The College of New Jersey and the Prelaw Advisory Committee at the College are committed to providing students with the best possible preparation for the law school admissions process, for law school itself and for the practice of law. In recent years, our students have been admitted to some of the best law schools in the country. Students thinking of applying to law school should choose a major that seems interesting to them and that challenges them to develop the critical thinking and writing skills that will be important to them in law school and as practicing attorneys.
Students at TCNJ from many different majors meet with great success in the law school application process, including Criminology, Economics, Accountancy, English, History, Philosophy and Political Science. Still other majors that serve as excellent prelaw preparation include African-American Studies, Psychology and Women, Gender and Sexuality. Yet it should be recognized that a major in Computer Science, Math or Physics is just as appropriate for the prelaw student.
Interested students are welcome to contact Dr. Tao Dumas, the Coordinating Prelaw Advisor for the TCNJ, with any questions they have regarding the Prelaw Program and to request a Designated Prelaw Advisor.
Law, Politics, and Philosophy Interdisciplinary Minor
An interdisciplinary program, the Law, Politics, and Philosophy Minor enables students to focus on the law from a variety of disciplines, including political science, philosophy, history, criminology, and economics. The minor is comprised of two required courses and three options courses, which are available below.
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
| PHL 120 Introduction to Logic * | 1 course unit |
| ECO 101 Principles of Microeconomics | 1 course unit |
| Elective 1 | 1 course unit |
| Elective 2 | 1 course unit |
| Elective 3 | 1 course unit |
| Total | 5 course units |
| *(Note: PHL 220: Metalogic usually requires PHL 120: Introduction to Logic, as a prerequisite. However, for qualified students, Metalogic may be substituted in place of Introduction to Logic without having taken PHL 120 with the permission of instructor.) |
Law, Politics, and Philosophy Minor Elective Options
Select three (3) courses from below as your options for your minor. Only one (1) course can be double counted toward a major. No more than two (2) courses can be from the same department (including the two required courses listed above). At least two (2) courses must be at the 300 or 400 level.
| Business Courses | BUS 200: Legal and Regulatory Environment for Business BUS 300: Business Law* BUS 325: Employment Law* BUS 360: Global Law and Policy Issues for Business BUS 380: Law, Technology, and the Future of Business BUS/MGT 385: Business Ethics ECO 365: Economics of Law |
| Criminology Courses | CRI 201: Judicature CRI 301: Criminal Law and Procedure* CRI 351: Comparative Criminology |
| Philosophy Courses | BUS/MGT 385: Business Ethics PHL 135: Contemporary Moral Issues PHL 240: Political Philosophy PHL 255: Biomedical Ethics* PHL 275: Philosophy of Law* PHL 375: Law and Ethics* |
| Political Science Courses | POL 220: Judicial Politics & Processes POL 320: Law and Society POL 321: Constitutional Law I: Institutions and Powers POL 322: Constitutional Law II: Civil Rights and Liberties POL 337: International Law POL 345: Human Rights in International Relations (cross-listed with INT 300) POL 365: Origins of the United States Constitution (cross-listed with HIS 366) |
| Other Courses | HIS 366: Origins of the United States Constitution (counts only when cross-listed with POL 365) INT 300: Human Rights in International Relations (counts only when cross-listed with POL 345) JPW 308: Media Law* NUR 300: Legal Challenges in Health Care PHL 430: Advanced Ethics (counts only when topic is suitable) POL 390 Tutorial in Political Science (counts only when topic is suitable) |
*This course has one or more prerequisites or requires sophomore standing or permission of instructor.