Philosophy: Concentration in Philosophy and Law
Bachelor of Arts
About this program
The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy: Concentration in Philosophy and Law helps you explore how law and justice connect to big ideas about ethics, rights, and society. You’ll study topics like legal reasoning, human rights, and the roots of the U.S. Constitution. This program builds your skills in clear thinking, argument analysis, and critical reading. It prepares you for law school, public policy work, or any path that values thoughtful reasoning.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Program Scope
The B.A. in Philosophy: Concentration in Philosophy and Law offers a focus on issues at the heart of law and politics, including the philosophy of law, political philosophy and a wide array of courses in applied ethics.
In addition to the foundational coursework of the Philosophy B.A., we offer a specialized B.A. that emphasizes the skills and coursework typically required by law schools.
Why Should Pre-Law Students Study Philosophy?
According to the American Philosophical Association, a wide range of philosophy courses are valuable to Pre-Law majors: Intermediate to advanced courses in logic; a number of courses in ethics, including political and social philosophy, philosophy of law and medical ethics; epistemology, which examines standards of evidence; philosophy of mind, which bears on issues of human motivation as well as those of moral and legal responsibility; philosophy of language, which dwells on multiple dimensions of communication; and philosophy of science, which is of particular value for those interested in practicing in the areas of law concerned with technology and sciences.
(American Philosophical Association, Philosophy: A Brief Guide for Undergraduates).
Program Learning Outcomes
- Develop interpretive skills to gain knowledge of the history or current state of the discipline of philosophy.
- Demonstrate competence in applying philosophical conventions, methods, and tools.
- Demonstrate competence in applying philosophical skills to representative philosophical issues (e.g. in academic philosophy, other disciplines, or human life more generally).
- Develop a critical mind and analytic skills.
- Develop the ability to apply normative philosophical arguments to the nature and justification of law.