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There is no pre-law major
Law schools do not require a specific undergraduate major, and they do not prefer one. Applicants are admitted from the sciences, the humanities, the social sciences, business, engineering and the arts.
How undergraduate study fits in
What law schools look for can be built in any field: careful reading, clear writing, reasoning from evidence, and the habit of finishing difficult work. A major you are interested in is the one you are most likely to do well in, and your record in it is what an admissions committee reads.
Some colleges offer a program called pre-law or legal studies. It is one option among many and carries no special weight in admissions. Pre-law advising is a different thing: a service most colleges offer to students in every major.
PreLaw Advisor does not rank majors and does not use your major to assess or predict anything. On your profile it is simply a record of what you studied.
One special case
Patent practice before the USPTO
Representing inventors before the United States Patent and Trademark Office in patent matters requires separate registration with that office. To register, a person must show scientific and technical qualifications and pass a registration examination. The Office accepts certain bachelor’s degrees in technical subjects and also sets out other ways to qualify.
This is a rule about one kind of practice, not about admission to law school. It does not apply to trademark or copyright work, and lawyers without the registration work on patent disputes in court. If patent prosecution interests you, read the Office’s current requirements directly, because they change.
USPTO: becoming a patent practitioner (opens in a new tab) · About patent law
Fields of study
Find your field
The list below is the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, the standard vocabulary colleges use to report their programs. It has 2,143 programs. If yours is not there, your profile accepts your own wording.
Engineering
Engineering, General
- Engineering, General
- Pre-Engineering
- Applied Engineering
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
- Astronautical Engineering
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other
Agricultural Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
Architectural Engineering
- Architectural Engineering
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Chemical Engineering, Other
Civil Engineering
- Civil Engineering, General
- Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation and Highway Engineering
- Water Resources Engineering
- Civil Engineering, Other
Computer Engineering
- Computer Engineering, General
- Computer Hardware Engineering
- Computer Software Engineering
- Computer Engineering, Other
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Laser and Optical Engineering
- Telecommunications Engineering
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, Other
Engineering Mechanics
- Engineering Mechanics
Engineering Physics
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
Engineering Science
- Engineering Science
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Materials Engineering
- Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
- Metallurgical Engineering
Mining and Mineral Engineering
- Mining and Mineral Engineering
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
Ocean Engineering
- Ocean Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
Systems Engineering
- Systems Engineering
Textile Sciences and Engineering
- Textile Sciences and Engineering
Polymer/Plastics Engineering
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering
Construction Engineering
- Construction Engineering
Forest Engineering
- Forest Engineering
Industrial Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
Manufacturing Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
Operations Research
- Operations Research
Surveying Engineering
- Surveying Engineering
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering
Paper Science and Engineering
- Paper Science and Engineering
Electromechanical Engineering
- Electromechanical Engineering
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
Biochemical Engineering
- Biochemical Engineering
Engineering Chemistry
- Engineering Chemistry
Biological/Biosystems Engineering
- Biological/Biosystems Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
Energy Systems Engineering
- Energy Systems Engineering, General
- Power Plant Engineering
- Energy Systems Engineering, Other
Engineering, Other
- Engineering, Other
Browse by group
- Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
- Architecture and Related Services
- Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
- Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
- Construction Trades
- Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services
- Education
- Engineering
- Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- English Language and Literature/Letters
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- Health Professions and Related Programs
- History
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
- Legal Professions and Studies
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
- Library Science
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
- Military Science, Leadership and Operational Art
- Military Technologies and Applied Sciences
- Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Natural Resources and Conservation
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology
- Philosophy and Religious Studies
- Physical Sciences
- Precision Production
- Psychology
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions
- Science Technologies/Technicians
- Social Sciences
- Theology and Religious Vocations
- Transportation and Materials Moving
- Visual and Performing Arts
Sources
- 1.National Center for Education Statistics. Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020) (opens in a new tab) Codes and titles. Program definitions are published by NCES.
- 2.United States Patent and Trademark Office. Becoming a patent practitioner (opens in a new tab)