Program Summary
Build strong research skills and broaden your understanding of legal principles. This online degree program can help you prepare for a career in a variety of fields that require knowledge of the law and legal processes.
An Online Degree in Law and Society
Many occupations today require at least some legal knowledge and notion of the law. With a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society, you will not only learn about the law, legal principles, and legal systems and processes in the United States, but you can also become skillful in logic, rhetoric, research, and legal writing. These versatile skills can help you develop your legal or law enforcement career in a variety of organizations, including nonprofit organizations, regulatory agencies, small businesses, public offices, or even the military. Law and society majors analyze legal practices and envision social justice.
Why Law and Society at Penn State?
Applicable course work — As a law and society student, your 15 credits of core course work will include legal brief–writing and the philosophy of law and legal ethics. Throughout your studies, you can develop skills to critically analyze arguments and detect careless language use and fallacies.
Immediate results — While earning your bachelor's degree online, you can enhance your résumé by acquiring a professional certificate or an associate degree. For example, both the Undergraduate Certificate in Organizational Communication and the Associate in Arts in Letters, Arts, and Sciences include many of the courses required for the Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society. You may be able to apply some credits toward a bachelor’s degree while also reaching these notable milestones along the way.
The Penn State Difference — In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines.
Who Should Apply?
The bachelor's degree in law and society might be a good choice if you:
- are not a lawyer but work with legal issues in human resources, affirmative action, law enforcement, child and family services, government, education, communication, technology, or health care
- have an associate degree in areas such as law enforcement, legal studies, or law and society
- want a baccalaureate degree focused on law, as opposed to related fields such as criminal justice and political science
- are a law enforcement and corrections officer, community service professional, or member of the armed services and want to enroll in a degree-completion program
- own your own business and often must handle legal matters such as contracts or permits
- plan to attend law school after earning a baccalaureate degree
Career Opportunities for Graduates
With a bachelor's degree in law and society you can work as a(n):
- legal assistant
- arbitrator
- mediator
- conciliator
- contract negotiator
Online Education at Penn State
Penn State has a history of 100+ years of distance education and more than 20 years of experience in online learning. We create an online learning environment that offers you the same quality education our residential students experience in a face-to-face setting. Learn more about Penn State World Campus.
Ready to Learn More?
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.