Communication Studies-to-Law Pathway Programs

Written and oral communication skills are essential to the practice of law. This makes Communication Studies an excellent major for law school-bound students. At Kent State University choosing Communication Studies as your pre-law major will give you both a skillset you need to succeed — and low-cost, fast-track pathways to well-respected law schools in the Northeast Ohio region:

Kent State’s 3+3 law pathway programs (B.A. to J.D.) allow students to shave a year off the typical seven-year plan to complete both degrees. Interested students can elect the Communication Studies-to-Law School pathway program during or before their freshman year and work closely with their College of Communication and Information academic adviser to ensure they are on a track to complete required undergraduate courses over the course of three years. For students accepted into the program, the senior year is completed concurrently with the first year of law school.

Communication Studies to Law School - Admission and Course Requirements

Admission into law school is determined by the partner institution and requires satisfactory test scores; good academic, disciplinary and financial standing at Kent State; meeting GPA standards; and other requirements that may be determined by the partner institution. All requirements can be found in the following documents that outline course and admission requirements for each individual partnership.

CASE WESTERN RESERVE SCHOOL OF LAW

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON SCHOOL OF LAW

Three Pathways in Law: Communication Studies Alumni Thrive in Legal Frontiers

Headshots of three alumni

Strong written and oral communication skills are essential to the practice of law. Communication Studies is one of several majors that students at Kent State can choose for the university’s 3+3 partnership with area law schools. We caught up with three alumni from the School of Communication Studies to explore how an undergraduate communication studies major prepared them for the study and practice of law.

Communication Studies as a Pre-Law Major

As a Communication Studies student, you’ll practice public speaking, writing and critical thinking in almost all of your major coursework — essential skills for future lawyers.

Coursework in High Impact Professional Speaking; Communication and Influence; Communication and Conflict; Argumentation and Persuasive Communication; Difficult Decisions in Communication; and, Freedom of Speech; as well as coursework in advocacy,  crisis communication, and information literacy are just a few of the types of classes that will give you practice:

  • Crafting and presenting cogent arguments and sorting fact from fiction
  • Analyzing multi-faceted information and making logical connections
  • Collaborating in small groups on complex projects
  • Presenting opinions and arguments in a compelling way through writing or speech
  • Working with digital media tools and with media platforms to present, disseminate or elevate information.
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