Today’s world is shaped by political and legal questions and decisions. The role of government has expanded to encompass economic, social, and moral realms. In addition, economies, cultures, and political systems are now affected by international challenges and opportunities.
The Politics and Law major delves into the legal and political aspects of modern society. The degree requires ten courses of in-depth study that allows students to move from being spectators to active citizens with the capacity to shape decisions and contribute to a successful democratic society.
Studying Politics and Law
The Politics and Law major unites the complementary disciplines of Political Science and Legal Studies. Students majoring in Politics and Law develop an understanding of both domestic and foreign political and judicial systems. They learn about other countries’ politics and societies, examine global interactions, and explore ethical and intellectual debates that shape personal and societal choices.
The Politics and Law major includes six required courses. In Political Science, students take one course from each of three of the discipline’s major subfields: American politics, comparative politics (examining politics outside of the United States), and international politics. From Legal Studies, the three required courses introduce students to a variety of legal issues, but also provide insights into the ways that law is shaped by cultural forces, social change, intellectual debate, and historical developments.
Students then choose three electives in the major, at least one at the 400 level, drawn from upper level Political Science and Legal Studies courses.
The major culminates with the Seminar in Politics and Law. This capstone course provides majors with a distinctive experience that engages them in careful reading and discussion of key academic literature, and allows them to work intensively with the instructor to complete a major research project on a topic of their choice.
Politics and Law students benefit from the synergy between liberal arts and business in considering issues such as governmental social policies, tax policy, labor law, trade policy, environmental regulation, and intellectual property rights that span multiple academic disciplines.
Students benefit from world-class faculty and internship opportunities to develop their intellectual and critical-thinking capabilities.
Politics and Law Major
Required Courses
- POLS 241 Introduction to Global Politics (or POLS290 Honors: Politics of the Global System)
- POLS 256 Government and Society in Amer. (or POLS291 Honors: Contemporary Amer. Politics)
- POLS 361 Government and Citizens Around the Globe
- LGLS 220 Western Legal Tradition
- LGLS 351 Civil Rights and Liberties
- LGLS 360 Law and Society
- POLS/LGLS490 Seminar in Politics and Law
Electives in the Major
Complete a minimum of three courses, with at least one at the 400 level (Majors are highly encouraged to take additional classes as Mode of Thought or elective options)
- POLS 351 United States Foreign Policy
- POLS 353 Political Parties and Elections
- POLS 363 Latin American Politics
- POLS 364 Politics of West Europe and the European Union
- POLS 365 The Middle East in War and Peace
- POLS 385 The Politics of Government and Business in America (Fall 2007)
- POLS 391 Political Science Internship
- POLS 456 The Presidency in Modern American Politics
- POLS 462 International Relations
- POLS 464 Political Ideologies: Old and New
- POLS 471 Russian and East European Politics
- POLS 481 Politics of Third World Development
- POLS 483 Politics of International Economic Relations
- POLS 485 Comparative Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
- POLS 497 Directed Study in Politics
- LGLS 211 Legal Environment of Business (reduces a student’s possible business electives)
- LGLS 354 Communications Law
- LGLS 356 Law of the Internet
- LGLS 380 Sport and the Law
- LGLS 381 Global Dimensions of Law
- LGLS 385 Special Topics: Not for Profit Law
- LGLS 391 Legal Studies Internship
- LGLS 411 Markets and the Law
- LGLS 412 Law of Financial Institutions
- LGLS 442 The Female Body and the Constitution
- LGLS 443 Legal Ethics
- LGLS 451 International Business Law
- LGLS 497 Directed Study in Legal Studies
For more information contact: Professor John Dietrich (jdietric@bryant.edu), Professor Andrea Boggio (aboggio@bryant.edu), or other POLS and LGLS faculty.