Professor Gwen Torges talks with students. COORDINATING YOUR PRE-LAW PROGRAM - Professor Gwen Torges, second from left, coordinates the Pre-Law Program. Pre-law students often take advantage of chances to take Law School Admission Test (LSAT) practice exams while at IUP.

Prepare for Law School and Careers in Criminal Justice

Criminology is one of the most appropriate majors for those planning to pursue a career handling criminal cases as a lawyer or judge. As a major in criminology pursuing the pre-law track at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, you'll receive the academic preparation you'll need for law school while also establishing qualifications for a career in criminal justice.

At IUP, you'll take five required criminology courses and choose two courses from each of three areas:

  • The Criminal Justice System
  • Critical Issues in Criminology
  • Diversity Issues in Criminology

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers courses that will give you a strong preparation for law school such as:

  • Survey of Courts and the Criminal Justice System
  • Law, Social Control, and Society
  • Criminal Law
  • White Collar Crime
  • Race, Ethnicity, Social Structure, and Crime
  • Survey of Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Law

Many students complete internships related to the law and the legal system, such as working in a local prosecutor's office or in a state or federal agency.

Flexible Curriculum Lets You Add Pre-Law without Adding Semesters

With the generous number of free electives offered within this major, you can complete your pre-law minor without going past the credits needed for your bachelor's degree. With your remaining electives, consider adding classes in a foreign language or psychology.

For your pre-law track, you'll take seven courses that cover business, English, economics, history, philosophy, and political science. Courses in this track will help you develop the skills and knowledge you'll need for the law school admissions exam (LSAT) and for success in law school.

Along with offering a strong academic base for law school, this degree prepares you for careers in criminal justice. Nearly every level of government offers jobs in criminal justice. Graduates can pursue employment in local and state law enforcement, probation, parole, the custody and treatment of adult and youthful offenders, and private, commercial, and industrial security.