Legal Studies
| Degree: | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
| Major: | Legal Studies |
| Minor: | Pre-Law |
| Department: | Administration and Law Building 70, Room 101 (850) 474-2036 https://uwf.edu/programs/ceps/legal-studies-ba/ |
| College: | Education and Professional Studies |
| CIP Code: | 22.0302 |
| Semester Hours Required For Degree: 120 | |
The Legal Studies Program provides students with a broad understanding of basic principles of law and the role and function of the legal system. While no specific major is prescribed for admission to law school, many pre-law students elect to major in Legal Studies. The Legal Studies Program, in addition to preparing students for law-related careers, provides a foundation for law school or other graduate education. All of the full-time Legal Studies faculty are attorneys who are graduates of ABA-Approved law schools and are available for law school advising. Legal Studies students are encouraged to work closely with Legal Studies Advisors in planning their programs. Satisfactory completion of program requirements leads to the degree of Bachelor of Arts with a major in Legal Studies.
Program Requirements
In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies must meet the requirements listed below. A grade of “C” is required for all courses listed as core courses.
Students may get credit for a maximum of 6 hours of Field Study / Internship / Directed Study. All PLA courses presume competency and experience with word processing, spreadsheets, databases, e-mail and Internet. Any course substitutions for specifically listed courses must be approved in advance, in writing by the Legal Studies Program Advisor.
General Education
In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.
General Education Curriculum:
Multicultural Requirement
Civic Literacy Requirement
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.
| Students Included in Cohort | Civic Literacy Competency Requirement |
| Cohort 1: Students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to fall 2018 | None |
| Cohort 2: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2018 – summer A 2021 | Complete a course or exam |
| Cohort 3: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in summer B 2021 (on or after July 1, 2021) and thereafter | Complete both a course and exam |
Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.
There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan.
Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.
Lower Division Electives
| Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to complete at least 60 semester hours in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement. | 24 | |
Legal Studies students planning to take the LSAT and seek admission to law school are encouraged to take courses that will strengthen their written and verbal communication skills as these are needed to be successful in law school.
Major
| UWF Legal Studies Core - minimum "C" required in all + | 18 | |
| Survey of American Law + | ||
| Law and Society + | ||
| Legal Research and Writing *,+ | ||
| The Legal System and Ethics + | ||
| Legal Advocacy *, + | ||
| Constitutional Law for the Legal Professional + | ||
| UWF Legal Studies Major Electives (choose 21 hours) Select any PLA 3/4000 level courses not taken as part of the core; some courses require a minimum GPA or prerequisites. Contact your advisor for additional information. + | 21 | |
| Total Hours | 39 | |
| + | Courses included in the major GPA |
* Students should complete PLA 2013 Survey of American Law and at least one of the following courses: PLA 3020 Law and Society PLA 3703 The Legal System and Ethics PLA 4263 Evidence PLA 4885 Constitutional Law for the Legal Professional before attempting to take PLA 3106 Legal Research and Writing. Students must complete before enrolling in PLA 4155 Legal Advocacy.
All Legal Studies majors must successfully complete PLA 4155 Legal Advocacy
notwithstanding any prior course work in legal research and writing.
Students can satisfy up to 6 hours of the Legal Studies Major Electives requirement with internship and/or directed study courses (the combination of these may not exceed 6 hours).
Major-Related
| Supporting Electives from Related Programs (12 hours) Criminal Justice (CCJ, CJL, CJE, CJC) History (HIS, EUH, AMH) Philosophy (PHI, PHM) Political Science/Government (POS, POT, INR) Public Administration (PAD, PUP) Business Administration (MAN, INP, GEB, ACG, FIN, BUL) | 12 | |
| Suggested/Approved Supporting Elective Courses from Related Programs offered at UWF : | ||
| Ethics, Philosophy and Critical Thought: | ||
| Greek Philosophy | ||
| Modern Philosophy | ||
| Modern Logic | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| Written and Verbal Interactions with Others | ||
| Leadership Communication | ||
| Business and Professional Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Writing for Business: Theory and Practice | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Management Fundamentals | ||
| Behavior in Organizations | ||
| Human Resources Management | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Interviewing and Recording | ||
| Financial Information: | ||
| Accounting for Non-Majors | ||
| Financial Planning with Business Applications | ||
| Business Foundations for Non-Business Majors | ||
| Law-Related: | ||
| Civil Rights | ||
| Legal and Ethical Environment of Business | ||
| Legal Fundamentals of Healthcare | ||
| International Organizations | ||
| Media Law and Ethics | ||
| Constitutional Law: Federalism and Separation of Powers | ||
| Constitutional Law: Individual Rights and Privileges | ||
| First Amendment Freedoms | ||
| The Founders' Constitution | ||
| Jurisprudence | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| Modern Masters of Political Thought | ||
| Public Policy | ||
| Sport Law and Risk Management | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Upper-Division Electives
| 9 | ||
Pre-Law
The Legal Studies Pre-Law Minor is meant as a supplement to majors other than Legal Studies and is for those who want a minimal background to prepare for law school or who want an introduction to terminology and basic ideas and skills related to the law and the legal profession. In contrast, the Legal Studies major emphasizes legal career preparation. Students who are considering attending law school are strongly encouraged to complete PLA 3106 Legal Research and Writing for the elective in this minor. Students who take PLA 3106 Legal Research and Writing should successfully complete at least one or two law-related courses before attempting this course. Contact a Legal Studies advisor who will assist in choosing appropriate courses. A minimum of 9 sh of upper division courses must be completed at UWF. Legal Studies majors may not earn this minor.
| PLA 2013 | Survey of American Law | 3 |
| PLA 3020 | Law and Society | 3 |
| Choose one: | 3 | |
| Evidence | ||
| Constitutional Law for the Legal Professional | ||
| Choose two: | 6 | |
3000/4000 level Legal Studies (PLA) courses (3-6 sh) | ||