Political Science with a 3+3 Track to Law (BA)

Departmental Admission Requirements

There are no specific admission requirements for this degree plan.  

The Change Major Request form can be found under the Academic Progress tile on ULink.

Admission to Law School

Admission to the 3+3 track does not guarantee admission to the law school. Students seeking admission to law school must complete a law school application and satisfy all of Brandeis’ admissions requirements, including its median GPA and LSAT expectations.

The law school requires that students seeking admission through the 3+3 program have completed three years of undergraduate course work, including transfer credit and credit earned in summer.  It is recommended that students planning to pursue this track have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.

For more information on Brandeis and its admissions requirements, please contact the Brandeis School of Law Office of Admissions. The office can also arrange for you to visit the law school and to sit in on a class.

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements *31
The following courses are required by the program and satisfy the respective General Education Requirement(s)
Introduction to American Government and Politics - SB
Introduction to Comparative Politics - SB, D2

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). Some General Education requirements may be met by the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Arts & Sciences Requirements
GEN 100Student Success Center First Year Experience1
or GEN 101 Arts & Sciences First Year Experience
Foreign Language 112
Elective in Humanities or Natural Sciences 29
WR -- two approved courses at the 300 level or above 3
Minimum Total Hours22

Program/Major Requirements

Department of Political Science
POLS 111Political Discourse - OC3
POLS 201Introduction to American Government and Politics - SB3
POLS 202Introduction to Comparative Politics - SB, D23
POLS 330International Relations3
POLS 390Political Science Research Methods3
POLS 495Senior Seminar - WR, CUE3
Minimum Total Hours18
Additional Political Science Courses or Electives21

Law School Courses

LAW 802Torts I3
LAW 803Torts II3
LAW 804Contracts I3
LAW 805Contracts II3
LAW 806Property I3
LAW 807Property II3
LAW 808Civil Procedure I3
LAW 810Criminal Law3
LAW 811Lawyering Skills I3
LAW 812Lawyering Skills II3
Minimum Total Hours30
1

Completion of the intermediate level of a single foreign language

2

In addition to courses counted toward General Education; 6 hours must be at 300 level or above

3

May be incorporated into other degree requirements

Flight Plan

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallHours
GEN 101 Arts & Sciences First Year Experience 1
ENGL 101 Introduction to College Writing - WC 3
POLS 201 Introduction to American Government and Politics - SB 3
POLS 111 Political Discourse - OC 3
ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics - SB 3
Foreign Language 1 4
 Hours17
Spring
ENGL 102 Intermediate College Writing - WC 3
POLS 202 Introduction to Comparative Politics - SB, D2 3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S 3
Foreign Language2 4
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective - SBH 3
 Hours16
Year 2
Fall
General Education: Cardinal Core Quantitative Reasoning - QR 3-4
Foreign Language 3 4
Political Science American Politics Elective 3
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities US Diversity - AHD1 3
Natural Science Elective 3
 Hours16-17
Spring
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH 3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S 3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences Lab - SL 1
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities Global Diversity - AHD2 3
POLS 330 International Relations 3
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences US Diversity - SBD1 3
 Hours16
Year 3
Fall
Humanities Elective (300 level or above) 3
POLS 390 Political Science Research Methods 3
Political Sciences Public Policy Elective 3
Social Sciences Elective 3
International relations Elective
 Hours12
Spring
Humanities Elective (300 level or above) 3
Political Science Comparative Politics Elective 3
Political Science Political Theory Elective 3
Political Science Elective 3
POLS 495 Senior Seminar - WR, CUE 3
 Hours15
Year 4
Fall
LAW 802 Torts I 3
LAW 804 Contracts I 3
LAW 806 Property I 3
LAW 810 Criminal Law 3
LAW 811 Lawyering Skills I 3
 Hours15
Spring
LAW 803 Torts II 3
LAW 805 Contracts II 3
LAW 807 Property II 3
LAW 808 Civil Procedure I 3
LAW 812 Lawyering Skills II 3
 Hours15
 Minimum Total Hours122-123

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

  1. Log into your ULink account.
  2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
  3. Select the appropriate report.
    1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
    2. To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."
    3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.