Legal Studies is an area of study that connects knowledge of the law with an understanding of society, history, politics, economics, and literature. Its core is “law and society.” Graduate students who are interested in pursuing such a course of study will be interested in the Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies. This program was approved by the Faculty Senate on April 5, 2004.

Advantages of the Graduate Certificate Program

The Certificate is available to graduate students pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D. degree at the University of Delaware. Students in disciplines that study law-related themes would add the Certificate to their program of study, thereby providing objective evidence that they have this specific expertise and knowledge. Such students would receive degrees in such fields as sociology, criminology, political science, economics, agricultural economics, history, marine policy, or urban affairs and public policy, with a Certificate in Legal Studies awarded separately.

The Certificate in Legal Studies is likely to be valuable to certain graduate students who plan to teach at the college level. It is common in small liberal arts colleges for a faculty member to teach basic law courses, such as introduction to law, business law, or “law and society.” Yet these colleges rarely hire a person solely to teach these law course. We believe that the Certificate will make Ph.D. graduates who apply to such institutions more marketable. This advantage should also apply to those looking for teaching positions at many state colleges and universities. For example, at institutions such as Kent State University, Westchester University, and Towson University, departments such as economics, sociology, and political science, are often required to staff a variety of survey courses related to law.

Legal Studies Program
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
302.831.0367
legal-studies@udel.edu

Sheldon D. Pollack, Director, Legal Studies Program

Gerald M. Turkel, Advisor, Graduate Certificate Program