Pre-Law
The range of possible careers for those who dream of becoming a lawyer is vast. Choose the pre-law academic track at Wheaton and study constitutional law, judicial politics, philosophy of law, international law and more in courses offered by several different academic departments designed to prepare you for law school. You’ll also be able to deepen your knowledge in criminology, which is part of Wheaton’s interdisciplinary major in criminal justice. A career in law can take you in many directions and with training in the liberal arts you will have the broad knowledge base required to pursue a career in criminal, environmental, family, real estate, international and immigration law, among many others.
Academic Preparation at Wheaton
Although a bachelor’s degree is required for law school, there is no particular major that is required or recommended. Pre-law students will not be at a disadvantage when applying to law school based on any major and should choose their major based on academic interest and abilities. Political science, history, English, philosophy and business are consistently among the most popular undergraduate majors for law students, but many law students have backgrounds in fields such as mathematics, biology or computer science.
Although there is no required pre-law major, law schools do look for students who have demonstrated an interest in law – in or out of the classroom – and challenged themselves academically and intellectually. Wheaton’s liberal arts education is well-tailored to helping students develop the skills necessary for success in law school including, critical thinking, analytical reasoning, effective communication and reading comprehension.
If students are interested in learning more about law, the legal process and judicial system while at Wheaton they can complete the Legal Studies minor. The Legal studies minor includes courses from both the philosophy and political science departments.
Aside from any particular course of study, undergraduate students should focus on academic success. The two factors that are most valued in the competitive law school application process are an applicant’s LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. Pre-law students with a strong GPA will be in the best position when they start to apply to law schools. Wheaton’s Pre-Law Advisor can help students choose the optimal strategy for them when taking the LSAT.