Philosophy B.A. Pre-Law Concentration
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Pre-law
The Pre-law Concentration Program in the Department of Philosophy extends the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy by providing the infrastructure and personalized advising to assist students in developing skills, values, knowledge and experiences constituting a solid foundation for their aspiring future legal education. Starting with the philosophy core, students develop important skills such as problem solving, critical reading, writing and editing, plus oral communication and listening. Continuing with specific courses in the philosophy of law, the program invites students to reflect on the nature of law, legal reasoning, legal decision making, and the philosophical foundations of specific legal institutions such as punishment, rights, and legal liability.
Encouraging students to acquire relevant background knowledge for their envisioned legal education, the program ultimately aims to produce students who not only know what the practice of law is but can pursue it with a strong sense of justice. The law is deeply imbricated with politics, society, and ethics; one advantage of pursuing philosophy and the law in tandem is the development of a broad and strong critical viewpoint of the role that the law and lawyers play in daily life. Equally important, the Pre-law Concentration Program helps students to gain a more realistic view of the actual practice of law, to increase their professional networking, and even to help students to build research experience.
In furtherance of students’ practical knowledge, the Pre-law Concentration Program promotes different types of internships and student assistantships, gives access to workshops and seminars locally and outside of the Rio Grande Valley, and encourages opportunities in service, both public and professional, connected to legal areas and the law.
Core Curriculum - 42 Hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must develop the skills specified in the core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative reasoning, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
Major Requirements - 60 Hours
Required Courses - 12 Hours
Philosophy Core
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Introduction to Logic |
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Ancient Philosophy |
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Modern Philosophy (1600-1800) |
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Senior Seminar |
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Prescribed Electives - 12 Hours
Metaphysics or Epistemology - 3 hours
Choose from:
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Epistemology |
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Metaphysics |
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Diversity and Pluralism in Philosophy - 3 hours
Choose from:
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Introduction to World Religions |
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Introduction to Latin American Philosophy |
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Introduction to Asian Philosophy |
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Indigenous Philosophies and Religions |
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Islam |
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Buddhism |
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Judaism |
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Chicana and Latin American Feminisms |
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Special Topics in Latin American Philosophy |
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Mexican/Mexican-American Philosophy |
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Philosophy Electives - 6 hours
Choose from additional philosophy (PHIL) courses not used to fulfill other requirements.
Pre-Law Concentration - 36 hours
Required Courses – 9/12 Hours
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Philosophy of Law |
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PHIL 4324 |
Social Philosophy |
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PHIL 4323 |
Political Philosophy |
Internship - 3 hours
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PHIL 4399 |
Internship |
Prescribed Electives - 24 Hours
Jurisprudence - 6 hours
Required Courses
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PHIL 4311 PHIL 4304 |
Legal Reasoning and Argumentation Special Topics in the Philosophy of Law |
Social Justice - 6 hours
Choose from:
PHIL 4360 Law & Religion
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Philosophy of Food |
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Radical Political Philosophy |
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Capitalism and Philosophy of Economics |
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Philosophy of Propaganda |
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Feminist Philosophy |
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Race, Sexuality, and Class |
Ethics - 6 hours
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Ethics, Happiness, and the Good Life |
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Introduction to Ethics |
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Ethics, Health, and Culture |
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Ethics, Technology, and Society |
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Special Topics in Applied Ethics |
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Moral Theory |
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Environmental Philosophy |
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Legal Context - 6 hours
Choose from:
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Business Law I |
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Public Speaking |
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Argumentation and Debate |
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Persuasive Communication |
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Court Systems and Practices |
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Law and Society |
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Comparative Criminal Justice Systems |
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Writing for Lawyers |
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American Legal History |
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Elementary Statistical Methods |
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Introduction to Political Economy |
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U.S. Economic Policy |
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U.S. Judicial Process |
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U.S. Constitutional Law - Federalism |
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U.S. Constitutional Law - Civil Liberties |
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Legal Research and Writing I |
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Psychology and Law |
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Free Electives - 18 hours
Free elective credit hours at the advanced level may be needed to achieve the institutional minimum of 42 advanced hours.
Advanced Minimum Credit Hours: 42
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 120