The Law and Justice Minor is designed for students who have a special interest in the areas of public law, criminal justice and political theory. It provides a broad understanding of the interplay between law and politics, of the administrative dimensions of law enforcement and criminal justice processes and of the legal and theoretical dimensions of political life. This minor is especially suitable for students interested in careers in law, government, criminal justice agencies and judicial administration as well as for students interested in graduate and professional education in law, political science of criminal justice. No courses for the minor may be taken for S/U credit.

The Law and Justice Minor is designed so that students will:

• Develop an understanding of the role of law and the legal system in the larger political, economic and social contexts in which they function.
• Learn to analyze writings in the field and to communicate effectively ideas concerning law and justice issues both orally and in writing.
• Think analytically about ethical issues and societal responsibilities attached to actors within the justice system.
• Understand the interplay of law and politics in addressing important issues in national as well as international communities
• Study the role of law and legal institutions from a political system perspective.
• Develop a thorough familiarity with the workings of the entire justice system, both in theory and in practice.

Admissions and Certification of Minor

The minor will be administered by an advisory committee consisting of four members of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. Students interested in declaring a minor in Law and Justice should contact the minor coordinator listed below. The minor must be completed no later than the semester in which the student expects to graduate from their degree program.

Contact Person

Casey Champaign
Academic Advisor
919.515.5052
cnhuntin@ncsu.edu

SIS Code:  16LJM

Plan Requirements

• Completion of 15 credit hours of course work.
  • Those 15 credit hours must include five courses selected from the program approved elective course list.
  • One of the five courses must be a 400-level or above senior seminar.
• Earn a C- or better in each course.
• A 2.0 GPA is required in the minor course work.
• Residency requirement: A minimum of nine credit hours must be completed at NC State University, three of which must be the 400-level or above senior seminar.
• Students completing a major in Political Science (B.A. or B.S.) may not minor in Law and Justice.
• A maximum of ONE (1) course may be used (double-counted) towards departmental major(s) requirements and/or requirements for additional minor(s).

Course List

Code	Title	Hours	Counts towards
Elective Courses		12
PS 305	The Justice System in the American Political Process
PS 307	Introduction to Criminal Law in the United States
PS 308	Supreme Court and Public Policy
PS 309	Equality and Justice in United States Law
PS 313	Criminal Justice Policy
PS 320	U.S. Environmental Law and Politics
PS 335	International Law
PS 361	Introduction to Political Theory
PS 362	American Political Thought
PS 415	Administration of Justice
PS 418	Gender Law and Policies
PS 445	Comparative Systems of Law and Justice
PS 462	Seminar in Political Theory
PS 506	United States Constitutional Law
PS 507	Civil Liberties In the United States

Course List

Code	Title	Hours	Counts towards
Elective Courses 400+		3
PS 415	Administration of Justice
PS 418	Gender Law and Policies
PS 445	Comparative Systems of Law and Justice
PS 462	Seminar in Political Theory
PS 506	United States Constitutional Law
PS 507	Civil Liberties In the United States

Residency requirement: Nine credit hours must be completed at NC State University in order to complete the minor.