LA 301, LA 302, or PH 300) Math
POL 335: American Constitutional Law POL 336: American Constitutional Law II
University elective University elective
Year Four
Fall Spring
POL 400 – Internship POL 420 – Senior Seminar
Political Science elective (LP) Political Science elective
University elective University elective
Law elective (LA 280, LA 301, LA 302, or PH 300) University elective
University elective University elective