Law and Society (BA)

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Offered by the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology , School of Public Affairs .

Admission to the Program

New freshman and transfer students are admitted through the Office of Admissions. Current students who wish to transfer into the department or develop a double major should have a grade point average of 2.50 or higher and the approval of the undergraduate academic advisor.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

54 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

Required (18 credit hours)

Legal Process (3 credit hours)

Complete one of the following courses:

Justice and Public Policy (3 credit hours)

Complete one of the following courses:

Concentration (15 credit hours)

Complete either the Humanities or Social Science concentration:

Humanities Concentration (15 credit hours)

Complete three courses from the Legal Theory cluster; one course from the Law and Social Science cluster; and one additional course from either area:

Legal Theory Cluster

Law and Social Science Cluster

Social Science Concentration (15 credit hours)

Complete JLC-280 ; two courses from the Law and Social Science cluster; one course from the Legal Theory cluster; and one additional course from either area:

Required

JLC-280 Introduction to Justice Research (3)

Law and Social Science Cluster

Legal Theory Cluster

Electives (15 credit hours)

Complete 15 additional credit hours from courses offered by the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology , or from the following courses offered by other departments:

University Honors Program

To graduate with University Honors in the major through the University Honors Program, students must meet the requirements detailed on the Honors website and have been enrolled as either a first-year student between Fall 1989 and Spring 2014, or as a transfer or self-nominated student through Spring 2015. The University Honors Program should not be confused with the AU Honors Program, which begins in Fall 2014 and has separate requirements, also detailed on the Honors website.

Combined BA and MS in Justice, Law and Criminology

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.

This program allows students to complete the BA in Justice or BA in Law and Society and MS in Justice, Law and Criminology.

Requirements

Undergraduate students with majors in justice and law, law and society, or related disciplines apply to this program through formal application no later than the last undergraduate semester. Admissions decisions are based on the normal MS standards and procedures of the school.
All requirements for the BA in Justice or BA in Law and Society.
- Undergraduate students may apply up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework to satisfy the requirements for both degrees.
All requirements for the MS in Justice, Law and Criminology, including a minimum of 18 credit hours completed in residence in graduate status after the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.