LSJ Purple Curriculum Requirements

LSJ Purple Curriculum Major Requirements (Prior to Autumn 2024)

*anyone admitted to the major prior to autumn 2024)

Minimum 55 credits

This information is to be used for planning. Check your Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) or meet with an adviser to ensure you have met all degree requirements. 

 

Core Courses (20 credits)

There are three (3) different categories that make up the LSJ Core Course list. Students must take one (1) course from category one; two (2) courses from category two; and one (1) course from category three totaling 4 classes (20 credits).

  • Category 1: LSJ 200 Introduction to Law, Societies, and Justice OR LSJ/POL S 363 Law in Society
  • Category 2:
    • LSJ 320/POL S 368 The Politics and Law of International Human Rights OR LSJ 321/ANTH 323 Human Rights Law in Culture and Practice
    •  LSJ 322/JSIS A 324 Human Rights in Latin America OR LSJ 329 Immigration, Citizenship, and Rights
  • Category 3: LSJ/JSIS B 366 Comparative Law and Legal Cultures OR LSJ/POL S 367 Comparative Law and Courts

Students do not need to take the LSJ Core Courses in a particular order.

 

Subfield Courses (25 credits): Split between two categories - Rights and Legal

Students must take three courses in one Subfield, and two courses in the other for a total of 25 credits. The required Core Courses may not be used to satisfy both the Core and the Subfields requirements.

 

Departmental Seminar course(s) (5-10 credits)*

An LSJ Departmental Seminar course is a small, discussion-driven course on a focused topic at the 400-level. Students can expect plenty of reading, writing, discussion and active participation in the topic. These same courses can alternatively be used for completion of the LSJ Subfield requirements, but the student will need to choose whether to use it as a Subfield or as a Seminar. They cannot work towards two requirements simultaneously.

*The internship requirement was removed beginning AUT 2023. For additional information, please visit the internship requirement page

 

In addition to the 55 credits needed to finish major requirements, all LSJ majors also must complete the University and College of Arts & Sciences General Education requirements, including:

  • 5 credits of English Composition (with a grade of 2.00 or higher)
  • 10 credits of Additional Writing
  • 5 credits of Quantitative Symbolic Reasoning
  • 3 credits of Diversity
  • the College of Arts & Sciences Foreign Language Requirement
  • 20 credits of Visual, Literary and Performing Arts
  • 20 credits of Individuals & Society
  • 20 credits of Natural World
  • 15 credits of Additional Areas of Knowledge classes

The exact path of each student through these General Education requirements can and should be discussed with the LSJ adviser in detail. A further description of these requirements can be found on the UW Undergraduate Advising webpage under the Degree Planning tab.

 

Departmental Approved Course List

Subfield 1: Comparative Legal Institutions

  • PHIL 114 Philosophical Issues in the Law (5)
  • SOC 271 Introduction to Sociology of Deviance and Social Control (5) or SOC 371 Criminology (5) or SOC 472 Juvenile Delinquency (5) [only one of these three classes can count towards completion of LSJ major or minor requirements]
  • GWSS 310 Women and the Law (5)
  • PHIL 314 Philosophy of Crime and Punishment (5)
  • POL S 320/JSIS B 310 State-Society Relations in Third World Countries (5)
  • AIS 335 American Indians and the Law (5)
  • LSJ/POL S 347 Politics of International Law (5)
  • LSJ/POL S 360 Introduction to United States Constitutional Law (5)
  • LSJ/POL S 361 United States Courts and Civil Liberty (5)
  • LSJ/POL S/JSIS B 370 Privacy (5)
  • SOC 374 Law and Society (5)
  • LSJ 375/SOC 372 Crime, Politics, and Justice (5)
  • LSJ/SOC 376 Drugs and Society (5)
  • LSJ 377 Punishment: Theory and Practice (5)
  • LSJ 380 Contemporary Issues in Comparative Legal Institutions (5, max. 10)*
  • PHIL 414 Philosophy of Law (5)
  • LSJ 415 Juvenile Parole Project (5)#
  • JSIS B 424 International Law and Arms Control (5)
  • COM 440/POL S 461 Mass Media Law (5)
  • LSJ 444 Ethics in Law and Justice (5)#
  • LSJ/POL S 456 Institutional Failure (5)#
  • POL S 462 The Supreme Court in American Politics (5)
  • POL S 464 The Politics of American Criminal Justice (5)
  • LSJ/GEOG 467 Law, Justice, and the Environment (5)#
  • POL S 467 Comparative Law in Society (5)
  • LSJ/GEOG 474 Geography and the Law (5)#
  • LSJ/ SOC 476 Miscarriages of Justice (5)#
  • LSJ 490 Special Topics in Comparative Legal Institutions (5, max. 15)*#

 

Subfield 2: Rights

  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 230 Introduction to Disability Studies (5)
  • LSJ/POL S 327 Women’s Rights as Human Rights (5)
  • LSJ 329 Immigration, Citizenship, and Rights (5)
  • LSJ 331/POL S 317 Politics of Race and Ethnicity in the US (5)
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 332 Disability and Society (5)
  • PHIL 338 Philosophy of Human Rights (5)
  • LSJ/JSIS B/DIS ST 346 Disability in Global & Comparative Perspective (5)
  • GWSS/CHID 350 Women in Law and Literature (5)
  • LSJ 381 Issues in Rights (5, max 10)*
  • LSJ 410 Social Justice through Philanthropy (5)#
  • LSJ 421/ANTH 498 Women’s Rights and Politics in Islamic Society (5)#
  • LSJ 422 Immigrants, Labor, and Legality (5)#
  • LSJ 425/ANTH 497 Domesticating Intern. Human Rights: US Asylum & Refugee Law (5)#
  • LSJ 426 Reconciliation: The Politics of Forgiveness in a Global Age (5)#
  • LSJ 428/POL S 415 Women’s Rights in an Integrated Europe (5)#
  • LSJ 429 Seeking Refuge: A Global Perspective on Refugee Development (5)#
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 430 Topics in Disability Studies (5, max. 15)*#
  • LSJ 431/POL S 430 Civil-Military Relations in Democracies (5)#
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 433 Disability Law, Policy, & Community (5)#
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 434 Civil and Human Rights Law for Disabled People (5)#
  • LSJ/DIS ST/CHID 437 Crime, Law, & Mental Illness (5)#
  • AFRAM 437 Blacks in American Law (5)
  • LSJ 438 Human Rights & International Development (5)#
  • JSIS B 441 Forced Migrations (5)
  • B H 456 Social Justice and Health (5)
  • LSJ 491 Special Topics in Rights (5, max 15)*#

*LSJ 380, 381, 430, 490, and 491 are variable-topic courses. The topic for a specific offering will be listed on the Time Schedule and also on the Quarterly Course Offerings handouts (available outside the LSJ advising office).
#These courses are eligible to satisfy the LSJ Departmental Seminar Requirement. Students must email the LSJ Adviser to indicate they would like to use one of these courses to fulfill the seminar requirement.

 

LSJ Departmental Seminar

  • LSJ 410 Social Justice through Philanthropy (5)
  • LSJ 415 Juvenile Parole Project (3-5)
  • LSJ 416 Juvenile Parole Practicum (3-5)
  • LSJ 421/ANTH 498 Women’s Rights and Politics in Islamic Society (5)
  • LSJ 422 Immigrants, Labor, and Legality (5)
  • LSJ 425/ANTH 497 Domesticating Intern. Human Rights: US Asylum & Refugee Law (5)
  • LSJ 426 Reconciliation: The Politics of Forgiveness in a Global Age (5)
  • LSJ 428/POL S 415 Women’s Rights in an Integrated Europe (5)
  • LSJ 429 Seeking Refuge: A Global Perspective on Refugee Development (5)
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 430 Topics in Disability Studies (5, max. 15)*
  • LSJ 431/POL S 430 Civil-Military Relations in Democracies (5)
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 433 Disability Law, Policy, & Community (5)
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 434 Civil and Human Rights Law for Disabled People (5)
  • LSJ/DIS ST/CHID 437 Crime, Law, & Mental Illness (5)
  • LSJ 438 Human Rights & International Development (5)
  • LSJ 444 Ethics in Law and Justice (5)
  • LSJ/POL S 456 Institutional Failure (5)
  • LSJ/GEOG 467 Law, Justice, and the Environment (5)
  • LSJ/GEOG 474 Geography and the Law (5)
  • LSJ/ SOC 476 Miscarriages of Justice (5)
  • LSJ 490 Special Topics in Comparative Legal Institutions (3-5, max. 15)*
  • LSJ 491 Special Topics in Rights (3-5, max 15)*

*Students are responsible for arranging with the LSJ adviser which course(s) they will use for completion of their Departmental Seminar requirement. This can be done by an email to the LSJ adviser once the student has registered for the course. The adviser can then make the appropriate change in the student’s academic record.

 

Petition to Have Outside Course Count Toward Major

LSJ Majors may petition to have a maximum of 5 credits of outside coursework count toward the LSJ major. It is best to petition your course PRIOR to taking it as petitions are rarely granted. Needing to graduate on time is not a suitable justification for petitioning a course. 

LSJ Major Petition Form

 

Earn Credit for Study Abroad 

Similar to petitioning outside courses, it is strongly advised to petition your study abroad course PRIOR to going on the trip. Needing to graduate on time is not a suitable justification for petitioning a course. 

If you are participating in an LSJ sponsored Study Abroad Program (Rome, Amsterdam, Cape Town, Jamaica, León), your credits will count for either the LSJ seminar requirement or one of the LSJ Subfields. You do not need to petition these courses. Please schedule a meeting with the LSJ Adviser to adjust your degree audit once your credits have been posted to your transcript. 

A maximum of 10 study abroad credits outside of LSJ affiliated programs may be counted toward the LSJ major. 

Our general policy is that LSJ minors, may not count outside study abroad experiences towards LSJ minor requirements. However, students may petition for an exception, and the Department will review. Please note, no more than 5 credits may be petitioned. 

 

Independent Study 

Student may earn credit for independent study work through either LSJ 499. Credits earned through these courses count toward total credit, but will not fulfill LSJ major requirements. 

LSJ 499 is a great way to round out your schedule when seeking independent study credit. It's an Independent Study course that you arrange with an LSJ faculty member. Typically, it works like this:

  1. Student picks an LSJ-related topic they'd like to learn more about and compiles a short (1-2 paragraphs) description of the topic, along with a list of 4-5 articles, book chapters, or books related to the topic.
  2. Student selects an LSJ faculty member (cannot be a grad student) who has some experience in/knowledge of the topic and meets with them to discuss their proposal.
  3. If the faculty member agrees to serve as your "Supervisor" for your Independent Study/Research, then you'll flesh out your plan of study with additional readings and a final paper/assignment along with a timeline and due dates.
  4. Together you'll decide on the appropriate number of credits, ranging from 1-5. The course is always graded as Credit/No Credit.
  5. You'll complete the LSJ 499 form along with your faculty supervisor. The form is available here.

LSJ 499: Independent study 

Students may earn credit for independent study with an LSJ faculty member. 

499 Application 

 

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