Program

The Law and Politics major is designed to offer students a focused course of study of law and politics in the liberal arts tradition.  The core curriculum will expose students to some of the dominant approaches to the study of law and politics. 

Students with a stronger interest in politics would choose a more in depth study of politics by following the politics track of the curriculum.  This track is designed to deepen a student’s understanding of politics by focusing the student’s studies in two subfields of political science in preparation for a Senior Seminar course and a Senior Thesis. 

Students with a stronger interest in law, or who plan to attend law school, would choose the law track of the curriculum. This track is designed to emphasize specific courses to hone a student’s exposure to law, to sharpen legal thinking and to strengthen legal writing skills in preparation for a profession in the field of law. 

Both tracks are designed to develop the ability to think, write, speak, and act thoughtfully, ethically, and competently about politics.

• Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental political processes, institutions, actors, behavior, and ideas in the United States; and familiarity with major theories, methods, and concepts in Political Science.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how other countries might differ from the United States in political systems and why.
• Demonstrate proficiency in thinking systematically about political interactions in national, global, and international contexts.
• Develop and demonstrate an understanding of both the power of law and the limits of law to alter social and political arrangements.
• Demonstrate proficiency in thinking systematically about the ethical dimensions of politics and law.
• Demonstrate ability to write effectively, engage in intellectually grounded debate, and form, express, and critically evaluate different arguments.
• Assess original and secondary sources of argumentation and evidence, apply scholarly findings to new situations, and express those findings in writing and in independent research.
• Gain intellectual and social skills for graduate work and employment.

• Combines a contemporary approach to political science with a classical emphasis on the philosophy and history of the study of politics and law
• A unique two-track part of the major that allows student to focus on their area of interest (law or politics)
• Drawing on the strength of the Dominican tradition, the program emphasizes a rigorous scientific and analytic approach to politics and law while asking the larger ethical questions of how politics and the law can contribute to the public good