Undergraduate students of any major at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln can enhance their degrees and employment options with legal knowledge by enrolling in the law and business minor. A partnership between Nebraska’s College of Business and College of Law, the minor includes four courses (12 credit hours) taught by renowned professors from Nebraska Law.
The course enrollment takes place during Spring Priority Registration, which begins March 25. Interested students must have at least junior standing and minimum 3.25 GPA and declare the minor with their academic advisor.
The courses build students’ familiarity with legal concepts for jobs that don’t require a juris doctorate but require some knowledge of the law. Designed to complement any major, the law and business minor can make graduates stand out among job applicants and provide students with the skills for additional employment possibilities. Many of these jobs are in growing fields such as regulatory compliance, human resources, accounting, financial services and securities regulation and real estate development.
“Position descriptions for non-attorney jobs listing legal knowledge as a qualification have dramatically increased, with national job sites like Indeed.com currently showing more than 80,000 listings,” said Dr. Donna Dudney, associate dean of undergraduate curriculum and programs and associate professor of finance in Nebraska Business. “We see the minor being a natural fit for business majors, but non-business majors can also benefit from legal knowledge. For example, an understanding of EPA regulations and compliance would complement a degree in environmental studies.”
The College of Law first approached the College of Business about expanding opportunities in the undergraduate study of law, and a positive response among the college’s stakeholders and local employers led to the minor, Dudney said.
The minor also allows students interested in a possible career in law to experience law classes as an undergraduate.
“As the director of the UNL Honors Program, the new law and business minor provides students in many disciplines with an unparalleled opportunity to learn about the law. I know many of my students in political science, global studies and history hope to go to law school. There is no better way to figure out if this is the right choice. Moreover, the classes are taught by some of the law school’s best faculty. I hope students who are able will take advantage of this new opportunity,” said Patrice McMahon, associate professor of political science.
Two of the four courses are offered each fall semester and two courses each spring semester in Howard L. Hawks Hall on City Campus, home to the College of Business. To learn more, go to https://business.unl.edu/lawminor.