Law and Legal Studies Minor
The minor in law and legal studies offers an interdisciplinary, liberal arts approach to the study of law. This is an academic program, not a professional training program, emphasizing the political, social, cultural, and philosophical foundations and impacts of law and legal systems. It is designed for pre-law students and also for a broad array of students from across the PSU campus who are interested in the relationship of law to politics, society, and culture. While the core courses concentrate on American law and the American legal system, the electives allow students to focus on aspects of law related to areas such as international law, comparative law, and philosophy.
Requirements (12 credits)
Lower Division Requirements
| PS 101 | United States Government | 4 |
| PS 221 | Introduction to Law and Legal Studies | 4 |
Upper Division Requirements
| PS 321 | Introduction to the Supreme Court | 4 |
Electives (16 credits)
Political Science options (minimum 8 credits)
| PS 320 | Explore the Law | 2 |
| PS 325U | Politics and the Legal Enforcement of Morals | 4 |
| PS 421 | The Supreme Court and American Politics | 4 |
| PS 422 | Constitutional Law | 4 |
| PS 423 | Civil Liberties | 4 |
| PS 424 | Law, Politics, and Society | 4 |
| PS 425/WS 424 | Women and the Law | 4 |
| PS 448 | International Law | 4 |
| PS 449 | International Environmental Politics and Law | 4 |
| PS 483 | Justice in the Modern World | 4 |
Non-Political Science options (maximum 8 credits)
| CCJ 310 | American Courts | 4 |
| CCJ 345 | Human Behavior and the Law | 4 |
| CCJ 420 | Criminal Law and Legal Reasoning | 4 |
| Hst 446 | Civil Rights and the Law: The History of Equal Protection | 4 |
| Ling 334U | “You have the right to remain silent.”: Language and the Law | 4 |
| Phl 311U | The Morality of Punishment | 4 |
| Phl 333U | Philosophy of Law | 4 |
| Soc 417 | Law & Society: The Sociology of Law | 4 |
| USP 455 | Land Use: Legal Aspects | 3 |
| USP 468 | Oregon Land Use Law | 3 |
| | Electives approved by Law and Legal Studies advisor (maximum 8 credits) | |
Total Credit Hours: 28
For law and legal studies minors who are also majoring or minoring in political science, at least three electives (12 credits) must be applied solely to the law and legal studies minor. In order to count toward fulfillment of the minor, courses must be passed with a grade of C or above.