Pre-Law Concentration

Students in this concentration take a broad selection of courses in English and American literature, expository and professional writing, language and rhetoric. The program emphasizes oral and written communication, critical analysis, and scholarly research, providing guided practice in the kinds of skill important to legal studies and the practice of law. Of the 33 credit hours required for the major, students select 6 hours as electives. Students in this concentration will leave with skill in language, research, and analysis that are valuable not only in law, but also in business and industry, publishing, public service, and education. Students who wish to conclude their sequence by writing a thesis, must qualify for and enter the English Departmental Honors Program.

Pre-Law Requirements

Lower Division Courses (6 hours)
Analysis of Literature (Eng 250)
Expository Writing (Eng 220) or Traditional Grammar (Eng 240)

Literature Surveys (9 hours)
English 294 through 297:

Major Author Course (3 hours)
Early or Later Shakespeare (Eng 352 or 353)

300/400-Level Required (9 hours)

• American Literature (At least one from Eng 460 through 463, or 470)
• Criticism and theory (Eng 410), Major Texts in Rhetoric (Eng 442), or Contemporary Texts in Rhetoric (Eng 443)
• Choose one or more from Eng 320, 413-416, 418-420, 441)

300/400 Level Electives (6 hours)
Choose from a wide range of courses in English, including world literature, English and American literature, criticism, creative and professional writing, rhetoric, and criticism and theory.

Recommended Outside of English
The following courses in public speaking are strongly recommended:
C& J 130 or 332
Phil 156
Poli Sci 315, 316, or 317

You may also see the UNM Catalog for English Department course offerings, or look through the latest Department Course Schedule