FAQ
Why should I consider a prelaw curriculum?
If you are considering a career in law — or if you are intrigued by the pervasive influence of law in society and want to learn more about it — Northeastern’s various prelaw programs have the breadth and flexibility to meet your needs. Aspiring lawyers can be found in nearly every department in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Criminal Justice. You can develop critical thinking skills through liberal arts disciplines such as philosophy, history or English. In philosophy or political science courses, you can analyze legal issues. Human services, international affairs, or journalism courses can also serve as the basis of legal specialties. Northeastern’s prelaw advisers can help you navigate through all the possibilities and make decisions that advance your personal and professional goals.
What are the advantages of preparing for law school at Northeastern?
Northeastern’s prelaw curriculum combines challenging studies with practical experience. You can explore legal issues in a wide range of courses offered by the political science, philosophy, sociology, and other departments. Perhaps you will take classes in the College of Business Administration to prepare yourself for a career in corporate law. Or focus intensively on criminal law in the College of Criminal Justice. Your studies are brought to life by Northeastern’s co-op program, which integrates paid professional work with your academic studies. While you consider law school or related options, you might work in a law firm, a government agency, or a legislator’s office. Co-op jobs help you to think practically about your future.
What kinds of subjects will I study?
You can major in any discipline you choose; American law schools do not have a required or preferred major. A core curriculum provided by the College of Arts and Sciences encourages the critical thinking skills that will be essential for your success in law school. If you decide to study legal topics as an undergraduate, you have abundant choice at Northeastern. In the College of Criminal Justice, for example, you could major in legal studies and take such courses as "Juvenile Law" or "Legal Reasoning." The law and legal issues concentration in the political science department examines law from an institutional and policy perspective. Your courses might include "Law and Society," "American Constitutional Law," "Law and Personal Morality," or "International Law." The law and ethics concentration in the philosophy department exposes you to the ethical dimensions of law. Your courses might include "Moral Philosophy," "Philosophical Problems of Law and Justice," or "Social and Political Philosophy." In the sociology department, you might reflect on the influence of law on society through courses such as "Class, Power and Social Change." No matter how you choose to study law, Northeastern’s wealth of curricular options will meet your needs.
Who will my professors be?
Prelaw faculty at Northeastern are outstanding scholars and practitioners in their fields. For example, faculty in the College of Criminal Justice have served in such crucial roles as prosecuting attorney, FBI agent, and head of security for the U.S. Department of State. They have expertise in such areas as correctional policy, gender and crime, juvenile violence, community policing, and hate crimes.
What are my opportunities to gain practical work experience?
Northeastern’s co-op program gives you access to an impressive variety of jobs connected to the legal system. You could work for a Boston law firm. You might assist the Cambridge Police Department or the Massachusetts Department of Correction. Or perhaps you could join a private investigative services agency. Maybe your co-op job will take you to another state or even abroad. All of these opportunities will make your classroom learning much more valuable by linking theory to the demands of practice.
Sample co-op employers:
- Boston Bar Association
- Federal District Courthouse, Boston
- Foley, Hoag & Eliot LLP
- Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs
Will I have international opportunities?
Co-op assignments are available around the world; Northeastern’s Department of International Cooperative Education can help you find positions. You could work in such places as the Northern Ireland Parole Board in Belfast, or the law firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green & MacRae in London. Further options are offered by the University Honors Program, which arranges short-term academic and cultural programs outside the United States.
What career options will I have when I graduate?
If you go on to law school, your options include criminal law, corporate law, tax law, international law and environmental law, among others. With or without a law degree, you might pursue a career in government, helping to shape our complex legislative and administrative system. With a strong arts and sciences foundation, you’ll have the critical thinking skills and intellectual maturity to successfully pursue a broad range of public and private careers.
I’m already at another school. How can I transfer to Northeastern?
Northeastern welcomes transfer students and makes the process easy. For an application and more detailed transfer information, and to find out about any required or recommended courses to complete before you come to Northeastern, call the Office of Transfer Admissions at 617-373-2200.