Pre-Law and Political Science

Political science is a very popular major or minor for pre-law students (students who plan to attend law school). Political science provides students with an understanding of the state, national and international institutions that make law, and includes courses such as Constitutional Law I and II, International Law, and American Judicial Politics.

For information on pre-law in general at GVSU, see the GVSU pre-law website.

Pre-Law Advising
Political science professor Mark Richards is a pre-law advisor for GVSU students.
Contact information:
Mark Richards, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Political Science
1106 AuSable Hall
(616) 331-3457
[email protected]
Profile

Pre-Law Advising Guide
Our pre-law advising guide is an excellent starting point for any GVSU student interested in pre-law. 

Pre-Law FAQ
Professor Mark Richards of the Political Science Department maintains the Pre-law FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) site, which is highly recommended for anyone contemplating pre-law. Please visit for more information about pre-law at GVSU, GVSU courses in law, the Law Society student organization, the LSAT, and links to many helpful pre-law resources.

GVSU Pre-law Google Group
All GVSU students interest in pre-law should join the GVSU Pre-law Google group to receive periodic e-mail updates.

1. Sign into your GVSU student e-mail. Make sure you are signed out of any other Google accounts. 

2. Send a message to [email protected] and leave everything else blank. Delete your signature.

3. Look for a message in your GVSU student e-mail with subject “Join request for gvsuprelaw”

4. Open the “Join request email” and click the blue “Join This Group” button. If adding from a mobile device you may need to click desktop version in the footer.

5. Once your request has been approved, you will receive a message confirming you have been added to the group

6. If you have any problems joining the group you can email Dr. Mark Richards for assistance ([email protected]). You can unsubscribe at any time.

LEAP

Enjoy a new degree of success and distinguish yourself academically and professionally by earning both a bachelor's degree from GVSU Political Science and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Michigan State University College of Law (MSU Law). The Legal Education Admission Program (LEAP) provides an opportunity for GVSU's political science undergraduate students to earn both degrees in about six years of full-time study (three years of political science plus three years of law school).