Concentration in Public Law
Students may earn a BA in Political Science with a Concentration in Public Law by successfully completing a number of prescribed courses when fulfilling the usual requirements for the Poltiical Science Honours program. Students completing an Honours BA in Political Science including the concentration requirements will have the words 'Concentration in Public Law' added to their transcript.
What is Public Law?
Public law consists of those areas of the law that govern the relationship between individuals and the state, or the relationships between parts of the state. These include constitutional, criminal, administrative, municipal, and international law.
Why study Political Science with a Concentration in Public Law at Brock?
- Among the courses available to students in the Honours BA Political Science program, is an internship placement (POLI 4P95). In this limited enrolment course, students in the Public Law Concentration have interned with local law firms, a provincial court, and other law-related organizations, thus providing a practical, career oriented experience as part of their academic studies.
- Many Political Science graduates already go on to law school. The Concentration in Public Law is designed to give such students an opportunity to gain pre-law school experience by undertaking the systematic study of law as part of their undergraduate studies.
- This program will also benefit students intending to proceed to careers in which knowledge of the legal environment will be helpful; these include the public service, the foreign service, international business and trade, public relations, and journalism.
- Students in this concentration are also encouraged to take electives from public law-related fields in programs such as Child and Youth Studies and Sociology.
- This part-time program requires the completion of five credits, with courses chosen from a list of prescribed options.
Sample Courses in the Concentration in Public Law
This section outlines some of the courses you may take as part of the Concentration in Public Law. Students must complete six and one-half credits from a prescribed list of courses throughout their degree. Students may choose from a range of courses, including the following. For a full listing of available courses within the Concentration and Public Law, as well as the typical course pattern for a major in Political Science, please visit our Undergraduate Calendar.
- POLI 1P91 - Courts and Politics: Great Cases in Constitutional Law
- POLI 2F12 - The Government and Politics of Canada
- POLI 2P47 - Rights Across Borders
- POLI 2P93 - Liberal Democracy
- POLI 3P04 - Politics, Law and Justice
- POLI 3P18 - Law and Politics
- POLI 3P26 - International Law and International Organization
- POLI 3P66 - Environmental Policy, Law and Administration
- POLI 4P01 - The Philosophy of Law
- POLI 4P34 - Comparative Judicial Systems
- POLI 4P95 - Political Science Internship
Careers
Brock graduates enjoy one of the highest employment rates of all Ontario universities at 96.5%. A degree in Political Science with Concentration in Public Law will prepare you for a wide variety of careers including:
- Lawyer
- Journalist
- Diplomat
- International business and trade
- Elected office
- Public Relations
- Public service (municipal, provincial, federal)
Please note some careers may require additional professional or graduate qualifications.