Dec 09, 2024  
2024-2025 SUNY Potsdam Academic Catalog 
    
2024-2025 SUNY Potsdam Academic Catalog

Pre-Law Minor


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Open to all majors including Politics majors.

The minor provides students concentrated study in U.S. legal systems and provides experience in law-related coursework. Students are able to develop an understanding of the relationship of law and legal institutions to the State and society.

Students who are pre-law minors have the opportunity to develop a fundamental understanding of the key analytical questions concerning legal processes and ideas in the United States.

Program Requirements


Required Courses: 3-4 Credits


All SUNY Potsdam Politics courses are 4 credits, but students can count one 3 credit lower-division Politics course taken at another college towards the Pre-Law minor if that course has been accepted for transfer and authorized as equivalent in content on the transfer credit evaluation.

Elective Courses: 15-16 Credits


All SUNY Potsdam Politics courses are 4 credits, but students can count one 3 credit upper-division Politics courses towards the Pre-Law minor if that course has been (a) taken at another college and accepted as equivalent in content for transfer, or (b) offered by another SUNY Potsdam department and approved as a pre-law course by the pre-law adviser. Therefore, at least three of the limited electives must be courses taken in the SUNY Potsdam Politics Department.

The Pre-Law minor requires four upper division law-related electives (3-4 credits each) as identified by the pre-law adviser. One of these courses (approved by the pre-law adviser) may be outside the politics major. Electives for the Pre-Law minor include public law courses, such as Constitutional Law and Judicial Process, and courses from departments across the College, such as environmental law and business law. Please contact the Department of Politics for more information.

Note(s)


  • Students must earn a minimum grade of 2.0 in all courses to be counted toward the pre-law minor.
  • Only one upper division law-related elective can count both toward the politics major and the pre-law minor.

Total Credit Hours Required: 18-20


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