加州大学圣克鲁兹分校

Introduction

*UCSC does not offer "prelaw" as an undergraduate major.

The nation’s top law schools have accepted many UC Santa Cruz graduates. UCSC does not have a major title of "Prelaw." We offer a legal studies major and a politics major. It is a popular misconception that students must major in prelaw, legal studies, or politics in order to get into law school. This simply is not the case. Law schools accept students from a variety of majors including, but not limited to, sociology, literature, philosophy, psychology, biology, anthropology, physics, economics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering. Law schools are primarily interested in students who possess strong analytical and communication skills. Your GPA is a strong component of your application, so take classes you will excel in. They prefer students who have a diverse educational background to those who have a narrow academic focus.

Students do not necessarily need to enter law school immediately after graduation. Many law schools prefer to accept students who have some work experience and maturity. The ages of first-year law students range from 21 to 50 years, with the median around 26. Diversity in academic background and employment or internship experiences enhance the law school experience for all students.

Study and Research Opportunities

Students from diverse majors do equally well in both law school and law practice. Although the major is not important, courses in fields such as philosophy, logic, history, economics, computer science, math, and the physical and social sciences may be helpful. Courses should be demanding, requiring analytical and critical thought, writing, and deductive and abstract reasoning. Development of the following skills is recommended: advanced reading comprehension, writing competence gained through writing courses requiring research papers, and intellectual discipline.