Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought Pathways Through the Major

There is no one path through the LJST major. 

Students wishing to major in LJST should begin with a mix of 100- and 200-level courses.  We advise taking our required 100-level courses (LJST 103, and 110) relatively early in one’s trajectory through the major, depending upon their availability in any given year.  The courses may be taken essentially in any order; no lower-level courses require prerequisites.

All majors take both an analytic and a research seminar (300-level) at some point in their junior year, although study abroad sometimes necessitates postponing one seminar until senior year.  Students considering writing a senior honors thesis should try to take a research seminar prior to beginning the thesis, since the research seminar is designed to teach skills fundamental to advanced LJST research.

Seniors wishing to write an honors thesis enroll in a two-semester course sequence (LJST 498 and 499).  Working one-on-one with a faculty advisor, students conduct independent research on a subject of interest to them, writing and revising an honors thesis of up to 100 pages in length.

Students are free to combine any collection of courses, as long as the required minimum of 10 courses is satisfied.

Credits are available for study abroad, 5 college courses, and transfer students. 

No courses in Law, Jurisprudence and Social thought taken under the pass/fail option will count toward completion of the major.