Legal studies is an undergraduate major in the College of Letters & Science. The program's mission is to provide a liberal education across traditional disciplines, focusing on the theory and operation of law and legal institutions. The courses in the legal studies major expose students to the many facets of law as a social phenomenon — its evolution, function, motivating ideas, and effects. The major is not intended as preparation for law school because the emphasis is on exploring broadly defined questions about law from a variety of perspectives, rather than on training for the profession. The legal studies major is, however, suitable for pre-law students.
The curriculum is designed around the following five themes: Legal Institutions, Processes of Legal Order and Disorder, Law and Social Forces, Law and Culture, and Law and Theory.
Theme Group 1: Legal Institutions
Institutions are at the core of social life. They govern our interactions, distribute power and resources, and influence how we make sense of the world. Courses in this theme group focus on those institutions involved in the creation and application of law. They explore such questions as how legal institutions evolve; how legal institutions help determine the shape of law — in doctrine and in action — and how and whether, in turn, legal institutions can be shaped to create different social outcomes. Institutions are central to the studies of society and politics throughout the disciplines, and courses in the group include perspectives from history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and political theory.
Theme Group 2: Processes of Legal Order and Disorder
This theme examines the dynamics of order at the individual and societal level. In the course of this examination, students are made aware of the political and social biases that can underlie definitions of "order." This theme should also allow students to address how social and political biases relate to divisions of class, race, and gender, and how the mechanisms of conflict resolution and order maintenance can be used to reinforce or challenge existing power structures.
Theme Group 3: Law and Social Forces
This theme group explores the intersection between law, social structures, and social movements. Courses in this group address social inequality, generally in the U.S. context, grounded in ethno-racial, gender, and sexuality-based difference. At critical points, the struggle for equality has taken pointedly legal form, whether in the shape of campaigns for legislative change or recognition, or through the litigation of particular cases. Legal categories have informed social identities. Equally, changing social identities have pushed back on legal categories. Courses integrate broad social dynamics with the rise of organized social movements that use law as an arena in which to reassess social life and values.
Theme Group 4: Law and Culture
This theme group introduces students to legal thought, institutions, and practices beyond mainstream or contemporary legal systems, specifically modern Euro-American legal cultures. Courses in this theme group present either culturally based challenges to mainstream modern legal systems or legal systems that are culturally or historically distinct from them. The comparative study of distinct legal traditions and movements forces us to reexamine the cultural presuppositions embedded in modern legal systems, revealing both good reasons for defending mainstream Euro-American laws and arguments and models for changing or questioning prevailing systems. Courses examine historical developments in or affecting law, non-Western legal thought or traditions, and the effect of cultural institutions such as religion, literature, or media on law.
Theme Group 5: Law and Theory
Many theoretical and philosophical questions are articulated as propositions about law: its nature, sources, contents, and relations to other aspects of social life. While only some philosophers or social, political, or legal theorists work specifically in the area of "legal theory," almost all work in any of these areas contributes to our understanding of the sources and nature of law, legal institutions, and legal practices, and for many theorists, explicit discussions of law are central elements of their work. Courses in this theme group focus on the ways in which "law" is treated as a working concept or as a subject of study in theoretical works, and conversely on how understandings drawn from theoretical writings inform our own understanding of law in all its dimensions.
How to Get in
Requirements to Declare the Major
Those wishing to declare the major should complete the first step to declaring legal studies form or make an appointment with an advisor via StarFish.
To declare the legal studies major, students must complete three (3) prerequisite courses with grades of C or better. Students may be exempt from COMM-A by their English Placement score and from QR-A by their Math Placement score.
The three prerequisite courses consist of:
- a Communication A course;
- a Quantitative Reasoning A course; and
- one "Gateway Course" chosen from the list below.
Gateway Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Criminal Justice in America | ||
| Law, Politics and Society | ||
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Mathematics | Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework. |
| Language |
|
| LS Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | Complete at least 108 credits. |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level. |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | Complete at least 120 credits. |
| UW-Madison Experience |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
11 total courses in the following categories and a minimum of 33 credits.
Theme: Legal Institutions
Two courses required from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theme Group 1: Legal Institutions | ||
| ELPA/ED POL/LEGAL ST 542 | Law and Public Education | 3 |
| GEN BUS 301 | Business Law | 3 |
| GEOG 307 | International Migration, Health, and Human Rights | 3 |
| INTL ST 602 | Topics in Politics and Policy in the Global Economy (Topic: The EU and the World) | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 261 | American Legal History to 1860 | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 262 | American Legal History, 1860 to the Present | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 400 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 409 | Human Rights in Law and Society | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 415 | The Legal Profession | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 444 | Law in Action | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 450 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/LAW/SOC 641 | Sociology of Law | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 304 | The Political Economy of Race in the United States | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 311 | United States Congress | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 340 | The European Union: Politics and Political Economy | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 347 | Terrorism | 3 |
| POLI SCI 349 | Global Access to Justice | 3 |
| POLI SCI 354 | International Institutions and World Order | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 356 | Principles of International Law | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 405 | State Government and Public Policy | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 408 | The American Presidency | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 411 | The American Constitution : Powers and Structures of Government | 4 |
| POLI SCI 412 | The American Constitution: Rights and Civil Liberties | 4 |
| POLI SCI 414 | The Supreme Court as a Political Institution | 3 |
| POLI SCI 417 | The American Judicial System | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/PUB AFFR 419 | Administrative Law | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 432 | Comparative Legal Institutions | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 434 | The Politics of Human Rights | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/GEN&WS 435 | Politics of Gender and Women's Rights in the Middle East | 3 |
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 439 | The Comparative Study of Genocide | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 470 | The First Amendment | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 538 | Politics and Policies in the European Union | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 601 | Proseminar: Topics in Political Science (Topic: Supreme Court) | 3 |
| POLI SCI 635 | Comparative Politics of Sport | 3-4 |
| PUB AFFR 270 | The Private and Public Sectors in Policymaking | 3 |
Theme Distribution
Four courses from at least three of the following Theme groups.
Process of Legal Order and Disorder
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 2: Processes of Legal Order Disorder | ||
| COM ARTS 371 | Communication and Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| HISTORY 344 | The Age of the American Revolution, 1763-1789 | 3-4 |
| INTL ST 601 | Topics in Global Security (Topic: International Criminal Justice: Models Practice) | 1-4 |
| LEGAL ST/L I S 460 | Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 694 | Criminal Justice Field Observation | 2-3 |
| POLI SCI 314 | Criminal Law and Justice | 3-4 |
| PSYCH 526 | The Criminal Mind: Forensic and Psychobiological Perspectives | 4 |
| PSYCH 601 | Current Topics in Psychology (*Juv Delin) | 3 |
| R M I 615 | Liability Risk Management | 3 |
| SOC 421 | Processes of Deviant Behavior | 3-4 |
| SOC 441 | Criminology | 3-4 |
| SOC 446 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3-4 |
Law and Social Forces
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 3: Law Social Forces | ||
| AFROAMER 272 | Race and American Politics from the New Deal to the New Right | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 323 | Gender, Race and Class: Women in U.S. History | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 326 | Race and Gender in Post-World War II U.S. Society | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 625 | Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| AFROAMER 671 | Selected Topics in Afro-American History (*Crim Blkns; Race Inprison) | 3 |
| AFROAMER 673 | Selected Topics in Afro-American Society (*Race and Policing ) | 3 |
| AMER IND 450 | Issues in American Indian Studies (*Indigenous Rights *Nat Resources *Fed Ind Law *Ind Child Welfare) | 3 |
| ECON 522 | Law and Economics | 3-4 |
| ENVIR ST 349 | Climate Change Governance | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 439 | US Environmental Policy and Regulation | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 143 | History of Race and Inequality in Urban America | 3 |
| GEN&WS/PSYCH 322 | Sexual & Relationship Violence Research & Activism | 3 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (Topic: Global History of Unpaid Labor; Topic: Global History of Human Rights) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 393 | Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction, 1848-1877 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 403 | Immigration and Assimilation in American History | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 500 | Reading Seminar in History (*Chinese Law) | 3 |
| HISTORY 600 | Advanced Seminar in History (Topic: Abolitionist Movements) | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 628 | History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/JEWISH/RELIG ST 203 | Jewish Law, Business, and Ethics | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/RP & SE 135 | Disability and the Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| INTL ST 401 | Topics in Global Security (Topic: Human Rights in Global Context) | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 400 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/GEN&WS 422 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/GEN&WS/SOC 425 | Crime, Gender and Justice | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/ENVIR ST/HISTORY 430 | Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/AFROAMER 435 | Civil Rights: Policing, Prisons, Voting, Housing, Employment | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 440 | Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 443 | Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 473 | Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/L I S 645 | Intellectual Freedom | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/L I S 663 | Introduction to Cyberlaw | 3 |
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 434 | The Politics of Human Rights | 3-4 |
| PSYCH 311 | Issues in Psychology (*Psychology of Law) | 1-4 |
| PSYCH 401 | Psychology, Law, and Social Policy | 3 |
| PSYCH 601 | Current Topics in Psychology (*Legal Psych) | 3 |
| SOC/ASIAN AM 220 | Ethnic Movements in the United States | 3-4 |
| SOC WORK 643 | Social Work and Delinquency | 2-3 |
| SOC WORK 375 | Contemporary Issues in Social Welfare (Topic: Pwr Poss, SJ and Social Change) | 2-3 |
Law and Culture
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 4: Law Culture | ||
| ANTHRO 350 | Political Anthropology | 3-4 |
| ANTHRO 448 | Anthropology of Law | 3 |
| ENGL 142 | Mystery and Crime Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 174 | Literature and Social Justice (*Law and Literature) | 3 |
| ENGL 548 | Topic in Literature and Politics (*Guilt) | 3 |
| ENGL 177 | Literature and Popular Culture (Topic: Narco-Narratives) | 3 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (*Shanghai Life) | 3-4 |
| ENGL 182 | Introduction to Literature for Honors (Topic: Doing Time) | 3 |
| ENGL 457 | Topic in American Literature and Culture since 1900 (Topic: Law and Literature) | 3 |
| HISTORY 500 | Reading Seminar in History (*Chinese Law) | 3 |
| ILS 371 | Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts and Literature (*Books by Crooks) | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 477 | History of Forensic Science | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 510 | Legal Pluralism | 3 |
| LITTRANS 236 | Bascom Course-In Translation (*Extreme Stories ) | 3 |
| LITTRANS 324 | Topics in Scandinavian Literature (*Criminal Utopias) | 3-4 |
Law and Theory
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 5: Law Theory | ||
| HISTORY/LEGAL ST 476 | Medieval Law and Society | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 407 | Jurisprudence and Social Issues | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 426 | The History of Punishment | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| JOURN 563 | Law of Mass Communication | 4 |
| MED HIST/PHILOS 558 | Ethical Issues in Health Care | 3 |
| PHILOS 304 | Topics in Philosophy: Humanities (Philos and Criminal Punishment) | 3-4 |
| PHILOS 341 | Contemporary Moral Issues | 3-4 |
| PHILOS/MED HIST/AGRONOMY/C&E SOC 565 | The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology | 3 |
Methods and Research
Two courses, one each from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research Design | ||
| Research Methods in Political Science | ||
| Introduction to Survey Research | ||
| Research Methods | ||
| Evidence-Based Policy Making | ||
| Analytic Tools for Public Policy | ||
| Methods of Sociological Inquiry | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Statistics: Measurement in Economics | ||
| Business Analytics I | ||
| Basic Statistics for Psychology | ||
| Statistics for Sociologists I | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
Core Perspectives
Please note: Though some courses may appear in more than one Theme Group and/or Core Perspective, a single course will only satisfy one (and only one) requirement. Courses will not be double counted.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One Core Perspective course: | ||
| American Legal History to 1860 | ||
| American Legal History, 1860 to the Present | ||
| Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences | ||
| Jurisprudence and Social Issues | ||
| Human Rights in Law and Society | ||
| Crime, Gender and Justice | ||
| The History of Punishment | ||
| Civil Rights: Policing, Prisons, Voting, Housing, Employment | ||
| Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | ||
| Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | ||
| Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities | ||
| Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | ||
| Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers | ||
| History of Forensic Science | ||
| Legal Pluralism | ||
| Special Topics in Legal Studies | ||
| Sociology of Law | ||
| Electives | ||
| Choose either a Senior Thesis... | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| ... or two additional Theme courses from above | ||
Global Legal Systems
At least two courses in the major must have substantial content dealing with countries or cultures outside the United States, or with the international legal system. For this requirement, a course can count both for purposes of meeting the Distribution requirement above and the Global Legal Systems requirement. The following courses fulfill the Global Legal Systems requirement:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Two Global Legal Systems courses: | ||
| ANTHRO 350 | Political Anthropology | 3-4 |
| ANTHRO 448 | Anthropology of Law | 3 |
| ENGL 174 | Literature and Social Justice (*Law and Literature) | 3 |
| ENGL 457 | Topic in American Literature and Culture since 1900 (Topic: Law and Literature) | 3 |
| ENGL 548 | Topic in Literature and Politics (*Guilt) | 3 |
| GEOG 307 | International Migration, Health, and Human Rights | 3 |
| HISTORY 201 | The Historian's Craft (Topic: Shanghai Life and Crime; Topic: Global History of Unpaid Labor; Topic: Global History of Human Rights) | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 500 | Reading Seminar in History (Topic: Chinese Law) | 3 |
| INTL ST 401 | Topics in Global Security (Topic: Human Rights in Global Context) | 3-4 |
| INTL ST 601 | Topics in Global Security (Topic: International Criminal Justice) | 1-4 |
| INTL ST 602 | Topics in Politics and Policy in the Global Economy (Topic: The EU and the World) | 1-4 |
| LEGAL ST/JEWISH/RELIG ST 203 | Jewish Law, Business, and Ethics | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 400 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences (Law, Sexuality and Society) | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 400 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences (Law, Justice and Climate Change) | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 409 | Human Rights in Law and Society | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 425 | Crime, Gender and Justice | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 426 | The History of Punishment | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/ENVIR ST/HISTORY 430 | Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 450 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities (Topic: Criminal Justice and Popular Culture) | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 450 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities (Courts, Constitutionalism and Human Rights) | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 459 | Rule of Law: Philosophical and Historical Models | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 476 | Medieval Law and Society | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 477 | History of Forensic Science | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/HISTORY 510 | Legal Pluralism | 3 |
| LEGAL ST 600 | Special Topics in Legal Studies | 1-3 |
| LITTRANS 236 | Bascom Course-In Translation (Topic: Extreme Stories) | 3 |
| LITTRANS 324/SCAND ST 436 | Topics in Scandinavian Literature (Topic: Criminal Utopias) | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 340 | The European Union: Politics and Political Economy | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 347 | Terrorism | 3 |
| POLI SCI 349 | Global Access to Justice | 3 |
| POLI SCI 354 | International Institutions and World Order | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 356 | Principles of International Law | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 401 | Selected Topics in Political Science (Topic: Global Access to Justice) | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 432 | Comparative Legal Institutions | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 434 | The Politics of Human Rights | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/GEN&WS 435 | Politics of Gender and Women's Rights in the Middle East | 3 |
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 439 | The Comparative Study of Genocide | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 635 | Comparative Politics of Sport | 3-4 |
Race and Justice Studies
At least one course in the major must have substantial content dealing with race and justice studies. For this requirement, a course can count both for purposes of meeting the Distribution requirement above and the Race and Justice Studies requirement. The following courses fulfill the Race and Justice Studies requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFROAMER 272 | Race and American Politics from the New Deal to the New Right | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 323 | Gender, Race and Class: Women in U.S. History | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 326 | Race and Gender in Post-World War II U.S. Society | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 625 | Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| AFROAMER/HISTORY 628 | History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States | 3 |
| HISTORY/ED POL 143 | History of Race and Inequality in Urban America | 3 |
| HISTORY/GEN&WS 315 | Gender, Race and Colonialism | 3 |
| HISTORY/AFROAMER 393 | Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction, 1848-1877 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 403 | Immigration and Assimilation in American History | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST 400 | Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences (Topic: Criminal Injustice in America) | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/AFROAMER 435 | Civil Rights: Policing, Prisons, Voting, Housing, Employment | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 440 | Ethnicity, Race, and Justice | 3-4 |
| LEGAL ST/CHICLA/SOC 443 | Immigration, Crime, and Enforcement | 3-4 |
| PUB AFFR 520 | Inequality, Race and Public Policy | 3 |
| SOC/ASIAN AM 220 | Ethnic Movements in the United States | 3-4 |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all LEGAL ST and major courses
- 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level major credits, taken in residence1
- 15 credits in LEGAL ST and courses for the major, taken on campus
Honors in the Major
Students may apply for admission to Honors in the Legal Studies Major in consultation with the Legal Studies undergraduate advisor(s).
Honors in the Legal Studies Major: Entrance Requirements
- Declaration of the legal studies major
- A 3.300 University GPA
- A 3.500 GPA for all LEGAL ST courses, and all courses accepted in the major
- Completion of or current enrollment in, for Honors credit, at least one course accepted in the major
Honors in the Legal Studies Major: Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major in Legal Studies, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.500 GPA for all LEGAL ST courses, and all courses accepted in the major
- Complete the research design and statistics requirements for the regular major prior to enrollment in the Senior Honors Thesis (typically junior year)
- Complete 15 credits in the major, taken for Honors, earning a B or better grade in each course
- Complete a two-semester Senior Honors thesis in LEGAL ST 681 and LEGAL ST 682, for a total of 6 credits.
Footnotes
- 1
Upper-level in the major includes all LEGAL ST and major courses that are designated Intermediate or Advanced level.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and articulate their own arguments about how social, political, and cultural phenomena shape law and legal systems.
- Analyze and articulate their own arguments about the social, political, and cultural impacts of law at the societal and individual levels.
- Demonstrate knowledge about how legal ideas and ideologies have changed over time and have shaped law and legal systems.
- Demonstrate their abilities to find, interpret, and utilize resources relevant to law and society.
- Demonstrate their abilities to analyze information, to write clearly and persuasively, and to construct original arguments.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication A (complete during the first year) | 3 | Ethnic Studies (complete within first 60 credits) | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A (complete during the first year) | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| Foreign Language (if needed) | 3-4 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| LEGAL ST/SOC 131 or 217 | 3-4 | Foreign Language (if needed for the BA) | 3-4 |
| First-Year Seminar (optional) | 1 | I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if required for the BS) | 3-4 |
| 13 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Legal Studies Theme Course | 3 | Legal Studies Theme Course | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 |
| Statistics (also satisfies Quantitative Reasoning B) | 3-4 | Research Design requirement | 3-4 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Legal Studies Theme Course | 4 | Legal Studies Theme Course | 4 |
| Legal Studies Theme Course (non US focus) | 3 | Legal Studies Theme Course (non US focus) | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Additional Theme Course or First Semester Senior Thesis | 3 | Additional Theme Course or Second Semester Senior Thesis | 3 |
| Core Perspectives Course | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Advising Appointments: Please schedule via Starfish
- Log in to your MyUW
- Open the Starfish app (if you do not see it, you can begin by searching for it in MyUW and adding it to your dashboard)
- Within the Starfish app, select Micha Schwab or Martine Delannay and find an available date and time
More help on using Starfish can be found here: https://advising.wisc.edu/facstaff/starfish/starfish-student-resources/.
If you are not a UW student, please email us at cjcp@ssc.wisc.edu to schedule a meeting.
L&S Career Resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives