History Pre-Law Major B.A.

• Opportunities for undergraduate research with renowned faculty
• Courses in American, European, African, Asian, Latin American, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern history
• Preparation for law school and legal careers

Faculty Contacts: Dr. Jaclyn Maxwell, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Kevin Uhalde, History Pre-Law Adviser

History Pre-law Advising

OHIO Pre-law Advising

Admissions Information

Degree Requirements

Sample 4-Year Program

Program Overview

History's emphasis on reading and interpreting evidence, appreciating context, and writing makes it an ideal major for students preparing for law school.

The specific intra- and extra-departmental requirements of the Ohio University history program have been tailored to provide the knowledge base, intellectual rigor, and academic skills necessary to prepare students for law school and a legal career. History pre-law majors benefit from requirements that ensure chronological and geographical breadth and depth of knowledge while allowing for the opportunity to focus on courses especially useful for law school preparation.

Majors must take three introductory courses covering three geographical areas. They will take one course in World History (select from HIST 1320, 1330, 2270, 2460, 2905); one course in European History (select from HIST 1210, 1220, 2300, 2530); and one course in U.S. History (select from HIST 2000 or 2010). Majors also are strongly encouraged to take HIST 2950: Freshman/Sophomore Seminar in the spring semester of the first or second year of study.

At the advanced level, students take a research and writing course (HIST 3111J) and 21 additional semester hours in upper division courses (at or above HIST 3000). They will need to take one course in two of the three geographical areas (U.S., Europe and World) and one course in two of the three chronological areas (pre-modern, early modern, and modern). They also will need to complete two history courses identified within the pre-law track and two extra-departmental requirements, the vast majority of which also meet College of Arts & Science distribution requirements.

Graduation with a B.A. in history pre-law requires the successful completion of College of Arts & Science requirements, 30 semester hours in history (+ the HIST 3111J course which also meets the University J requirement), and a 2.0 overall minimum G.P.A in the major.

Careers and Graduate School

Students who study History - Prelaw at Ohio University have been admitted to top law programs nationwide and within Ohio. For those interested in pursuing a career upon graduation, history majors have gone on to successful careers in business, government service, publishing, teaching, consulting, medicine, law, and museum work. Several recent generous donations given to the department by former students further testify to the fact that pursuing a degree in history at Ohio University can lead to future success.

Browse through dozens of internship opportunities and full-time job postings for Ohio University students and alumni on Handshake, OHIO’s key resource for researching jobs, employers, workshops, and professional development events.

Prelaw Advising

Preparing for law school requires careful thought and long-range planning. One of the most important decisions that students must make involves what to major in during the undergraduate years.

Students can major in any academic subject and gain admission to law school as long as their coursework indicates that they have acquired the skills and knowledge needed to undergo the rigors of legal study.

However, it is not a coincidence that most law school entering classes contain significant numbers of history majors. Law school admissions committees know that the study of history, if pursued properly, enables students to master the three crucial skills needed to succeed in law school: the ability to write clearly, the ability to interpret complex subjects, and the ability to read efficiently and effectively. In addition, a well-grounded familiarity with history is considered by many law professors to be vital in mastering the complexities of the American legal system and international law. A student's chances of gaining admission to law school and the ability to make the transition between undergraduate work and legal study will be greatly assisted by concentrating upon the discipline of history.

The History Pre-law program at Ohio University centers on expert, timely advising from the freshman year through senior year. In your freshman and sophomore years, the departmental adviser helps students select the best set of courses to assist them in preparing for law school. In the junior year, the History Pre-law Adviser helps students plan out a course of action to insure that they are prepared for the LSAT and the law school admission process. In the senior year, the History Pre-law Adviser helps students with the application process and the difficult decisions involving where to apply and ultimately where to attend. The quality of Pre-law Advising in the History Department is well-known at the university, and has prompted pre-law students from a variety of other colleges and programs to become informal advisees. Nevertheless, it is the History Pre-law students who receive advising priority and benefit from four years of assistance.

History Pre-law students in the recent past have been admitted to the following Law Schools:

• Cornell University
• Stanford University
• Yale University
• University of Michigan
• Ohio State University
• Case Western Reserve
• Duquesne University
• William and Mary
• Boston University
• Tulane University
• New York University
• George Washington University
• University of Cincinnati
• Capital University
• University of Akron

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission: No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy: No selective or limited admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

• Sample 4-Year Program
• Major code BA4214

University-wide Graduation Requirements

To complete this program, students must meet all University-wide graduation requirements.

College-Level Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences

View the College-Level Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences.

History Pre-law Hours Requirement

Complete a total of 33 semester credit hours of HIST coursework, including all of the requirements below.

Note: The requirements below are from the 2019-20 catalog. Students should consult their academic advisers or pre-law adviser about previous catalogs.

Introductory History

Introductory History Courses

Complete ONE course from each of the following three geographical areas:

Component A: European History

Complete ONE of the following courses from European history:

• HIST 1210 - Western Civilization: Antiquity to 1500 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 1220 - Western Civilization: Modernity from 1500 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 1222 - Medieval History in Film & Literature Credit Hours: 4
• HIST 2300 - Capitalism and Its Critics: An Intellectual History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 2530 - Life, Love, and Death in the Medieval World Credit Hours: 3

Component B: World History

Complete ONE of the following courses in World history:

• HIST 1320 - Introduction to World History Before 1750 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 1330 - Introduction to World History Since 1750 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 2270 - The Middle East and the World Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 2460 - The Rise of Modern Asia Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 2905 - Technology in World History Credit Hours: 3

Component C: United States History

Complete ONE of the following courses in United States history:

• HIST 2000 - Survey of United States History, 1600-1877 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History, 1865-present Credit Hours: 3

Historical Research and Writing

Complete the following course at the beginning of the junior year:

• HIST 3111J - Historical Research and Writing Credit Hours: 3

History Major Part II

Section I: Elective Courses

Complete a total of 21 hours of history courses at 3000 and above. Courses taken at and above 3000 to meet the Chronological and Geographical requirements will also count toward the elective requirement. Some courses may meet both a Chronological and Geographical requirement.

Section 2: Chronological History Course Requirement

Courses taken at or above 3000 to meet the Chronological History Course requirements will also count toward the elective requirements.

Complete one course from two of the three following components.

Component A: Pre-Modern History

Complete one of the following courses in World or European history:

World

• HIST 3290 - Ancient Near East: Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3370 - Middle East History 600 to 1500 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3450 - Southeast Asia to c. 1750: The Creative Synthesis Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3463 - History of China from Antiquity to the Early Modern Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3480 - Traditional Japan Credit Hours: 3

Or Europe

• HIST 3291 - Ancient Greece Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3292 - Ancient Rome Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3293 - World of Late Antiquity: Culture and Society in the Late Roman Empire Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3501 - Nature, Science and Religion to 1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3520 - Roman Law & Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3521 - Medieval Law and Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3531 - Vikings - Saxons - Franks: Western Europe, 476-1066 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3532 - History of the Crusades Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3533 - Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1350 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3540 - History of Early Christianity Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3541 - Medieval Christianity: Church and Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3555 - Women in Medieval Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3560 - The Italian Renaissance Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3562 - Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the History of Medieval Spain Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4536 - Eternal Rome: Power and Piety Credit Hours: 3

Component B: Early Modern History

Complete one of the following courses in World, European, or North American History:

World

• HIST 3000 - Atlantic History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3230 - Latin American History: The Colonial Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3270 - Slavery in the Americas Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3410 - History of Africa to 1850 Credit Hours: 3

Or Europe

• HIST 3542 - The European Reformation Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3580 - Power and Revolution in Early Modern Europe, 1450-1650 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3581 - Politics, Power and People in Europe, 1650-1775 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3600 - Women in Early Modern European History, 1400-1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3710 - Magic, Heresy and Witchcraft in Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3715 - Sex, Crime and Deviance in Europe, 1200-1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3820 - History of Russia Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3860 - Shakespeare’s England, 1450-1603 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3861 - Revolutionary Britain, 1603-1702 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3862 - English History to 1688 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3864 - Making Modern Britain, 1702-1815 Credit Hours: 3

Or North American

• HIST 3002 - Colonial British North America Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3004 - Revolutionary Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3008 - Early U.S. Republic Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3018 - History of the American South to 1900 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3020 - Survey of American Indian History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3200 - Women in American History Before 1877 Credit Hours: 3

Component C: Modern History

Complete one of the following courses in World, European, or North American history:

World

• HIST 3231 - Latin American History: From Independence to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3233 - The History of Modern Mexico Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3250 - History of U.S.- Latin American Relations Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3301 - African History Through Film Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3330 - Oil, the Persian Gulf, and World Power Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3360 - History of North Africa Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3371 - Middle East History 1500 to the present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3372 - Protest, Rebellion, and Revolution in the Modern Middle East Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3390 - Women in African History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3411 - History of Africa Since 1850 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3420 - History of South Africa Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3451 - Southeast Asia, c. 1750 to 1945: Change and Conflict Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3452 - Southeast Asia, 1945 to the Present: The Search for Stability Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3464 - History of China from the Early Modern Era to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3481 - Modern Japan Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3500 - Science and Society in the Modern World Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3742 - The Cold War, 1941-1989 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3790 - History of Sea Power Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3866 - Afghan Wars Credit Hours: 3

Or Europe

• HIST 3213 - War, Violence, Modernity Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3281 - Jewish History Since 1492 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3550 - The Age of Darwin; 1800-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3640 - Europe Between World Wars, 1919-1939 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3641 - Contemporary Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3680 - Germany in the 19th- Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3681 - Germany in the 20th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3682 - Nazi Germany Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3683 - Germany between East and West since 1945 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3731 - Balkan dreams and nightmares: Southeastern Europe from 1908 to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3741 - Origins of World War II, 1914-1941 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3750 - World War I Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3770 - The Holocaust Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3791 - Britain and the World since 1970 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3821 - Russia: Road to Revolution 1825-1917 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3822 - Soviet Union Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3823 - The USSR in World War II Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3831 - Modern Poland: War, Revolution and Peace from 1905 to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3840 - Ethnic Cleansing in Modern European History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3865 - Churchill’s Britain Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3867 - British Empire in the 19th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3868 - British Empire in the 20th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4770 - Perspectives on the Holocaust: Sources and Interpretation Credit Hours: 3

Or North American

• HIST 3030 - United States in World War II Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3050 - The United States and the Vietnam War Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3060 - American Environmental History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3070 - Famous Trials in American History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3081 - The Civil War and its Aftermath Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3090 - American Constitutional History, Part 1: Origins to Reconstruction Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3095 - American Constitutional History, 1880s-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3100 - Emergence of the Modern United States: Progressive Era and Roaring Twenties Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3104 - United States, 1945-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3106 - History of American Conservatism Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3110 - History of Public Health Disasters Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3140 - Pop/High Culture in 20th Century America Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3144 - US Social History in the 20th century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3146 - American Ideas, 20th- Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3148 - Cultural Rebels in the Modern U.S. Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3150 - Survey of African American History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3162 - History of U.S. Involvement in World Affairs, 1898-1945 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3164 - History of U.S. Involvement in World Affairs, 1945-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3170 - Survey of Ohio History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3201 - Women in American History Since 1877 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3202 - Women’s Health and Medicine in U.S. History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3211 - American Military History, 1600-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3220 - 1960s in U.S.: Decade of Controversy Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3224 - The 1980s in the U.S.: The Age of Reagan and Madonna Credit Hours: 3

Section 3: Geographical History Course Requirement

Courses taken at or above 3000 to meet the Geographical History Course requirements will also count toward the elective requirement.

Complete one course from each of the three components.

Component A: World History

Complete one of the following courses in Pre-Modern, Early Modern, or Modern History:

Pre-Modern

• HIST 3290 - Ancient Near East: Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3370 - Middle East History 600 to 1500 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3450 - Southeast Asia to c. 1750: The Creative Synthesis Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3463 - History of China from Antiquity to the Early Modern Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3480 - Traditional Japan Credit Hours: 3

Early Modern

• HIST 3000 - Atlantic History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3230 - Latin American History: The Colonial Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3270 - Slavery in the Americas Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3410 - History of Africa to 1850 Credit Hours: 3

OR Modern

• HIST 3231 - Latin American History: From Independence to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3233 - The History of Modern Mexico Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3250 - History of U.S.- Latin American Relations Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3301 - African History Through Film Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3330 - Oil, the Persian Gulf, and World Power Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3360 - History of North Africa Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3371 - Middle East History 1500 to the present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3372 - Protest, Rebellion, and Revolution in the Modern Middle East Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3390 - Women in African History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3411 - History of Africa Since 1850 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3420 - History of South Africa Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3451 - Southeast Asia, c. 1750 to 1945: Change and Conflict Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3452 - Southeast Asia, 1945 to the Present: The Search for Stability Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3464 - History of China from the Early Modern Era to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3481 - Modern Japan Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3500 - Science and Society in the Modern World Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3742 - The Cold War, 1941-1989 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3790 - History of Sea Power Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3866 - Afghan Wars Credit Hours: 3

OR General

• HIST 3232 - History of Brazil Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3320 - Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Middle East History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3440 - History of Vietnam Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4902 - Colloquium in Latin American History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4904 - Colloquium in the History of Southeast Asia Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4905 - Colloquium in Middle Eastern History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4906 - Colloquium in African History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4907 - Colloquium in East Asian History Credit Hours: 3

Component B: European History

Pre-Modern

• HIST 3291 - Ancient Greece Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3292 - Ancient Rome Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3293 - World of Late Antiquity: Culture and Society in the Late Roman Empire Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3501 - Nature, Science and Religion to 1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3520 - Roman Law & Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3521 - Medieval Law and Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3531 - Vikings - Saxons - Franks: Western Europe, 476-1066 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3532 - History of the Crusades Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3533 - Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1350 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3540 - History of Early Christianity Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3541 - Medieval Christianity: Church and Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3555 - Women in Medieval Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3560 - The Italian Renaissance Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3562 - Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the History of Medieval Spain Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4536 - Eternal Rome: Power and Piety Credit Hours: 3

OR Early Modern

• HIST 3542 - The European Reformation Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3580 - Power and Revolution in Early Modern Europe, 1450-1650 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3581 - Politics, Power and People in Europe, 1650-1775 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3600 - Women in Early Modern European History, 1400-1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3710 - Magic, Heresy and Witchcraft in Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3715 - Sex, Crime and Deviance in Europe, 1200-1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3820 - History of Russia Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3860 - Shakespeare’s England, 1450-1603 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3861 - Revolutionary Britain, 1603-1702 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3862 - English History to 1688 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3864 - Making Modern Britain, 1702-1815 Credit Hours: 3

Modern

• HIST 3213 - War, Violence, Modernity Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3281 - Jewish History Since 1492 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3550 - The Age of Darwin Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3640 - Europe Between World Wars, 1919-1939 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3641 - Contemporary Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3680 - Germany in the 19th- Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3681 - Germany in the 20th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3682 - Nazi Germany Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3683 - Germany between East and West since 1945 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3731 - Balkan dreams and nightmares: Southeastern Europe from 1908 to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3741 - Origins of World War II, 1914-1941 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3750 - World War I Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3770 - The Holocaust Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3791 - Britain and the World since 1970 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3821 - Russia: Road to Revolution 1825-1917 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3822 - Soviet Union Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3823 - The USSR in World War II Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3831 - Modern Poland: War, Revolution and Peace from 1905 to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3840 - Ethnic Cleansing in Modern European History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3865 - Churchill’s Britain Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3867 - British Empire in the 19th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3868 - British Empire in the 20th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4770 - Perspectives on the Holocaust: Sources and Interpretation Credit Hours: 3

Or General

• HIST 4903 - Colloquium in European History Credit Hours: 3

Component C: North American History

Early Modern

• HIST 3002 - Colonial British North America Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3004 - Revolutionary Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3008 - Early U.S. Republic Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3018 - History of the American South to 1900 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3020 - Survey of American Indian History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3200 - Women in American History Before 1877 Credit Hours: 3

OR Modern

• HIST 3030 - United States in World War II Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3050 - The United States and the Vietnam War Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3060 - American Environmental History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3070 - Famous Trials in American History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3081 - The Civil War and its Aftermath Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3090 - American Constitutional History, Part 1: Origins to Reconstruction Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3095 - American Constitutional History, 1880s-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3100 - Emergence of the Modern United States: Progressive Era and Roaring Twenties Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3104 - United States, 1945-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3106 - History of American Conservatism Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3110 - History of Public Health Disasters Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3140 - Pop/High Culture in 20th Century America Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3144 - US Social History in the 20th century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3146 - American Ideas, 20th- Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3148 - Cultural Rebels in the Modern U.S. Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3150 - Survey of African American History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3162 - History of U.S. Involvement in World Affairs, 1898-1945 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3164 - History of U.S. Involvement in World Affairs, 1945-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3170 - Survey of Ohio History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3201 - Women in American History Since 1877 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3202 - Women’s Health and Medicine in U.S. History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3211 - American Military History, 1600-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3220 - 1960s in U.S.: Decade of Controversy Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3224 - The 1980s in the U.S.: The Age of Reagan and Madonna Credit Hours: 3

OR General

• HIST 4901 - Colloquium in United States History Credit Hours: 3

Prelaw History Major Intra-departmental Requirements

Complete two of the following courses. They may also satisfy the Chronological and Geographical requirements for your major.

• HIST 3004 - Revolutionary Era Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3008 - Early U.S. Republic Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3018 - History of the American South to 1900 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3060 - American Environmental History Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3081 - The Civil War and its Aftermath Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3104 - United States, 1945-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3106 - History of American Conservatism Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3146 - American Ideas, 20th- Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3164 - History of U.S. Involvement in World Affairs, 1945-Present Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3200 - Women in American History Before 1877 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3201 - Women in American History Since 1877 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3220 - 1960s in U.S.: Decade of Controversy Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3224 - The 1980s in the U.S.: The Age of Reagan and Madonna Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3270 - Slavery in the Americas Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3520 - Roman Law & Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3521 - Medieval Law and Society Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3533 - Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1350 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3555 - Women in Medieval Europe Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3715 - Sex, Crime and Deviance in Europe, 1200-1800 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3860 - Shakespeare’s England, 1450-1603 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3861 - Revolutionary Britain, 1603-1702 Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 3867 - British Empire in the 19th Century Credit Hours: 3
• HIST 4500 - The New Deal and Its Challengers, 1933-1945 Credit Hours: 3
• T3 4070 - Sin and Sex in Western Legal History Credit Hours: 3

Prelaw History Major Extra-departmental Requirements

Complete two of the following courses. Most of them will also fulfill your Arts and Sciences breadth requirements.

• AAS 2540 - History of Injustice in the United States Credit Hours: 3
• AAS 3680 - African American Political Thought Credit Hours: 3
• AAS 3691 - U.S. Constitutional Law: Pre-Civil Rights Movements Credit Hours: 3
• ANTH 3530 - Anthropology of Violence and Peace Credit Hours: 3
• ANTH 4620 - Human Rights, Law and Justice Credit Hours: 3
• BUSL 2000 - Law and Society Credit Hours: 3
• CAS 2500 - Breaking the Law Theme Seminar Credit Hours: 4
• COMS 2020 - Communication and Persuasion Credit Hours: 3
• COMS 2150 - Argumentative Analysis and Advocacy Credit Hours: 3
• ECON 3160 - Economics and the Law Credit Hours: 3
• ECON 3340 - Economics of Antitrust Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3290 - Rhetoric and Law Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3570 - Law and Literature Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3250 - Political Geography Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3270 - Social Geographies Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 3460 - Environmental Law Credit Hours: 3
• GEOG 4520 - Environmental and Sustainability Planning Credit Hours: 3
• LJC 2000 - Core Course in Law, Justice, & Culture Credit Hours: 3
• PHIL 1300 - Introduction to Ethics Credit Hours: 3
• PHIL 2400 - Social and Political Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 2200 - The Politics of Law Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 2500 - International Relations Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 4010 - American Constitutional Law Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 4040 - Civil Liberties Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 4210 - The Politics of Law and Sexuality Credit Hours: 3
• POLS 4550 - International Law Credit Hours: 3
• PSY 3520 - Social Psychology of Justice Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 2600 - Criminal Justice Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3600 - Criminology Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3630 - Juvenile Delinquency Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3640 - Police and Society Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3660 - Punishment and Society Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 3670 - Corporate and Governmental Crime Credit Hours: 3
• SOC 4640 - Law in Societies Credit Hours: 3

Preparation for Law

If you plan to enter law school after earning an undergraduate degree, it is prudent to choose a major that reflects your true academic interest. Law schools draw students from a variety of majors, and history has proven to be one of the most successful in launching students toward successful careers in law. This is because our courses provide an understanding of the context within which the western legal tradition emerged.  They explain the impact that laws and courts have had on shaping society and, conversely, how societal change has reshaped legal practice. As critically the habits of a historian teach students to read and contextualize evidence, to consider multiple perspectives, and to frame and express arguments, skills that numerous lawyers and administrators of law schools suggest are the closest approximation of legal practice that can be simulated in an undergraduate curriculum.   

In addition to our diverse array of history courses, you are advised to use your general electives to take other courses helpful in enhancing your analytical abilities. Those may include courses from English composition and literature, American literature, political science, economics, sociology, philosophy (include ethics and logic), accounting, psychology, and a foreign language. Courses in speech, and training in expression, as well as activities that develop the capacity for independent thought and action, are recommended.

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that to enter law school you must be able to show possession of an undergraduate degree from an approved college if you wish to take the Ohio Bar Examination. Law schools in the State of Ohio require the degree of all entering students, regardless of the state in which they plan to take the bar examination. More general information regarding prelaw can be found on the college pre-law pages.