St. Thomas University, in accordance with suggestions from the Law School Admissions Council, offers a program designed to prepare students for law school. The council suggests that there be no special pre-law major, but that students select a major of their choice, while preparing themselves specifically in certain areas. St. Thomas University pre-law students, especially those who have followed the recommended program, have had considerable success in gaining admission to law schools including St. Thomas University School of Law.

While the addition of some newly accredited law schools and decreasing applications have made admission somewhat easier to achieve in the last few years, applications far outnumber places in law schools. Therefore, students with law school as an objective should exert themselves to achieve good grades and to take courses sufficiently challenging to prepare them for scoring well on the Law School Admissions Test, required by every accredited law school.

Law schools are greatly interested in a student’s ability to think analytically and logically, and to use the English language coherently and with facility. They recommend also that students develop a sound understanding of the history and governmental systems of the Western world, particularly the United States. These goals can be met easily within the context of most of the university’s programs. Students will be assisted by the pre-law advisor in planning a program which will permit them to pursue their own interests while including the following courses recommended for pre-law study by nationally recognized experts on legal education.

BUS 201 Basic Accounting
CIS 205 Microcomputer Applications
COM 400 Communications and Report Writing
ECO 201/202 Principles of Economics
ENG 101 Composition
ENG 102 Composition and Literature

Two literature courses from ENG 201, 202, 301, 302

HIS 101/102 History of War
HIS 201/202 United States History
PHI 152 Logic
PHI 332 Moral Philosophy (General Ethics)
POS 201 American Government and Politics
POS 412 Constitutional Government: Theory/Practice
POS 431 International Relations

One Political Science course from POS 350, 351, 444

SOC 201 Principles of Sociology

NOTE: Most of the recommended courses are included in the General Education or Divisional Requirements.