Pre-Fall 2012 Major Requirements

You have likely heard that the LPS Major requirements have changed, and you may be wondering how this will impact you. This document will help you navigate those changes, but should not take the place of a meeting with your advisor, to make sure you are on track with the major. Please note: these are only the requirements for an LPS major. They do not include university requirements for graduation (AOIs etc.).

The "old" major requirements were:

Core, required, curriculum: LPS 001, PHIL 090, LPS 100, LPS 190
3 of 5: POLS 153, PHIL 155, SCSS 151, SCSR 140, POLS 190
2 courses from each of 3 categories (I: Creating Law & Policy; II: Contemporary Issues; III: Constructing Conceptions)

The "new" major requirements are:

Within LPS:

LPS 001 Introduction to Law, Politics, and Society
LPS 002 Critical Concepts in Law, Politics, and Society
LPS 100 LPS Perspectives on Constitutional Law
LPS 190 Senior Seminar in Law, Politics, and Society

4 Additional LPS-designated courses

LPS 001, 002, 100, and 190 do not count for this requirement

At least three of the four must be 100-level

Two must be designated (by LPS faculty) international/global

One must be designated (by LPS faculty) experiential learning

Outside LPS:

2 lower division courses from this list:

SCSA 002
HIST 001
HIST 075 (or other lower division HIST as offered)
PHIL 021
PHIL 090
POLS 001
POLS 065
POLS 075
REL 001
SCSR 024
SCSS 001
SCSS 020
SCSS 061
WS 075

4 upper division courses, from at 2 disciplines, from this list: ECON, ENGL, ENSP, HIST, LAW, PHIL, POLS, REL, SCS/A/R/S,

Still not sure what you're supposed to do, to be on track to graduate with an LPS major?

I’m graduating this year (2012/2013) or next year (2013/2014). What does the new curriculum mean for me?

You likely already have LPS 001 and LPS 100; you will need to take LPS 190.
You are not required to take LPS 002 (in fact, you will not be permitted in to LPS 002).
If you have PHIL 090, you’re fine. If you don’t, you need to take it, or speakwith your advisor about a suitable substitution. Substitutions will be made only at advisor discretion.
If you have all 3 of 5, and/or all of the category I, II, and III classes, you’re fine. We’ll count them as upper division coursework for the major. If you don’t, don’t worry – you can proceed by making sure you have 2 lower division courses outside of the major, 4 upper division courses in two disciplines outside of the major, and 4 LPS-designated courses.

Use this worksheet to track your progress in the major.

I am a sophomore in 2013/2014 – or, I have newly declared an LPS major (in spring/summer of 2012), though I have enough credits to be called a "junior." How do the curricular changes affect me?

You likely already have LPS 001; you will need to take LPS 100, and, later LPS 190.
If you have PHIL 090, you’re fine. If you don’t, you need to take it, or LPS 002, if there is space available (we will offer two sections of LPS 002 in the spring, and you will need permission/an override to register).
You probably already have two lower division, non-LPS designated classes (POLS 001, for example, or HIST 002). Now, take a lower division LPS class (we have two sections of LPS 035 in fall 2012), and begin taking upper division courses in and outside of the major! Just be sure that you take two courses in two related fields, upper division, as well as four total LPS-designated courses.

Use this worksheet to track your progress towards the major.

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