2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog Major in Legal Studies, Language Integration Sequence Degree offered: B.A. or B.S.

Major Requirements

Minimum required credit hours: 49

Take three (9 credit hours) Legal Studies major electives

Any non-required LGS courses

Take two (6 credit hours) additional electives

Notes

  • Students who have strong oral skills in Spanish can receive credit for SPA 214 by taking the Oral Proficiency Exam (OPE) with a professor from the Languages, Literature, and Cultures (LAN) Department. Students may take the OPE if they meet the qualifications set by the LAN Department. 
  • Students who have no prior foreign language experience must complete SPA 111, SPA 112, SPA 115, and SPA 116. These students would need to complete 65 credit hours in the major to earn the degree. 
  • Heritage Spanish speakers may be placed by the LAN Department in SPA 119 or SPA 120. 
  • It is recommended that Legal Studies majors enroll in POL 106 in their first year of study. Transfer students wishing to complete the major are recommended to enroll in POL 106 in their first year at Illinois State University if they have not already had an equivalent course.
  • LGS 398a20 may be substituted for one of the Legal Studies elective courses with consent of either the Department Chair or the Director of Legal Studies.

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Graduation Requirements

These are general requirements for all students. Students may apply for and receive two bachelor's degrees at the same time. Refer to the Academic Policies and Practices section of the catalog for details.

  • 120 minimum total credit hours
  • A minimum of 40 of the 120 total hours must be senior college hours (200-300 level courses)
  • AMALI requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the AMALI requirement)
  • IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in U.S. Society) requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the IDEAS requirement)
  • Students completing a Bachelor of Science degree must complete a B.S. - Science, Math, & Technology degree requirement (beyond the General Education requirements) 
  • Students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete a B.A. - world language degree requirement: LAN/FRE/GER/SPA/ITA/JPN/POR 115 (or equivalent) 
  • Some majors complete other types of degrees that do not include additional graduation requirements. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. in Ed.) or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.). 

Specific Program Requirements

General Education Requirements

There are three ways to complete general education requirements for Illinois State University. These three general education programs have different requirements and affect only certain types of students.

  1. The first way is to complete Illinois State University's General Education Program (see below for details).
  2. The second way is to complete the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum available through the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) (see below for details).
  3. The third way is to complete a baccalaureate-oriented Associates Degree (A.A. or A.S.) from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution. For those transferring from an Illinois college or university, the A.S. degree must include the complete IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) or the student must complete the GECC to fulfill Illinois State’s General Education requirement.

Illinois State University's General Education Program

The complete General Education Program consists of 13 courses (39 semester hours). Because of laboratory or recitation requirements, some courses are listed as four or five credit hours in this catalog. All four or five hours will be credited toward graduation requirements, but only three hours will be credited in General Education for these courses. Depending on their major, students may be exempted from one General Education category (maximum of one course) because of disciplinary expertise gained in their major.

Program requirements that also fulfill General Education Program Requirements

  • Exempt from Individuals & Civic Life Category due to disciplinary expertise gained in the major

Illinois Articulation Initiative for Transfer Students

To be eligible for IAI, at least one transfer course must have been articulated to an IAI core requirement. Refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for a complete list of IAI courses and policies. The Illinois Transferable General Education Core curriculum consists of 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 hours of credit) within a five-category designation.

Program requirements that also fulfill IAI Program Requirements

  • POL 106 - Social & Behavioral Sciences