Department of Political and Global Affairs
What is Pre-Law?
Welcome to the Political Science – Pre-Law concentration!
Already a student? Use the drop down menu above to find news & resources.
Interested in the program? Great! Read below for information on our program offerings and the PGA department, scholarships, and more.
What is Pre-Law?
Pre-Law is a concentration within the Political Science undergraduate degree program.
The Pre-Law concentration is designed for the student who plans to attend law school or plans to pursue a career in a legal profession. This degree combines a core of political science classes and classes from across multiple disciplines, thus providing a solid foundation for attending law school or moving into legal professional employment.
Please Note: Some law schools will not accept any professional or technical courses as part of their minimum requirement. It is essential that the student consult with his or her Pre-Law advisor in instances where such courses will be taken.
Why choose Pre-Law?
Quickly put, Pre-Law is designed to provide you with a solid foundation for understanding the legal system and prepare you for law school. Importantly, the American Bar Association outlines several key skills they believe are critical for success in law school and legal professions, and our courses focus on providing students with these skills.
In addition to our course offerings, the PGA Department sponsors an award-winning Mock Trial team and the Legal Studies Society. Mock Trial provides practical training and hands-on experience guided by highly experienced attorneys. LSS is a cohort of students interested in legal studies. They bring in guest speakers about law school admission, volunteer in the community, hold LSAT study sessions together in the library, and much more.
Core Skills, Values, Knowledge, and Experience from the American Bar Association:
- Problem Solving
- Critical Reading
- Writing and Editing
- Oral Communication and Listening
- Research
- Organization and Management
- Public Service and Promotion of Justice
- Relationship-building and Collaboration
- Background Knowledge
- Exposure to the Law
Graduates in our program have gone on to law schools around the world. Students are well-equipped to pursue postgraduate study at various law schools in Tennessee, as well as postgraduate study or full-time employment in legal or political analysis.
Our graduates have gone on to the following law programs:
Belmont University College of Law
University of Alabama School of Law
Columbia Law School
Penn State Law
University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law
University of Tennessee College of Law
The George Washington School of Law
Vanderbilt Law School
Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis
…and many more!
Popular places of employment for our graduates include the State of Tennessee, corporate and business entities across the US, public and private practices, the federal government & state and federal judicial system, and many more.
You can visit our Spotlight on Graduates page to see highlights of some of our excellent PGA grads!
Pre-Law Courses
In consultation with their advisors, Pre-Law students can choose from a variety of classes to satisfy their concentration requirements.
Some of the Courses Pre-Law Students Can Take:
- COMM 4650 – History and Theory of Rhetoric
- PHIL 2110 – Elementary Logic and Critical Thinking
- PHIL 3150 – Ethics
- PLEG 3010 – Litigation
- PLEG 3420 – Torts
- PS 3010 – Women’s Rights in American Law
- PS 3370 – American Constitutional Law I: Government Powers
- PS 3380 – American Constitutional Law II: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
- PS 3490 – Alternative Dispute Resolution
- PS 3530 – Legal Writing and Research
- PS 4040 – Pre-Law Internship
- PS 4290 – Public Service Internship
- PS 4590 – Administrative Law
- PS 4015 – Topics in Law and Courts
- PS 4560 – Identity and the Law
- PS 4600 – Environmental Law
- CJA 3250 – Criminal Law
- RS 4130 – Religion and Law
To learn more about Political Science – Pre-Law requirements, you can visit the MTSU Academic Page.
Pre-Law Faculty
Our PGA faculty have decades of professional experience that includes working in non-profits, the public sector, community service, city management, federal and state government, and in research-intensive positions around the world.
PGA will often bring in guest speakers from different career paths, allowing students to get a glimpse of the variety of opportunities available to pursue. We also coordinate with MTSU departments and external partners to provide students with workshops, seminars, and hands-on activities related to their professional development.
You can view our faculty here. The current Director of Pre-Law is Dr. Robb McDaniel (robb.mcdaniel@mtsu.edu).
Our award-winning PGA Faculty are engaged with research, professional speaking, and hands-on instructional design. Moreover, the faculty are responsive, student-focused, and put an emphasis on engaging instruction.
Professional Work Experience & Mentoring
MTSU is located about 35 miles from Nashville, allowing for students to be centrally linked to the state capital for internships and work opportunities as well as events. We are also situated centrally to thriving workforce economies in Murfreesboro, Franklin, Brentwood, and Chattanooga.
Pre-Law students are especially encouraged to pursue our Tennessee Legislative Internship Program, which allows them to work full-time at the State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as our Washington Center Internship Program which allows for full-time work in Washington, DC. These programs, in addition to our local internship options with entities such as the City of Murfreesboro and the Rutherford County government, provide a valuable supplement to your education.
The Department has a Director of Internships, Dr. Lisa Langenbach, who has decades of experience in teaching, research, and mentoring/advising students. Dr. Langenbach can help you create your plan for meeting your professional goals.
We routinely partner with MTSU resources across campus, such as the Career Development Center, to bring workshops and seminars to students. We also have an introductory course to Political Science and International Relations which teaches students about job hunting, resume/CVs, networking, what career paths are open to them, MTSU resources, and much more. This course incorporates selected Virtual Mentors — these are PGA grads who volunteer their time to mentor current students. We also provide free tutoring for several of our classes in the MTSU Walker Library or over Zoom.
Students are also appropriately prepared for continued education at the postgraduate level. Many of our PGA graduates go on to study in postgraduate schools across the world, including Washington, DC, London, New York City, Chicago, Nashville, and in our own MA in International Affairs program at MTSU.
Events & Community
The Department of Political & Global Affairs fosters a diverse, inclusive, and open community for all students to thrive. MTSU often hosts events and opportunities for professional and academic development, as well as for social and community involvement. PGA encourages students to get involved with our departmental student groups and competitive teams, independent and collaborative research, studying or interning abroad, volunteering, civic engagement, and taking care of your mental & physical health.
We often sponsor fun activities for students, such as an Annual PGA Bike Ride in Nashville, outings to sports events, intercultural potlucks, and more. Students are highly involved in departmental student groups and receive support from PGA.
Various departments across MTSU and the College of Liberal Arts will bring in speakers and guest lecturers. We share information relevant to PGA students on our social media pages and via email. See some past examples below.
Find More Information
If you are a current student in Political Science – Pre-Law, please use the drop down menu to see important news and resources available to you.
If you are a prospective Political Science – Pre-Law student, feel free to look through the available tabs and to contact us with any questions you have regarding the program, PGA, and MTSU.
Full Program Requirements can be found here.
Political Science Pre-Law Scholarships can be found here.
The Program Director for Pre-Law is Dr. Robb McDaniel (robb.mcdaniel@mtsu.edu).
Interested in MTSU Mock Trial? Click here.
You can submit a request for more information here.
We can be reached at pga@mtsu.edu or you may visit this page to learn how to apply today!
Our social media accounts are under the handle @mtsupga. You can follow us for daily updates and news.