Political Science Major: Law 3+3 Option (B.A.)

The Political Science Law 3+3 program offers highly motivated UNH undergraduate students of Political Science the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) and a law degree (J.D.) in six, rather than seven, years of study. After completing three years as an Political Science undergraduate and gaining admission to the UNH Law School through the approved process, the 3+3 Program participant will become a full-time first year law student. Upon successful completion of the first year of law study, the credits earned will be counted toward the JD degree and as elective credits sufficient to complete UNH’s requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Eligibility and Admission Process

STEP ONE: Application to the Political Science: Law 3+3 B.A./JD option.

Students apply to the program either when they submit their applications to UNH, selecting the Political Science/JD option on the online application, or after they are admitted to UNH, by applying directly to the assigned committee of the Political Science Department. In both cases, undergraduate applicants must fulfill the general requirements for admission to the Political Science major.

Students applying at the time of admission to UNH will typically present the following high school credentials:

• A 3.5 GPA in high school (UNH recalculates high school GPA’s to a 4.0 weighted scale)
• A rigorous high school curriculum is defined as the following:
  • 4 years of college prep (CP) or higher English
  • 3 years of CP or higher mathematics
  • 4 years of CP or higher social studies/history
  • Completed at least level 3 of a foreign language
  • 3 or more years of CP or higher laboratory sciencs.
• A recommended score of 1200 or better (combined Math and Verbal) on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT.

Currently enrolled UNH students applying to the program must:

• Have a 3.5 GPA in college courses at the time of application.
• The Political Science Department Committee governing admission to the 3+3 program will also consider past SAT scores, maturity, and the abilitly to complete a highly demanding program of study based on performance thus far.
• For both groups, it is important to note that satisfying these requirements does not guarantee admission to this program. The review process is holistic (meaning all parts of the application carry weight and influence the final decision) and other components of the application will influence any admission decisions. Available space within the program will also influence who is admitted and how many students can be accepted.

STEP TWO: Application to UNH Law school

To be eligible, students must:

• Complete all Discovery and major requirements, and accrue at least 98 credits before beginning law school in their Senior year.
• Maintain at least a 3.5 GPA (including transfer credits) at time of application to law school, and at the end of their Junior year.
• Take the LSAT no later than February of the final undergraduate year (i.e. the Junior year) and earn a score of 155 or above. (Alternatively, students may take the GRE, on which they need to earn the following scores: verbal 156, quantitative 152, and writing 4.0.)
• Submit the law school application through the Law School Admissions Council by March 15 of the calendar year in which the student wishes to enroll in law school.

Degree Requirements

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Students in the Political Science: Law 3+3 option fulfill the BA degree requirements and Political Science major. See the Degree Plan for the recommended path through the Political Science major and Juris Doctor.

Participation requires that students:

• Complete all discovery and major requirements and at least 98 credits before beginning law school.
• Maintain a 3.5 or above grade point average, including transfer credits.
• Take the LSAT no later than February of the final undergraduate year and have a score of 155 or above.  
• Submit the law school application through the Law School Admissions Office by March 15 of the year in which the student would like to enroll in law school.

Political Science Major Requirements

• Students complete at least 10 courses (40 credits) and not more than 12 courses (48 credits) for the major requirements.
• Major courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C- in each course to count toward major requirements. The required minimum overall GPA in major coursework is 2.0.
• Political Science majors may use one major-required course to satisfy one Discovery category requirement.
• Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery and Writing Program requirements in addition to satisfying the major requirements. Bachelor of arts candidates must also satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement.

¹

Once students declare the major, POLT 401, POLT 402, POLT 403 must be completed within the first calendar year.
Note: POLT 407, POLT 440A, POLT 444, POLT 444B do not count toward the major.

²

Students can take any POLT course at the intermediate level or higher (500-799) to count toward elective credit. ECON 402 Principles of Economics (Micro) or ECON 605 Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis and ECON 401 Principles of Economics (Macro) or ECON 611 Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis may also be used to fulfill the fifth or sixth elective in this sequence. Additional economics courses will be considered by petition. Only one economics course can count toward this requirement. If students substitute an economics course for a POLT 500-level course, the economics course cannot be used to satisfy Discovery Program category requirements.

Law School

Juris Doctor (J.D.) Requirements

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

TOTAL: 98 Credits (40 Discovery, 40 Political Science, 4-8 Foreign Language, 8-12 Elective)

NEED: Beyond ENGL 401 First-Year Writing, 3 more WI courses, one in major, one at 600 level.

HONORS: It is not necessary to complete the honors program, but it is possible: Honors in Discovery + Honors in Major with Thesis.

SEQUENCE: Political Science courses don’t need to be taken in any specific order; the guide above is only a suggestion. In general, 400-level courses should be taken before 500-level courses, and 500-level courses should be taken before 600-700 level ones.  As long as all the categories listed above are met, students have the flexibility to choose the courses that best meet their interests and schedules.  

ADVISING: It is very important that students progressing through the 3+3 Political Science/Law program maintain close contact with their degree advisor. This will help students remain “on track” to complete degree requirements, and the advisor will guide the student into the next phase of the program, admission to the Law School. Students who plan early and work closely with their advisor may find it possible to include study abroad and participation in other University programs, if desired, but only with careful planning.

Law School Degree Plan

Fourth Year/First Year Law School

Juris Doctor Sample Degree Plan

The schedule and track of the second and third years of law school are directed by each student with careful advising from the law school faculty.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge Base: a proficient knowledge base of the five subfields of Political Science including American Government, Political Theory, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Methods. Areas of strength include the study of public opinion, comparative politics and international relations, political economy, environmental politics, Latin American politics, Middle Eastern politics, and Asian politics. In this regard, the program fosters the development of a strong empirical foundation through multiple levels of courses.
• Research Skills: A second goal is to advance the students’ abilities to understand and use basic political science research skills. These include computer literacy, knowledge of credible sources of information, basic statistical applications, and support for foreign language proficiency. We also strive to help students identify interesting and important research questions clearly and concisely, gather and assess various types of information, and come to well-reasoned conclusions.
• Critical Thinking: The third objective involves enhancement of student cognitive abilities and critical thinking. We hone the ability to analyze, assess, and reconstruct findings in written, oral, and graphical form. We strive to promote students who are self-disciplined thinkers who understand the rigorous standards of research, are intelligent consumers of political information, and are able to understand and weigh multiple perspectives and interpretations.
• Communication Skills: Another aim is to enhance the written and oral communication skills of our students. We support the goals of the writing intensive requirement and expose students to different genres and conventions in academic writing. Most 500 and 700-level courses emphasize cultivating strong writing and reading skills, while at the 700-level, student engagement in sustained discussion becomes the centerpiece of instruction in many seminars. Writing instruction includes emphasis not only on research papers but on short analytical essays, précis, and reviews that ask students to synthesize complex information, develop arguments, and delve more deeply into interpretation. In some courses, part of this work includes iterated practice of grammar and stylistic choices through revision and proposal assignments.
• Professional Socialization and Support for Post-Graduate Training and Placement: The sixth aim of the program is to give students the requisite skills, preparation and knowledge base to become capable and responsible political actors in their chosen professional careers and future goals. We expect our students to be exposed to the ethics and organizational culture of political science specifically and the social sciences generally. We aim to provide a foundation of professionalism for students who enter both the private and public sectors upon graduation and for those who continue their studies beyond the B.A.
• Inspire Curiosity and Enthusiasm for Inquiry: A final goal is to foster a spirit of inquiry. Faculty in the Department hope to stimulate curiosity about the political world and inspire life-long learners who are engaged in the political process at the local, national and global levels.