The Association of American Law Schoo ls defines Pre-legal Education as follows:

“Shortly stated, what the law schools seek in their entering students is not accomplishment in mere memorization but accomplishment in understanding, the capacity to think for themselves, and the ability to express their thoughts with clarity and focus.”

Although pre-law students can gain adequate preparation for law school with any strong major, they have found the liberal studies major especially valuable. A major in Liberal Studies provides excellent preparation for law school.

Through the Whitney Young School, it is possible to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree following a specially-designed, individualized curriculu m. A student -designed liberal studies curriculum permits a student to pursue a course of study that c ombines related subje cts from different disciplines for the sake of some specific approved educational or career goal. The student-designed curriculum option is intended to serve students with special academic needs while maintaining a level of coherence and integrity in the course of study.

A student pursuing this degree must complete the University’s Liberal Studies Requirements (or their equivalent through the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies). By the end of the first semester of his or her junior year, the student should petition for permission to follow a student t-designed curriculum. The general University requirement for a minimum of 128 semes ter credit hours for the Bachelor of Arts degree must be met. This petition will define and justify an interdisciplinary course of study. The petition must show specifically how the proposed course of study meets the student’s academic goals, how those goals cannot be met by any traditional major at KSU, and how the proposed course of studies constitutes a coherently related set of courses that is the equivalent of a major. In addition, the petition must list the courses that make up the student-designed major; in effect, this would become the curriculum ladder for that major.

The student will submit this petition to his or her mentor or advisor, who will collaborate with the student in refining the proposal. The mentor or advisor will send the petition and his or her recommendation to the director of the Whitney Young School, who will transmit the petition and his or her recommendation to the dean of the dean of the College. The dean will transmit the petition and his or her recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The proposal will not be an approved course of study until it has the written approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Academic Affairs. The proposal will not be an approved course of study until it has the written approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The General Studies Option of the Bachelor or Liberal Studies degree provides an alternative four-year program for students who do not need or desire the academic specialization involved in traditional major or major/minor programs. This degree program allows reasonable latitude to satisfy individual interests and needs, including those of non-traditional students, white still adhering to the rigorous university standards for baccalaureate degrees. It operates in the spirit of the liberal studies mission of the University. In lieu of the major/minor required by traditional degree programs, the student must complete a broad area of concentration (such as, but not restricted to, arts, humanities, social and behavioral science, natural science, business, education, technology, health).

It is recommended that the student declare this major by the semester prior to graduation. The student declaring this major should go to the director of the Whitney Young School to be assigned an advisor who will work with the student to the fine t he area of concentration and the appropriate advised electives.

41 semester-credit hours of the General Education Core

12 semester-credit hours in the Integrative Studies

42 semester-credit hours of concentration

15 semester-credit hours of advised electives

15 semester-credit hours of free electives

3 semester-credit hours of COS 100 (or equivalent computer course)

128 total college-level undergraduate semester hours (of which 45 semester-credit hours must be in upper-level [300–400] courses)

Grade-point average of at least 2.0 overall.

Grade of “C” or better in all courses except free electives (which require grade of “D” or better)

Students may pursue a minor in Liberal Studies having taken either the general liberal studies core or the honors core.

A minor in Liberal Studies requires the completion of 18 semester credit hours. Specific course requirements include 4 semester credit hours selected from LST seminars (LST 301, 302, or 401); 6 semester credit hours selected from LST tutorials (LST 311 and 421); 3 or 4 semester credit hours may be selected from LST 241, 242,