UB Programs At-A-Glance

Legal Studies

Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs

203 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4670

Phone: 716.645.2245
Fax: 716.645.3640
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/programs/idp/ugrad/

Lee Dryden
Director

About the Program

The Legal Studies concentration of the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary major examines the political, social and philosophical development of law and the legal process. The major has academic rather than vocational emphasis. For more information please see the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Degree Programs.

About Our Degrees

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of "C" in the following: HIS 161 or HIS 162, and PSC 101.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling
Number of Accepted Majors (2004-2005): 75
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 154

Degree Requirements

Please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Courses

Each of the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs' concentrations offers a curriculum that allows students to combine coursework from three or more departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, a number of interdisciplinary and special-interest courses are offered through the IDP. There are also options to incorporate courses from other areas of the university allowing students to obtain a broad range of skills and education.

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 50-250
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 25-50
Upper level/advanced courses is: 35-45

In the IDP, what do teaching assistants (TA's) do?

Many courses in the social sciences interdisciplinary program’s curricula originate in other departments, where teaching assistants may be assigned instructional or grading duties.

Suggested Introductory Courses

  • HIS 161 U.S. History I or HIS 162 U.S. History II
  • PSC 101 Introduction to American Politics
  • PSC 215 Law and the Political Process
  • A statistics course

For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Faculty

The IDP faculty, though limited in number, not only teach courses applicable to the program's degree tracks, but are also involved in the advisement of IDP majors, a function that is vitally important for students selecting courses from a number of different departments.

Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities

The interdisciplinary degree programs offer an opportunity to focus studies on a particular topic whose breadth and diversity overlap several departments in the faculty.

Internships

The interdisciplinary degree program in Legal Studies includes an opportunity for practical fieldwork in an internship experience. The primary academic emphasis of the internship notwithstanding, many graduates have found the experience beneficial when seeking employment.

Extracurricular Activities

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Program and Courses

Majors that Complement Legal Studies


Minors that Complement Legal Studies


Career Information and Further Study

While the IDP tracks were not developed primarily to train students for specific careers, they are intended to provide an academic background relevant to a wide range of occupations and fields of gratuate study.

Alumni have found employment in the following fields:

  • Court Clerk at Clarkstown Justice Court
  • Legal aide with the City of Buffalo
  • Administrative assistant at National Corporate Research
  • Paralegal with Acea M Mosey, Esq.
  • Patrolman with Amherst Police Department
  • Financial representative at Jacobi Hospital
  • Legal assistant at Honen and Wood
  • Paralegal assistant at Hurwitz and Fine
  • Paralegal at Ziller, Marsh, and Lang, LLP
  • State Trooper with New York State Police
  • Legal administrative assistant at Andrews, Sanchez, and Amigona



Post-undergraduate opportunities:

  • Criminal Justice at John Jay College
  • Law school at Cleveland State University/Marshall
  • Law school at Barry University School of Law
  • Law School at University at Buffalo
  • Law school at New England School of Law
  • Law school at Tulane University
  • Urban Planning at University at Buffalo



What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?

60-65%

What percentage of graduates goes on to find related employment?

25-30%

Links to Further Information About This Program

Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:11 EST