Law Studies, B.S.L.S.

The legal studies program with a paralegal emphasis is designed for the student who wishes to pursue a career in the legal profession or related field.

• The law studies emphasis will provide students with the experiences, knowledge, and skills for careers as paralegals.

Learn more about courses for the Law Studies emphasis. 

Under this emphasis, the student’s fourth-year requirements are satisfied by successfully completing first-year law school classes at the University of Mississippi School of Law.

• The student must meet the School of Law’s requirements for admittance to this special program, which are established each year based on the previous year’s data on the grade-point averages and (Law School Admission Test) scores for students admitted to the School of Law.
• A student who chooses this emphasis but does not meet those requirements must switch to one of the other emphases.

No minor is required for this emphasis, but students will be encouraged to develop a minor-like concentration so they do not get caught short in the event they have to switch to the other emphasis, which requires a minor.

Learn more about courses for the Accelerate Law Emphasis.

The Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies offers an accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program for law studies majors currently admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (B.S.C.J.).

This program offers our outstanding, advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to begin earning credit towards their graduate degree while they complete the final requirements for the undergraduate degree. 

• Learn more information about our Master of Criminal Justice program here.

How many credit hours can I take towards a graduate degree while completing my undergraduate studies?

12 credits. Students can take up to 2 graduate level courses per semester during their senior year. 

What graduate courses can I take while in the 4+1 program? 

• CJ 600: Criminal Justice Administration
• CJ 601: Criminal Justice Statistics
• CJ 602: Criminal Justice Research Methods
• CJ 624: Theories of Criminal Behavior
• CJ 620: Criminal Justice in American Society: Policy & Practice
• CJ 621: Seminar in Law Enforcement
• CJ 622: Seminar in Courts and Sentencing
• CJ 623: Seminar in Corrections
• CJ 641: Transnational Crime

What are the eligibility requirements?

Students will typically apply to the 4+1 program during their final semester of their junior year to start taking graduate level classes in their senior year of undergraduate studies. Students are welcome to apply as long as they have at least one semester of undergraduate coursework remaining. 

Students interested in pursuing the 4+1 accelerated degree program, must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a Criminal Justice major
• Must have completed 90 credit hours of undergraduate coursework completed
• Must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
• Completion of Criminal Justice Communications (CJ 322) or Advanced Composition (Writ 250) (or equivalent writing course) with a minimum grade of B. 

How do I get admitted to the 4+1 program?

Interested students should first meet with the graduate program advisor, Dr. Kimberly Kaiser and the undergraduate advisor, Ms. Susan Tyler, to review their eligibility for the program. 

Students must be accepted into a Launch PAAD and complete the requisite GradSHARK Launch PAAD Application Form for the Graduate School (the form requires approval from your undergraduate advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator for the area of graduate study you intend to pursue).

After the student is accepted into the Launch PAAD, the student will need to complete the GradSHARK Launch PAAD Course Enrollment Form each term (students will not officially be registered for graduate courses until this form is complete).    

For more information about participation in the GradSHARK Launch PAAD, guidelines, financial aid and available areas of study, please see the GradSHARK Launch PAAD homepage.