Mar 29, 2024  
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2013-14 
    
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2013-14 [Archived Catalog]

Sociology—Prelaw Major (B.A.)


Major code BA4254

College of Arts and Sciences
Sociology and Anthropology Department
Bentley Annex 162
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.1350
Fax: 740.593.1365
socanth@ohio.edu
http://www.ohio.edu/SocAnth

Steve Scanlan, contact person
 

Program Overview

Students who enter this program often have a goal of attending law school. This program provides a broad liberal preparation for this purpose. Students are encouraged to develop communication and analytic skills in a variety of academic disciplines. Course work is designed to encourage learning in several social sciences, writing, and text analysis.
 

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy

No selective or limited admission requirements.

External Transfer Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.
 

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Students who complete this program often attend law school. Some students enter the paralegal area and others pursue careers in court administration.
 

Requirements

Universitywide Graduation Requirements


To complete this program, students must meet all Universitywide graduation requirements .

College-Level Requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences


View the A&S - College Level Requirements (A&S CLR) .

Sociology Hours Requirement


Complete a total of 30 semester credit hours of SOC coursework, including all the requirements below.

Sociology Core Courses


Earn a C or better in the following three courses:

Sociology Statistics Courses


Complete one of the following courses:

Sociology Concentration


Complete three courses at the 3000- or 4000-level.

Criminal Justice System Requirement


Complete one course.

Pre-Law Electives


Complete two courses from the following list. These courses will satisfy the major requirements in the sociology major or distribution in Arts and Sciences for social science.

Sociology Capstone


Complete the following course:

Preparation for Law


If you plan to enter law school after earning an undergraduate degree, it is prudent to choose a major that reflects your true academic interest. Law schools draw students from a variety of majors, and history has proven to be one of the most successful in launching students toward successful careers in law. This is because our courses provide an understanding of the context within which the western legal tradition emerged.  They explain the impact that laws and courts have had on shaping society and, conversely, how societal change has reshaped legal practice. As critically the habits of a historian teach students to read and contextextualize evidence, to consider multiple perspectives, and to frame and express arguments, skills that numerous lawyers and administrators of law schools suggest are the closest approximation of legal practice that can be simulated in an undergraduate curriculum.   

Additional information about the history department’s prelaw program is available at:
www.ohio.edu/history/undergraduate/prelaw.html.

In addition to our diverse array of history courses, you are advised to use your general electives to take other courses helpful in enhancing your analytical abilities. Those may include courses from English composition and literature, American literature, political science, economics, sociology, philosophy (include ethics and logic), accounting, psychology, and a foreign language. Courses in speech, and training in expression, as well as activities that develop the capacity for independent thought and action, are recommended.

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that to enter law school you must be able to show possession of an undergraduate degree from an approved college if you wish to take the Ohio Bar Examination. Law schools in the State of Ohio require the degree of all entering students, regardless of the state in which they plan to take the bar examination. More general informaton regarding prelaw can be found at: www,cas.ohiou.edu/undergrad/cat/PreLaw.asp.