The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences are pleased to offer a unique program of study for undergraduate students that enables them to explore multiple perspectives on law as an inter-school supplement to their major field of study.
Requirements
The Course of Study
The minor involves taking three required courses and five additional courses from elective brackets. Four courses come from Wharton and four from the School of Arts and Sciences. The Legal Studies and History Minor requires 8 CUs in total.
Three Required Courses:
LGST1010 – Law and Social Values (previously LGST 101)
This course presents law as an evolving social institution, with special emphasis on the legal regulation of business. It considers basic concepts in the history and growth of the legal system, introduces aspects of legal procedure used in the U.S. and other industrialized countries, and demonstrates the fundamentals of rigorous legal analysis. An in-depth examination of contract law is included.
HIST1119 – History of American Law to 1877 (previously HIST 168)
This course surveys the development of law in the U.S. to 1877, including such subjects as: the evolution of the legal profession, the transformation of English law during the American Revolution, the making and implementation of the Constitution, and issues concerning business and economic development, the law of slavery, the status of women, and civil rights.
HIST1169 – History of American Law since 1877 (previously HIST 169)
This course covers the development of legal rules and principles concerning individual and group conduct in the United States since 1877. Such subjects as regulation and deregulation, legal education and the legal profession, and the legal status of women and minorities will be discussed.
Elective Brackets:
1. Philosophical Foundations of Law (choose one)
Law is an expression of our society’s deepest moral and cultural values. Anyone seeking to understand law should have a grasp of the philosophical foundations underlying the legal system.
ECON0440 Law and Economics (previously ECON 036)
HIST1201 Foundations of Law
HIST2202 Taking Things: A History of Property and Law
HIST3202 Medieval Justice
PHIL/PPE1443 The Social Contract (previously PHIL/PPE 008)
PHIL1450 Philosophy of Law (previously PHIL 077)
PHIL2450 Justice, Law, and Morality (previously PHIL 277)
2. The Political and Institutional Context of Law (choose one)
Law is intimately related to the political values and institutions that give shape to particular legal rules. An understanding of these relationships and their social context deepens any appreciation of how law evolves.
AFRC3500 Amercian Slavery and the Law
HIST1110 Hamilton’s America: US History 1775-1800 (previously HIST 109)
HIST1172 Bodies, Race, and Rights: Sex and Citizenship in Modern America
HIST1733 Free Speech and Censorship
HIST1740 Capitalism, Socialism, and Crisis in the 20th Century Americas
HIST2159 The History of Family Separation
HIST3910 Immigration and the Making of US Law
PSCI0602 American Political Thought (previously PSCI 183)
SOCI1120 Law and Society (previously SOCI 135)
Another course from the History, Political Science, Sociology or Women’s Studies departments that deals in a significant way with the political values and institutional context of the law may be substituted for the courses listed above with the approval of the History Department’s undergraduate advisor.
3. International Perspective (choose 1):*
In a global economy, no study of how law works in society is complete without an introduction to the international dimension of law.
- LGST 2160 (LGST 216) Emerging Economies
- LGST 2190 (LGST 219) Law and Policy in International Business
- LGST 2240 (LGST 224) Human Rights and Globalization
4. Public Policy & Regulation (choose 1):*
The ways in which political and regulatory systems interact with law and social norms closely tied to law is crucial to understanding how law operates.
- BEPP 2010 (BEPP 201) Public Finance and Policy.
- BEPP 2030 (BEPP 203) Business in the Global Political Environment.
- LGST 1000 (LGST 100) Ethics and Social Responsibility
5. Legal Depth (choose 1):*
An in-depth examination of a single area of legal regulation affords students a context in which to apply the historical, philosophical, political and economic perspectives they have gained through their course of study.
- LGST 2020 (LGST 202) Law of Corporate Management and Finance
- LGST 2040 (LGST 204) Real Estate Law
- LGST 2050 (LGST 205) Innovation, Marketing Strategy, and Antitrust
- LGST 2080 (LGST 208) The Law at Work: Employment Law for Managers
- LGST 2120 (LGST 212) Economic Analysis of Law
- LGST 2130 (LGST 213) Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship
- LGST 2150 (LGST 215) Environmental Management Law & Policy
- LGST 2180 (LGST 218) Diversity and the Law
- LGST 2210 (LGST 221) Constitutional Law and Free Enterprise
- LGST 2220 (LGST 222) Internet Law, Privacy and Cybersecurity
- LGST 2230 (LGST 223) Securities Regulation
- LGST 2280 (LGST 228) Sports Law
- LGST 2430 (LGST 243) Other People’s Money
- LGST 2440 (LGST 244) Blockchain Cryptocurrency
- LGST 2450 (LGST 245) Business, Law, and Democracy
- LGST 2460 (LGST 246) Corporate Distress and Reorganization Law
- Another 2000-level Legal Studies and Business Ethics course may be substituted with the approval of the Legal Studies and Business Ethics’ Undergraduate Advisor: Professor Amanda Shanor . The Negotiations courses (LGST 2910/2920) do not qualify for this bracket.
*Requirement change for students declaring the LSHS Minor in PATH in the fall 2024 semester and beyond:
The International Perspective, Public Policy & Regulation, and Legal Depth Requirements will be combined into one new Legal Depth requirement from which students will choose 3 courses. Students graduating in the class of 2025 and later years should plan their schedules accordingly. The new Legal Depth Requirement will look like this:
Legal Depth (choose three)
An in-depth examination of areas of legal regulation affords students a context in which to apply the historical, philosophical, political and economic perspectives they have gained through their course of study.
BEPP2010 Public Finance and Policy
BEPP2030 Business in the Global Political Environment
LGST1000 Ethics and Social Responsibility
LGST2020 Law of Corporate Management & Finance
LGST2040 Real Estate Law
LGST2050 Innovation, Marketing Strategy, and Antitrust
LGST2080 The Law at Work: Employment Law for Managers
LGST2120 Economic Analysis of Law
LGST2130 Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship
LGST2150 Environmental Management Law & Policy
LGST2160 Legal Problems of Emerging Economies
LGST2180 Diversity and the Law
LGST2190 Law and Policy in International Business
LGST2210 Constitutional Law and Free Enterprise
LGST2220 Internet Law, Privacy and Cybersecurity
LGST2230 Securities Regulation
LGST2240 Human Rights & Globalization
LGST2280 Sports Law
LGST2430 Other People’s Money
LGST2440 Blockchain Cryptocurrency
LGST2450 Business, Law, and Democracy
LGST2460 Corporate Distress and Reorganization Law
Another 2000-level Legal Studies and Business Ethics course may be substituted with the approval of the Legal Studies and Business Ethics’ Undergraduate Advisor: Professor Amanda Shanor. The Negotiations courses (LGST 2910/2920) do not qualify for this bracket.
Additional Information
For additional information or to apply for this minor, students should contact the appropriate offices:
Students declare the minor through their home school.
College of Arts and Sciences
Academic Advising
120 Cohen Hall
249 South 36th Street
215-898-6341
Contact for questions regarding College courses.
History Department
Undergraduate Advisor
College Hall 208C
215-898-4576 or histadv@history.upenn.edu
Contact for questions regarding Wharton courses.
Legal Studies & Business Ethics Department
Undergraduate Advisor
600 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
215-898-7689 or lgstundergradadvisor@wharton.upenn.edu or shanor@wharton.upenn.edu
Wharton Undergraduate Division
Academic Advising
Academic Research Building
215-898-7607