Legal Studies (Minor)
Minor: Legal Studies
Program Code: M702
The Legal Studies minor offers students an interdisciplinary experience analyzing the law and its role in society, politics, and culture. Designed for students from a wide range of majors, this program provides foundational knowledge of legal systems, while cultivating critical analysis and communication skills.
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
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Institutional Minor Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU minors. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- A minor consists of 15-24 semester hours. There may be prerequisites required for the minor which will increase the total number of credit hours for a student who has not already taken those prerequisites.
- Courses taken to satisfy Essential Learning, major requirements, or electives can be counted toward the minor if applicable.
- At least 33 percent of the credit hours required for the minor must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
- At least 25 percent of the classes must be taken at CMU.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher for the courses used for the minor.
- A minor is not a degree by itself and must be earned at the same time as a baccalaureate degree.
- A minor must be outside the major field of study.
- A student may earn up to five minors with any baccalaureate degree at CMU.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and degree requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements sheet you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Program Specific Minor Requirements
(18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Law and Legal Systems | ||
| Select one class from this category: | 3 | |
| American Court Systems | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| International Organizations and Law | ||
| Survey of Business Law | ||
| Business Law I | ||
| Media Law and Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Criminal Justice | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| Ethics in Criminal Justice | ||
| American Court Systems | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Trial, Evidence, and Legal Advocacy | ||
| Sport Law and Recreation Risk Management | ||
| Real Property, Oil and Gas Law (Law and Legal Systems) | ||
| Communication | ||
| Select one class from this category: | 3 | |
| Persuasion | ||
| Communication and Conflict | ||
| Professional Presentations | ||
| Argumentation | ||
| Introduction to Professional Writing-GTCO3 | ||
| Report and Proposal Writing | ||
| Technical and Professional Writing | ||
| Introduction to Copy Editing (Critical Thinking) | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Select one class from this category: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism | ||
| Roots of Modern Rhetoric | ||
| Ethics-GTAH3 | ||
| Introduction To Logic | ||
| Forensic Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Historical Research | ||
| Political Theory: Modern | ||
| Internship | ||
| Select one class from this category: | 3 | |
| Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Additional Coursework | ||
| Select two additional courses from either Law and Legal Systems; Communication; Critical Thinking; Internship. 1 | 6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 | |
- 1
One course must be upper-division.
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a minor. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and developing a suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended minor.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a minor. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head for the minor. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
A minor cannot be awarded by itself. It must be combined with a baccalaureate degree outside the major field of study. Students should follow the graduation process outlined for the baccalaureate degree and list their majors and minors on the “Intent to Graduate” form.
If a student’s petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to consult the Registrar’s Office regarding next steps.