Explore
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.
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Business/Commerce, General
- Business/Commerce, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management
- Office Management and Supervision
- Operations Management and Supervision
- Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
- Customer Service Management
- E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce
- Transportation/Mobility Management
- Research and Development Management
- Project Management
- Retail Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Research Administration
- Risk Management
- Science/Technology Management
- Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
Accounting and Related Services
- Accounting
- Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
- Auditing
- Accounting and Finance
- Accounting and Business/Management
- Accounting and Related Services, Other
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
- Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General
- Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary
- Receptionist
- Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry
- General Office Occupations and Clerical Services
- Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations
- Traffic, Customs, and Transportation Clerk/Technician
- Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation
- Business Operations Support and Secretarial Services, Other
Business/Corporate Communications
- Business/Corporate Communications, General
- Grantsmanship
- Business/Corporate Communications, Other
Business/Managerial Economics
- Business/Managerial Economics
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
- Franchising and Franchise Operations
- Small Business Administration/Management
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other
Finance and Financial Management Services
- Finance, General
- Banking and Financial Support Services
- Financial Planning and Services
- International Finance
- Investments and Securities
- Public Finance
- Credit Management
- Financial Risk Management
- Finance and Financial Management Services, Other
Hospitality Administration/Management
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General
- Tourism and Travel Services Management
- Hotel/Motel Administration/Management
- Restaurant/Food Services Management
- Resort Management
- Meeting and Event Planning
- Casino Management
- Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management
- Brewery/Brewpub Operations/Management
- Hospitality Administration/Management, Other
Human Resources Management and Services
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- Labor and Industrial Relations
- Organizational Behavior Studies
- Labor Studies
- Human Resources Development
- Executive/Career Coaching
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other
International Business
- International Business/Trade/Commerce
Management Information Systems and Services
- Management Information Systems, General
- Information Resources Management
- Knowledge Management
- Management Information Systems and Services, Other
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
- Management Science
- Business Statistics
- Actuarial Science
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other
Marketing
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- Marketing Research
- International Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Marketing, Other
Real Estate
- Real Estate
Taxation
- Taxation
Insurance
- Insurance
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
- Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General
- Merchandising and Buying Operations
- Retailing and Retail Operations
- Selling Skills and Sales Operations
- General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
- Auctioneering
- Fashion Merchandising
- Fashion Modeling
- Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations
- Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations
- Tourism Promotion Operations
- Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations
- Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations
- Special Products Marketing Operations
- Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations
- Specialized Merchandising, Sales, and Marketing Operations, Other
Construction Management
- Construction Management, General
- Construction Project Management
- Construction Management, Other
Telecommunications Management
- Telecommunications Management
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, 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)