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Undergraduate Catalog 2022-2023



Accelerated 6-Year (3+3) Law Scholars Program - Political Science Major

Description

Detroit Mercy's Accelerated 6-Year (3+3) Law Scholars Program makes it possible for students to earn a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science and a Juris Doctor (law degree) with six years of full-time study instead of the traditional seven.

As a broad overview, students spend the first three years at the McNichols Campus fulfilling the requirements of the University Core Curriculum (except the general electives) and the major. The last three years are at the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law completing the Juris Doctor requirements.

Bachelor's Program Requirements - Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Political Science (120 credits)

To obtain the undergraduate degree, a degree candidate must successfully complete the University's Core Curriculum and all department-designated major program courses, with the exception of the general electives within three years.

A minimum of 120 total credit hours in relevant coursework is required for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science.

In addition to the Detroit Mercy Core Curriculum, students majoring in Political Science for the Accelerated 6-year (3+3)  Law Scholars Program are required to complete the following courses:

The following three courses are required for the Accelerated 6-Year Law Program:

  • POL 2010 Introduction to Law and the Judiciary (3 credits)
  • POL 2020 Criminal Law and Procedure (3 credits)

  • POL 3240 American Constitution and Public Law (3 credits)

The political science major consists of 33 credits as indicated below:

Required Courses for the Political Science Major:

  • POL 1000 Introduction to Political Science (3 credits)
  • POL 2100 American Politics (3 credits)
  • POL 2510 International Relations (3 credits) OR POL 2600 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 credits) 
  • POL 3800 Elements of Political Thought (or other approved theory course) (3 credits)
  • POL 4990 Senior Seminar (3 credits) OR LST 4990 Capstone Seminar (3 credits)
  • STA 2250 Statistics (3 credits)
  • POL Political Science Electives - five courses from the list below (15 credits)

Electives for the Political Science Major—choose five  (15 credits):

The 15 elective credits required to complete the major may be organized into areas of focus or may be selected from all areas. The suggested areas of focus are:

Judicial Studies and Law

  • POL 2010 Introduction to Law and the Judiciary (3 credits)
  • POL 2020 Criminal Law and Procedure (3 credits)
  • POL 2030 Topics in Legal Issues (3 credits)
  • POL 2800 Legal Research (3 credits)
  • POL 3100 Women and Politics (3 credits)
  • POL 3420 American Constitution and Public Law (3 credits)
  • POL 3460 Civil Liberties and Equality (3 credits)

American Studies and Theory

  • POL 2050 Political Fiction (3 credits)
  • POL 2100 American Politics (3 credits)
  • POL 3100 Women and Politics (3 credits)
  • POL 3390 Issues in Public Policy (3 credits)
  • POL 3400 American Political Thought (3 credits)
  • POL 3420 American Constitution and Public Law (3 credits)
  • POL 3460 Civil Liberties and Equality (3 credits)
  • POL 3860 Politics and the Media (3 credits)

International and Comparative Politics

  • POL 2510 International Relations (3 credits)
  • POL 2600 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 credits)
  • POL 4630 Third World Politics (3 credits)
  • POL 4670 Politics in Africa (3 credits)

Public Administration

  • POL 3200 Public Administration (3 credits)
  • POL 3390 Issues in Public Policy (3 credits)
  • POL 3420 American Constitution and Public Law (3 credits)

In their senior year of the Accelerated 6-Year Law (3+3) Program, undergraduate students, who have been admitted to the law school, begin their first year of law school at Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law. Upon successful completion of their first year, up to 30 credits from law school courses transfer back to the undergraduate institution to count as general electives.

The first-year courses required for completion at Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law are:

  • Introduction to Legal Research and Communication (2 credits)
  • Applied Legal Theory and Analysis I (3 credits)
  • Civil Procedure I and II (6 credits)
  • Contracts I and II (6 credits)
  • Criminal Law (3 credits)
  • Property I and II (6 credits)
  • Torts (4 credits)

Admission Requirements

New students enrolling in the Accelerated 6-Year (3+3) Law Scholars Program must be seniors in high school with a 3.5 grade point average and 1280 on the SAT or 27 on the ACT.

Candidates who meet the above criteria will be invited to continue to the next phase of the admission process, which includes completing an admission interview or essay and submitting an additional letter of recommendation.

Information for Undergraduate Students in this Program

A student who has enrolled in the Accelerated 6-Year (3+3) Law Scholars Program must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate majoring in Political Science at Detroit Mercy each Fall and Winter term.

All necessary undergraduate coursework must be completed at the McNichols Campus within the three calendar years immediately prior to beginning the law school phase of the program at the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law. Students must fulfill the requirements of the University Core Curriculum, as well as the required courses in the major and must have a minimum of 90 credits in this area.

Apply to the Law School during your junior year
Students will be eligible to apply for the law school phase of the program in their third year of undergraduate studies. The following requirements must be met:

  • The College of Liberal Arts & Education must certify that the student has or will have completed and passed all of the University and major requirements necessary for the conferral of their undergraduate degree (other than general elective credits) by the end of the junior year.
  • The student must:
    • Have an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.5 at the end of the junior year.
    • Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than December of the junior year and obtain a score of at least 154.
    • Complete the Detroit Mercy Law admission application with all required components by Feb. 1 of the junior year.
    • Meet the character and fitness requirements for admission to Detroit Mercy Law.
    • Interview with the Detroit Mercy Law Admission Committee.

Law School Admission Requirements

Third-year Detroit Mercy undergraduate students in this program will be eligible for admission into the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law by meeting the following criteria, which include having:

  • Completed at least three years of appropriate coursework at Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ;
  • Completed the undergraduate major and core curriculum requirements with at least 90 credits;
  • Earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 by the end of their junior year;
  • Scored at least a 154 on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT);
  • Remained in good academic and disciplinary standing;
  • Completed the application process for Detroit Mercy Law; and
  • Met all of the fitness, character and other criteria for admission required by Detroit Mercy Law.

Participating in the Accelerated 6-Year (3+3) Law Scholars Program does not guarantee entrance to the law school. If Detroit Mercy Law does not grant admission, then a student remains in the undergraduate program to complete the bachelor’s degree. The student may then apply to law school through the regular law school admission process. The student will need to consult with his/her academic advisor for the best course of action.

Eligible students may apply only to the American J.D. Program. Students are not eligible for admission to the Canadian and American Dual J.D. (Dual J.D.) Program. If a student is interested in the Dual J.D. Program, he/she must apply through the regular admissions process. Students who do not meet all of the criteria for admission under the program or who are denied admission are welcome to apply for regular admission at the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law in their senior year.

Financial Considerations

In accordance with University policy on similar joint programs, students admitted under the program are considered graduate/professional students for financial aid purposes and will be considered for scholarship consideration at the time of admission to the Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law.

Example Undergraduate Course Schedule (Years 1-4)

The schedule below is intended only as a guide. Course availability may vary by semester. To achieve the minimum 90 credits from the University Core Curriculum and the major within three years, students must maintain full-time status each fall and winter semester and take 15 to 18 credits per semester.

Year 1

Fall Semester (15-18 credits) - Year 1
Core Curriculum A2: ENL 1310 Academic Writing
Core Curriculum B1: MTH 1010 – MTH 1420
Core Curriculum D1: PHL 1000 Introduction to Philosophy
POL 1000: Introduction to Political Science
POL 2010: Introduction to Law and the Judiciary
General Elective

Winter Semester (15-18 credits) - Year 1
Core Curriculum A1: CST 1010 Fundamentals of Speech
Core Curriculum C1: Physical Sciences (BIO, CHM, PHY, SCIE) – any 1000 level course with a C1 attribute
Core Curriculum E1: HIS 2500: United States to 1877 OR HIS 2510 United States since 1877
POL 2100 American Politics
POL 2020 Criminal Law and Procedure
General Elective

Year 2

Fall Semester (15-18 credits) - Year 2
Core Curriculum IT1: PHL 1500 Critical Thinking OR IT1 & IT2: ENL 2060 Introduction to Professional Writing
Core Curriculum B2: STA 2250 Statistics
Core Curriculum C2: Fulfilled by POL 2100 American Politics
POL 2510 International Relations or POL 2600 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POL 3420 American Constitution and Public Law
General Elective

Winter Semester  (15-18 credits) - Year 2
Core Curriculum D2: Any course with D2 attribute but recommend CAS 2000/RELS 2000 Catholicism: Spirit and Methods (it also covers IT5, and IT6)
Core Curriculum D3: PHL 2500 Symbolic Logic OR PHL 3010 Social and Political Philosophy
Core Curriculum E2: any English course with E2 attribute
POL 3460 Civil Liberties and Equality
POL 3800 Elements of Political Thought

Year 3

Fall Semester (15-18 credits) - Year 3
Core Curriculum E3: Any course with the E3 attribute but recommend PHIL 3050 Aesthetics
Core Curriculum F1: PHL 2010 Foundations of Ethics
Core Curriculum IT3: Recommend POL 3100 Women and Politics (covers IT4, too)
POL Elective
POL Elective
POL Elective

Winter Semester (15-18 credits) - Year 3
POL 4990 Senior Seminar
POL Elective
POL Elective
POL Elective
POL Elective
POL Elective

Year 4

Year 4 is the first year of law school courses.
After the successful completion of first-year courses at Áù¾ÅÉ«Ìà School of Law, up to 30 credits transfer back to fulfill general electives requirements of the undergraduate degree.

Example first year law school classes:
Introduction to Legal Research and Communication (2 credits)
Applied Legal Theory and Analysis I (3 credits)
Civil Procedure I and II (6 credits)
Contracts I and II (6 credits)
Criminal Law (3 credits)
Property I and II (6 credits)
Torts (4 credits)

 

Program Contact

Accelerated 6-Year (3+3) Law Scholars Program
for College of Liberal Arts & Education Majors

Genevieve E. Meyers, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Department Chair
Department of Political Science
Director of the Pre-Law Program
 Briggs Building, Room 238
McNichols Campus

Email: meyersge@udmercy.edu
Telephone: 313-993-1089
Fax: 313-993-1166