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Humanities - Prelaw, B.A.

Humanities - Prelaw, B.A.

What is a prelaw degree?

Humanities Prelaw BA

The humanities prelaw program takes an interdisciplinary approach to preparing students who want to graduate with an outstanding academic transcript and the kind of experience that meets law school entrance requirements. Because law schools look for students with a diverse liberal arts education, the prelaw program curriculum engages students in a series of challenging courses in history, literature, philosophy, psychology, and political science. It stresses critical thinking, learning to write well, and an understanding of human society.

Gain Practical Experience

The Prelaw Advisory Group, made up of prominent attorneys who volunteer their time to help students achieve their goals, guides the program. Each member contributes time and expertise to ensure the program of study in prelaw is current and effective, often serving as adjunct faculty. This gives prelaw program students valuable exposure to the career from day one.

Students complete and present a senior capstone project, for which they craft a substantial written work based on original research on a significant legal issue. As a result, they get practical experience, an enhanced job search portfolio, and the perfect preparation for law school or employment.

Why pursue a prelaw degree at Florida Tech?

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Get the facts about graduate studies at Florida Tech

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

You have three graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. At an Education Center near you
  4. Get the Education Center Brochure

  5. 100% Online
  6. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. On Campus
  2. Download the Grad Guide!

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

You have two graduate study opportunities:

  1. At an Education Center near you
  2. Get the Education Center Brochure

  3. 100% Online
  4. Learn more about Florida Tech Online

Florida Tech’s academic environment is just one of the many reasons it is one of the best prelaw schools in the nation. The program boasts a close-knit community of professional faculty and supportive staff who work together to mentor students and provide a robust learning experience.

Small Classes—Personalized Attention from Legal Experts

Our class sizes are kept small to foster learning and create valuable working relationships between students and their professors, which is essential to student growth and success. Students also thrive when given the chance to work with faculty on research projects.

The best prelaw schools in the nation take advantage of experienced attorneys to give students a view of this career. Florida Tech hires well-respected local attorneys who teach the courses and bring their expertise and experience to the classroom. Professors are also nationally recognized experts in many areas of the humanities; some have won university teaching and service excellence awards.

Superb Facilities and Abundant Resources

Students at the best prelaw schools are supported by up-to-date facilities and resources. At Florida Tech, the Crawford Building houses the Department of Humanities and Communication and a Mac and PC computer lab. The Evans Library is equipped with the latest in technology, with access to more than 117,000 books, 228,000 government documents, and 17,000 full-text print and electronic journals. The Academic Support Center provides students with free one-on-one tutoring.

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a Humanities–Prelaw degree. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce provides a variety of humanities internship and employment opportunities as well as staff attorneys.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, students in the prelaw program build leadership experience through exciting internships and participation in organizations like the Crimson (the student newspaper), FITV Video Productions, the College Players (performing arts), student government, and over 100 other campus-wide student organizations. Students in the humanities regularly submit their written work to be featured in The Communicator, the department newsletter.

Members of the Florida Tech Prelaw Society work closely with leading judges and prominent attorneys to secure prelaw internships in the legal field, prepare for the LSAT, as well as ensure that students have the best competitive advantage in applying to law school.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. Qualifying humanities majors with the prelaw option may join the Florida Tech chapter.

How will a prelaw degree prepare me for the future?

Peerless Study and Internship Opportunities

Humanities prelaw majors can undertake prelaw internships in local law offices through the local Brevard County Bar Association or in governmental agencies like the state attorney’s office. Students can also take advantage of the attorney mentoring program.

The humanities program faculty conducts research on a variety of humanities topics that includes mass communication, Norman architecture, literature, social media, critical languages, mosquito control, journalism, and popular culture.

Original Research in Advanced Legal Topics

In addition to prelaw internships, students complete their senior year with a capstone research project. Students conduct original research on a legal topic of their choosing as they work alongside a tight-knit committee of faculty members. This two-semester process results in a substantial written work that prepares students for the rigors of law school.

What can you do with a prelaw degree?

Graduates with a humanities degree are prepared for a wide variety of careers, including jobs in government service, history, literature, writing and editing, international studies, philosophy, or of course a law career. Your degree prepares you to create your own career around the areas that interest you the most. If a law career is the path you hope to take, then Florida Tech’s humanities prelaw degree prepares you for the entrance requirements of most law schools, giving you the well-rounded, diverse liberal arts education the schools desire.

Career Outlook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides detailed information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things.

Employment in a law career is expected to grow by 10% through 2020, as demand for legal work continues to rise. Individuals, businesses, and all levels of government are regularly in need of legal advice and services to manage their affairs. Large firms generally have in-house counsel, and the government’s need for individuals in the legal field remains strong.

Career Options

A law career can encompass many different areas of law and involve many different duties, depending on what you do with that degree. For example, your career would be quite different if you worked for a government agency writing and interpreting laws than it would if you were a tax lawyer working for a large accounting firm. The many different law careers include:

  • Criminal prosecution
  • Defense
  • Government counsel
  • Corporate in-house counsel
  • Legal aid
  • Environmental
  • Tax and accounting
  • Intellectual property
  • Securities and financial
  • Family law
  • Litigation

Those who choose not to attend law school have a variety of law career options, including:

  • Medical transcriptionist
  • Interpreter and translator
  • Court reporter
  • Paralegal
  • Legal assistant
  • Private investigator
  • Law enforcement officer

Graduate and Doctoral Programs

Many graduates from the prelaw program go to graduate studies at Florida Tech and other prestigious universities across the country. Florida Tech is located near several major law schools, including the University of Florida, Florida A&M, Stetson, Nova Southeastern, the University of Miami, Barry University, and Florida Coastal University.

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