Below are the requirements for the Law and Society concentration for students entering prior to Fall 2008. The concentration has since been revised.
Advisory
Board: Dr. Mark
Tunick, Dr. Martin Sweet
Description: The concentration in law and
society seeks to give students a deep understanding
of the role law plays in resolving conflicts
within and between societies and in realizing
a just political order. The study of law
and justice has a rich humanistic tradition
and involves reflection on fundamental
values from multiple perspectives. Students
may address topics such as abortion rights,
civil rights, environmental protection,
euthanasia, or the insanity defense by
drawing on disciplines such as political
science, sociology, philosophy, economics,
literature, history, anthropology, the
natural sciences, and psychology.
The law and society concentration is excellent
preparation for students intending to attend
law school. It is not, however, a "pre-law" program.
Law schools do not require applicants to
have any prior knowledge of the law, and
assume that students will learn all they
need to know to practice law while in law
school. The intention of the law and society
concentration is not to provide the knowledge
one acquires in law school about the "black
letter law," or what the law is in
a given jurisdiction, but rather, to use
the law as a focal point in the students'
liberal arts education. Law schools seek
applicants with strong critical thinking
and communication skills and a commitment
to the study of law, and completion of
a law and society concentration should
demonstrate that these criteria are amply
met.
Depending on their selection of courses
and use of electives outside the concentration,
students concentrating in law and society
can be prepared to do graduate work in
a number of disciplines such as political
science, history, or sociology; students
considering these options should consult
faculty in those areas. A law and society
concentration provides excellent preparation
for law or business school or careers in
fields such as journalism, public affairs,
education, and government.
Honors
Constitutional Law I or
Honors Constitutional Law II
3
Electives (see below)
24
IDS 4970
Honors Thesis in Law
and Society
6
Total Credits
36
Electives: In addition to POS 3691 and
one course in Constitutional law, concentrators
must take 24 credits of elective courses
with a substantial content in or bearing
on law. Except by special petition, at
least 12 credits of these must be 3000-level
or above courses and students are reminded
that they need 45 credits of 3000 or
4000 level courses to graduate. Students
choose from courses listed below. Other
FAU courses may be used only with prior
approval of the Concentration Advisor.
Up to 9 of the 24 credits may be from
courses that provide background within
a discipline that is needed to pursue
advanced courses in that discipline that
have a substantial content in law or
serve as preparation for the honors thesis:
for example, an honors introductory course
in economics that is a prerequisite for
taking an upper-division course in economics
and law; or an introductory course in
psychology that is a prerequisite for
an upper division course on psychology
and the law or that prepares the student
to write a thesis on the insanity defense.
Courses used to satisfy the SBA or CIV
requirements of the Honors Core can not
be used towards this concentration. Except
by special petition, no more than two
non-Honors courses may be used to satisfy
the requirements of the Concentration
and they may be counted only when no
equivalent course is offered at the Honors
College.
Course Number
Course Name
AMH
2010
Honors
U.S. History to 1877
AMH 2020
Honors U.S. History Since 1877
AMH 4932
Honors Violence in America
ANT 4930
Honors Islam in World Culture
ECP 3451
Honors Law and Economics
EVR 4930
Honors Environmental Disputes
HIS 1933
Honors The Civil Rights Movement
IDS 4933
Honors Anthropology and Law
IDS 3932
Honors Ethics in Business, Govt and Society
IDS 3932
Honors Hijab: Women and Boundaries in Islamic Cultures
PHI 2642
Honors Ethics of Social Diversity
PHI 3644
Honors Obligations
PHP 3502
Honors Hegel's Political Philosophy
PHH 3100
Honors Ancient Greek Philosophy
PHI 4930
Honors American Pragmatism
PHI 4930
Honors Investigating Scientific Investigation
POS 2692
Honors Punishment
POS 3734
Honors Research Methods
POS 4603
Honors U.S. Constitutional Law I
POS 4604
Honors U.S. Constitutional Law II
POS 3626
Honors Privacy
POS 4685
Honors American Legal Development
POS 4932
Honors Race, Gender, Diversity and Law
POS 4932
Honors Legal Ethics and Professionalism
POS 4932
Honors Political Sociology
POT 3021
Honors History of Political Theory
POT 3022
Honors History of Political Thought I
POT 3023
Honors History of Political Thought II
SYG 1000
Honors Introduction Sociology
SYD 4792
Honors Race, Gender, Class, Sexuality and Science
SOP 3004
Honors Principles of Social Psychology
WST 4504
Honors Feminist Theory
WST 3015
Honors Introduction to Women's Studies
Total Credits
All students concentrating in law and
society are strongly encouraged to participate
in an internship or study abroad program
with a substantial content in law.
