Law and Policy Minor

This minor provides students with a foundation in logical reasoning and develops their ability to analyze and communicate complex ideas. Through a minor in law and policy, students will develop a broad appreciation of the role of law and policy in their field of study, whether it is in environmental science, business, communications, social work, psychology or another field. Current course work in a law and policy minor supports Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences’ Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PP&E) major. This minor allows students to benefit from this particular aspect of the PP&E curriculum while not requiring them to take the full PP&E curriculum.

Note: PP&E  and Law and Policy major students cannot minor in Law and Policy.

Objectives of minor

Graduates with a minor in law and policy develop a solid understanding of the law and legal institutions, of the relationship between legal thinking and social institutions, and of public policy analysis. The law and public policy minor will assist students in preparing for careers in teaching, journalism, business, and law, as well as for admission to graduate programs in public policy, law, business, international studies, journalism and related fields.

Educational outcomes

Law and policy is a broad intellectual field that analyzes state-society relations and their implications for public accountability, public policy, and competent government. In this sense it encompasses the study of politics, economics, and philosophy. A study of law and policy emphasizes clear and logical thinking. Students will develop the ability to think through complex problems and to analyze and express complicated ideas. Such skills are in demand in a wide variety of areas including commerce and industry, politics, the media and public services. Students completing a minor in Law and Policy should be able to:

• Engage in and employ sophisticated and logical reasoning
• Examine and explain the role of law in understanding governing structures and public policies
• Analyze the relationship between law and policy and other areas of inquiry

Course requirements

The Law and Policy minor requires 25 credits: 10 credits of two required foundational classes (TPOL S 363: Law and Society, and either TECON 100: Understanding Economics or TECON 200/TBECON 220: Microeconomics), and 15 credits of three additional electives at the 300-and 400-level that develop more advanced understanding of law in the US, law as a social institution, public policy formation, and public policy as it relates to specific areas of interest. Students may request to transfer up to 10 credits to be applied toward the courses fulfilling the minor. Students must maintain an average GPA of 2.0 in the five classes that satisfy the minor requirements.

How to declare

You can declare a minor by using the same request to declare/change major form and submitting it to Enrollment Services. You must have earned a minimum of 45 credits and declared a major before declaring a minor. If you have any questions about this process, please see your adviser.