An individual who wants to enter Law School should earn an undergraduate degree from a 4-year college or university. Though there are no specific undergraduate degrees required to get admitted to Law School, a lot of liberal arts degree programs can help you prepare for Law School. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), bachelor degrees in English, history, philosophy and political science are some of the undergraduate degrees that most Law Schools require. Also, colleges offering Juris Doctor degree can be found in these choices.
Law Schools accept students who hold bachelor's degrees in any field. The American Bar Association (ABA) doesn't recommend any particular undergraduate course of study to get admitted to Law School. A student who prepares for Law School could earn a bachelor's degree program that will help him specialize his law practice, such as a music or art degree if they want to pursue entertainment law. Also, liberal arts or social sciences degrees prepare you for general education.
Political Science
A bachelor's degree course in Political Science can help you learn about conflicts in political ideas, interpersonal interaction and societies throughout history. A Bachelor of Arts in Political Science program develops your knowledge and skills in writing papers about current political topics and in arguing controversial issues in front of an audience.
Philosophy
Philosophy undergraduate programs can enhance your analyzing and critical thinking skills by examining the nature of existence and knowledge. You can learn a lot about the history of philosophy, founders of philosophy and their philosophical ideas. Although a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy program, aspiring law school students learn to use logic to defend their ideas in a debate and to write clearly about complicated issues.
History
Majoring in history develops your skills in researching and interpreting objects and written documents from the past. History degree programs involve writing research papers, reading a lot of books and participating in class discussion. History courses also teach you how to verify reliable sources.
English
English degree programs can teach you how to become a better speaker, writer and critical thinker. You can also learn about the history of English and the structure of the English language. Most Law Schools require applicants to have a strong reading and writing scores, so English majors learn how to work independently, analyze texts and improve their public speaking skills.
STEM Fields
While many people don't associate the STEM fields--mathematics, engineering, science and technology--with lawyers, law schools nowadays love to see the combination. According to the University of Michigan Law School, students coming from STEM fields consistently do well at Law Schools. In fact, 80 percent of math and biology majors get accepted to law schools, compared to about 67 percent overall. A student with a STEM degree is especially popular in the area of intellectual property law.
The University of Chicago Law School encourages students to pursue their passions when choosing a college degree. Your interest often hones your abilities to work in a particular field of law. A student who holds a business degree, for example, will have a strong preparation to work in corporate law, while a student who majors in art history might go on to pursue legal work for a museum.
Undergraduate grades count for as much as half of a Law School's admission decision, according to the University of California, Berkeley. Thus, if you are sure that you want to pursue a law degree, it is worth choosing a major in which you can maintain a high GPA. But, your choice of major and undergraduate institution are also taken into consideration, so having strong grades shouldn't only be your deciding factor. Remember, choose a major for which you have real interest; it will be easier to put in the time required for high grades if you have interests in your classes, and your academic work will be more impressive and original.
About The Author
Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he offers degree choices that can prepare a student for law school and aims to encourage further study with a TJSL Masters in Law Online.
