Degree Requirements and Course Descriptions
The Association of American Law Schools does not recommend
a specific major or minor as the preferred pre-legal
course of study. “The four majors most frequently
recommended by law-school deans were (in alphabetical
order) English (sometimes called literature), history,
philosophy, and political science (sometimes called
government).” (Advice for Getting into Law School
at http://www.danpinello.com/LawSch.htm)
Successful study and practice of law requires: (a) an
ability to write and comprehend written materials; (b)
critical understanding of political institutions; and,
(c) creative thinking. Entrance into law school is based
on a combination of grade point average and scores on
the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
Law School Early Admission Programs - The college
will assist students who wish to avail themselves
of law school early admissions programs and, with
prior written approval, students may apply up
to 30 hours of law school courses to their undergraduate
degree requirements. This combined curriculum
enables students to obtain both the bachelor of
arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) and the
juris doctor (JD) degrees in six years. Several
law schools have early admissions programs, including
the University of Missouri-Columbia School of
Law and the Univ of Missouri-Kansas City. Other
schools may or may not have early admission programs;
the student should research the policy and procedures
for application at the institution where he/she
wishes to apply.
Students will need to take the Law School Admissions
Test (LSAT). “The LSAT is a half-day standardized
test required for admission to all ABA-approved law
schools, most Canadian law schools, and many non-ABA-approved
law schools. It provides a standard measure of acquired
reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools
can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.
The test is administered 4 times a year at hundreds
of locations around the world.” http://www.lsat.org/LSAT/about-the-lsat.asp
Students must complete all General Education courses
and have a minimum of 95 hours, including six credits
of Political Science, before attending a law school
under an early admission program. After the successful
completion of one year of law school classes the student
will have an official transcript sent to the College
and those hours will be applied to undergraduate degree
requirements. The student will be granted a Political
Science major, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science.
Students should maintain a high grade point average
and strive to prepare for the LSAT by taking appropriate
courses. Students are advised to select a major which
could be completed in the senior year should he or she
not be accepted by the law school. The fact that a student
is not accepted for an early admission does not mean
that the student will not be granted admission after
completion of a bachelor’s degree. Contact the
pre-law advisor, Frances Forman (fforman@cofo.edu)
for additional information and prior to withdrawing
from the college to attend law school.
contact info
Dr. Frances Forman
Political Science Department at College of the Ozarks
P.O. Box 17, Point Lookout, MO 65726
(417)334-6411 extension 4223
reg1@cofo.edu
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