PRE-LAW MINOR

The Pre-Law Minor is an interdisciplinary minor intended to support students who are interested in attending law school, as well as those interested in better understanding the legal system. The minor will assist students with acquiring specific skills and knowledge that are relevant to legal careers. The program has three core classes in Philosophy, Political Science, and Justice Studies, and draws electives from a wide range of disciplines, allowing students to expand their expertise within their particular areas of interest.

Read below to learn more!

What is required in the Pre-Law Minor? 

• The Pre-Law Minor is 18 credits and requires the following 6 courses:

  • • JUST-205 "Law & Society" (3 credits; no prerequisites)

    • PHIL-201 "Logic 1" (3 credits; no prerequisites)

    • PSCI-320 "Constitutional Law" (3 credits; no prerequisites but may require dept. approval)

    • 3 Pre-Law Elective courses (must be taken in at least 2 different departments -- see approved list below)

How many transfer credits can be counted toward the minor?

• A maximum of 3 transfer credits (the equivalent of approx. 1 course) in Pre-Law (i.e., a transfer course equivalent to any of the courses approved for NEIU's Pre-Law Minor) can be transferred in from other colleges and/or universities toward the minor, subject to the approval of a faculty advisor.

How many electives do I need for the Pre-Law Minor?

• 3 electives approved for the Pre-Law Minor are required.

• These 3 electives need to be taken across at least 2 different departments.

Which courses count as electives for the Pre-Law Minor?

• See the list of Pre-Law Minor electives below.

Pre-Law Electives: BUSINESS LAW

• BLAW-285 Legal Environment Of Business

• BLAW-384 Labor & Employment Law

• BLAW-391 Intellectual Property Creation And Management 

Pre-Law Electives: COMMUNICATION, MEDIA, & TECHNOLOGY

• CMTC-310 Persuasion

• CMTC-317 Intercultural Communication

• CMTC-319 Conflict Communication

• CMTM-379 Media Law & Ethics

Pre-Law Electives: ENGLISH

• ENGL-344 Literatures Of Incarceration

• ENGL-377 Argumentative Prose

Pre-Law Electives: HISTORY

• HIST-308 Human Rights In History, Literature, And Law

• HIST-309 The History Of Disability

• HIST-329B African American History And Race Relations Since 1865

• HIST-329C Documenting The "Long" Civil Rights Movement

• HIST-335 History Of Crime And Violence In America

• HIST-346 Environmental History

Pre-Law Electives: JUSTICE STUDIES

• JUST-201 Introduction To The Criminal Justice System

• JUST-305 The Carceral State: A Contemporary System Of Punishment And Control

• JUST-309 Portrayal Of Crime In Media

• JUST-311 Women, Crime, And The Criminal Justice System

• JUST-312 Theories Of Criminal Behavior

• JUST-313 Prisons And Jails

• JUST-314 Police In The Minority Community

• JUST-316 Crime, Violence And Culture

• JUST-317 White Collar Crime & Elite Deviance

• JUST-319 Latinos/as & The Criminal Justice System

• JUST-321 Violence Against Women

• JUST-322 Women, Justice And The Law

• JUST-323/CAST-301 Introduction To Child Advocacy Studies

• JUST-326 Juvenile Justice System

• JUST-328 Social Justice & LGBTQ Issues

• JUST-331 Law And Racism In America

• JUST-333 Community Law

• JUST-334 Criminal Law And Procedure

• JUST-337 Workers' Rights Clinic

• JUST-338 Introduction To Human Rights

• JUST-339 Tenant's Rights Clinic

• JUST-340 Sociology Of Law

• JUST-347 Restorative Justice Theories And Practices

• JUST-355 LGBTQ Communities & Crime

• JUST-357 Social Justice, Mental Health, And The Law

• JUST-371 U.S. Immigration Policy & Human Rights In The Americas

Pre-Law Electives: PHILOSOPHY

• PHIL-101 Argument And Reasoning

• PHIL-213 Ethics

• PHIL-362 Philosophy Of Law

• PHIL-391 Modern Political Theory

Pre-Law Electives: POLITICAL SCIENCE

• PSCI-309A Moot Court And Appellate Advocacy

• PSCI-310 Congress And The Legislative Branch

• PSCI-311 The American Judiciary And The Judicial Process In American Government

• PSCI-312 American Presidency And The Executive Branch

• PSCI-319 The Politics Of Law

• PSCI-332 Latinos & The Law

• PSCI-341 Public Administration

• PSCI-358 Modern European Governments

• PSCI-372 Democracy, Responsiveness, & Accountability

• PSCI-377 International Organization: Theory And Practice

• PSCI-380 International Law

• PSCI-391 Modern Political Theory

• PSCI-395 Early American Political Thought

Pre-Law Electives: SOCIOLOGY

• SOC-304 Sociology Of Law

• SOC-309 Sociology Of Racism

• SOC-316 Race And Ethnic Relations

• SOC-320 Sociological Analysis

• SOC-324 Power, Politics & Society

• SOC-362 Identity And Social Policy