Law, Justice & Culture Early Assurance Program

• Complete a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in an accelerated program.
• Guarantee a seat in the master’s program by earning conditional admission now.
• Choose from a variety of undergraduate majors.
• Participate in the OHIO Honors Program.
• Strengthen skills in analytical and conceptual thinking, legal and scholarly research and writing, ethical and public interest concerns, public advocacy
• Engage with the challenges of law and justice in the 21st century.
• Prepare for careers in research and policy, public agencies, advocacy organizations, private companies, and nonprofits.
• Prepare for law school and Ph.D. programs.

High school students who have already been admitted to Ohio University can Apply Now.

About the Program

• A Community & Courses Focused on Law, Justice & Culture
• Benefits of the Program
• Admission Requirements & Application Process
• Program Requirements
• Loss of EAP Admission Status

Outstanding high school seniors are invited to apply for Ohio University’s Early Assurance Program for the Master of Arts in Law, Justice & Culture.

Early Assurance Program students apply for admission to the M.A. in Law, Justice & Culture program while they are still in high school, and a seat in the master’s program is reserved for them as long as they maintain program requirements during their undergraduate time at OHIO.

Students accepted into the Early Assurance Program will be able to start taking graduate courses while completing their bachelor’s degree. Depending on their incoming credits, students can complete both their undergraduate bachelor and graduate M.A. degrees in four or five years.

Students can choose from a variety of undergraduate majors:

• African American Studies
• Anthropology
• English
• Geography and Geography Pre-Law
• History and History Pre-Law
• Philosophy and Philosophy Pre-Law
• Political Science and Political Science Pre-Law
• Sociology, Sociology-Criminology and Sociology Pre-Law

All students accepted into the EAP program are invited to participate in the OHIO Honors Program. No additional application is necessary.

A Community & Courses Focused on Law, Justice & Culture

From their first undergraduate semester at Ohio University, students in the Early Assurance Program join the community of students and faculty in the Center for Law, Justice & Culture who are committed to analyzing law in relation to culture, society, politics, and power in U.S. and international contexts. The center provides an array of guest speakers and events, student organizations and mock trial teams, as well as dedicated pre-law advising.

As students pursue their major requirements in relevant disciplines, they also pursue interdisciplinary coursework focusing on the challenges of law and justice in the 21st century.

As they advance through their undergraduate study, EAP students participate in high-impact curricular and co-curricular opportunities including law-related study abroad courses, internships, student organizations, and independent research.

During the senior year, EAP students take a combination of undergraduate and graduate classes, which count for graduate credit. After completing the undergraduate degree, students transition into the M.A. program.

Finally, students complete a master’s degree in just one year of full-time graduate study.

The Center for Law, Justice & Culture offers research-driven teaching by faculty members with national and global expertise in their fields. It strengthens skills in analytical and conceptual thinking, legal and scholarly research and writing, ethical and public interest concerns, public advocacy, and active engagement with the challenges of law and justice in the 21st century.

By combining an bachelor’s degree with the master’s-level graduate training, the Law, Justice & Culture program prepares graduates for careers in research and policy, public agencies, advocacy organizations, private companies, and nonprofits, as well as law school and Ph.D. programs.

Benefits of the Law, Justice & Culture Early Assurance Program

• All students accepted into the Early Assurance Program are invited to participate in the OHIO Honors Program.
• Early Assurance Program students apply for admission to the M.A. in Law, Justice & Culture program while they are still in high school, and a seat in the master’s program is reserved for them as long as they meet the program requirements during their undergraduate time at OHIO.
• Students may take two graduate courses for graduate credit in the senior year – enabling them to accelerate their master’s study.
• Early Assurance Program students pursue interdisciplinary curricular and co-curricular opportunities that offer interdisciplinary training in law and society studies.
• Students have access to programming and activities that provide a firsthand look into legal careers as well as law-related careers in in research and policy, public agencies, advocacy organizations, private companies, and nonprofits.
• Students benefit from mentoring and guidance from faculty as well as a dedicated pre-law adviser.

Law, Justice & Culture EAP Program Requirements

During their first three to four years at OHIO, depending on their incoming credits, students complete major and general education requirements. In the final year of undergraduate study, they begin graduate coursework.

To remain eligible in the EAP program, students must:

• Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 through fall semester of the final year of undergraduate study.
• Demonstrate that they have maintained uninterrupted undergraduate enrollment every semester (summer terms optional) until undergraduate degree program requirements have been satisfied.
• Maintain contact every semester with the Center for Law, Justice & Culture pre-law adviser to ensure that all requirements are being satisfied for matriculation into the master’s program.

Loss of EAP Admission Status

A student admitted to the Law, Justice & Culture Early Assurance Program will lose conditional admission status in the M.A. program if any of the following occur during the completion of the undergraduate degree program:

• Withdrawal from Ohio University.
• Violation of a standard of academic or ethical conduct policy or any other applicable policy of Ohio University where the potential outcome could result in a failing assignment or exam grade, a failing course grade, or disciplinary action (including but not limited to probation, suspension, expulsion, or removal from the university). All such violations will be handled through appropriate Ohio University policies and notification will be sent to the Law, Justice & Culture Graduate Director to reflect the infraction(s) and any institutional action. The determination of whether such a violation could result in the removal of conditional admission status into the M.A. program will be determined by the Graduate Director in consultation with the Graduate Curriculum Committee. Such a determination is appealable to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences of Ohio University.
• Failure to submit the application packet including all required application materials to the Ohio University Center for Law, Justice & Culture by the specified deadlines.
• Failure to meet  with the CLJC pre-law adviser at least once per semester.
• Failure to maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA.

Failure to complete the program requirements and/or program violations described here will result in the revocation of conditional admission status to the Ohio University M.A. in Law, Justice & Culture program. However, students who lose their conditional admission status may still choose to apply to the M.A. degree program through the regular admission process.