Pre-law studies, in and of themselves, do not constitute a major. Students interested in completing a bachelor’s degree must select from the 129 undergraduate degrees offered by the university and complete the pre-law studies requirements in conjunction with other degree requirements. This course of study is offered to all students, and is an attractive addition to many degree programs.

Students should choose a major in which they have both interest and aptitude; the particular major is less important for admission to law school than the overall success in courses chosen.

Rather than mastery of any particular subject matter, law schools require that incoming students possess certain basic skills. These skills include critical reasoning and the ability to write and speak in a coherent and precise manner.

Students are advised to select rigorous coursework aimed at developing strong reading, writing and reasoning skills, and to plan undergraduate coursework with an eye toward long-term plans within the legal profession. When reviewing applications, law schools generally consider applicants cumulative grade point average for selected coursework and their score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Because there is no set of specific courses which guarantees admission to, or success in, American law schools, there is no formal pre-law curriculum at Oakland University. Students who wish to concentrate on pre-law are directed to consider courses in three categories as described below, and to choose courses which they believe will help them to develop skills or acquire knowledge which may be beneficial during or after law school. None of these courses are required or necessarily recommended for all pre-law students.

• The development of fundamental abilities of reasoning and written communication
  Although most introductory courses in all of the liberal arts disciplines serve this purpose, suggested courses include:
  • LIN 2207 — Meaning in Language (4)
  • PHL 1000 — Introduction to Logic (4)
  • PHL 1300 — Introduction to Ethics (4)
  • WRT 4908 — Special Topics in Professional Writing (4)
     
• Development of effective oral communication
  Suggested courses include:
  • COM 2000 — Public Speaking (4)
  • COM 2201 — Argumentation and Debate (4)
  • COM 3200 — Persuasion (4)
  • THA 1004 — Acting for Non-Theatre Majors (2) 
     
• The law in relationship to other disciplines.
  Suggested courses include:
  • ECN 3780 — Economic Analysis of Law (3)
  • ENG 2100 — Introduction to Literary Studies (4)
  • ENV 4610 — Environmental Law and Policies (3)
  • JMS 4030 — Media Law (4)
  • MGT 3500 — Legal Environment of Business (3)
  • PHL 3120 — Philosophy of Law (4)
  • PHL 3500 — Clinical Ethics (4)
  • PHL 3510 — Ethics in Business (4)
  • PS 3115 — The Judicial Process (4)
  • PS 3250 — Law and Politics (4)
  • PS 3255 — U.S. Constitutional Law (4)
  • PS 3260 — Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (4)
  • PS 3265 — Gender Discrimination and the Supreme Court (4)
  • PS 3660 — International Law (4)
  • SOC 3460 — Law and Society (4) or AN 3230 - Law and Society (4)

Students are cautioned against overemphasizing law-related courses in their undergraduate training. Law schools virtually never give credit for these courses, either for placement or graduation, and are inclined to believe an education featuring these courses to be too narrow in scope. Undergraduate education is a distinct and vital part of one’s professional training and should never be regarded simply as a “way station” before beginning one’s “real” work. None of these courses are required or necessarily recommended for all students interested in eventually attending law school.

Should you have questions about admission to pre-law studies or course selection that are not covered by this website, pre-law advisers are available at (248) 370-2352.