English Major: Law 3+3 Option (B.A.)
English Major: Law 3+3 Option (B.A.)

What is the English/Law 3+3 option?
If you’re interested in law school, our English/Law 3+3 degree program offers the possibility of earning both a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six–rather than seven–years of study. After completing three years as an undergraduate and gaining admission to UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law through the approved process, you will become a full-time first-year law student. After your first year of law study, the credits you earn will count toward the J.D. degree and as credits sufficient to complete UNH's requirements for the bachelor's degree.
Why study English/Law at UNH?
UNH boasts both an excellent English program and a highly ranked law school. Experience the ease and convenience of completing both degrees at one institution, as well as the savings in both time and money that this accelerated track offers. English study is excellent preparation for law school and a successful law career.
Potential careers
- Business executive
- Communications specialist
- Editor
- Government consultant
- Lawyer
- Publisher
- Writer
Curriculum & Requirements
The 3+3 program offers highly motivated UNH undergraduate students of English the possibility to earn both a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six, rather than seven, years of study. After completing three years as an undergraduate and gaining admission to the UNH Law School through the approved process, the 3+3 program participant will become a full-time first-year law student. Upon successful completion of the first year of law study, the credits earned will be counted toward the JD degree and as elective credits sufficient to complete UNH's requirements for the bachelor's degree.
Eligibility and Admission Process
STEP ONE: Application to the 3+3 English/Law B.A./JD option
Students apply to the program either when they submit their applications to UNH, selecting the English/JD option on the online application, OR after they are admitted to UNH, by applying directly to the English Department’s “English/Law 3+3 Committee.” In both cases, undergraduate applicants must fulfill the general requirements for admission to the English major.
Students applying at the time of admission to UNH will typically present the following high school credentials:
- A 3.5 GPA in high school (UNH recalculates high school GPA’s to a 4.0 weighted scale)
- A rigorous high school curriculum defined as the following:
- 4 years of college prep (CP) or higher English
- 4 years of CP or higher mathematics
- 4 years of CP or higher social studies/history
- Completed at least level 3 of a foreign language
- 3 or more years of CP or higher laboratory sciencs.
- A recommended score of 1200 or better (combined Math and Verbal) on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT.
Currently enrolled UNH students applying to the program must:
- Have a 3.5 GPA in college courses at the time of application.The English Department committee governing admission to the 3+3 program will also consider past SAT scores, maturity, and the ability to complete a highly demanding program of study based on performance thus far.
- For both groups, it is important to note that satisfying these requirements does not guarantee admission to this program. The review process is holistic (meaning all parts of the application carry weight and influence the final decision) and other components of the application will influence any admission decisions. Available space within the program will also influence who is admitted and how many students can be accepted.
STEP TWO: Application to UNH Law school
To be eligible, students must:
- Complete all Discovery and major requirements, and accrue at least 98 credits before beginning law school in their Senior year.
- Maintain at least a 3.5 GPA (including transfer credits) at time of application to law school, and at the end of their Junior year.
- Take the LSAT no later than December of the final undergraduate yaer (i.e. the Junior year) and earn a score of 157 or above.
- Submit the law school application through the Law School Admissions Council by January of the calendar year in which the student wishes to enroll in law school.
The Path Through the English Undergraduate Major
Below is a suggested course outline to help guide English undergraduate students participating in the English/Law 3+3 program through completion of their major and Discovery program requirements. Variations to this suggested path of courses may be undertaken with the approval of the student’s English undergraduate advisor.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
ENGL 401 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
Discovery Course | 4 | |
ENGL 419 | How to Read Anything | 4 |
Foreign Language Course | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Spring | ||
Discovery Course | 4 | |
Discovery Course | 4 | |
ENGL 500-level Course (512, 513 count as pre-1800 lit courses; 514, 516 are post-1800 lit.) | 4 | |
Select one of the following: |
||
ENGL 512 |
British Literature I Age of Heroes: Beowulf to Dr. Faustus | |
ENGL 513W |
British Literature II Age of Revolutions: Shakespeare to Austen | |
ENGL 514W |
British Literature III: Revolts, Renewals, Migrations | |
ENGL 516W |
American Literature II Money, Migration, and Modernity: Huck Finn to Beloved | |
Foreign Language or Elective (if FL is completed in one semester) | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
Discovery Course | 4 | |
Discovery Course | 4 | |
ENGL 500-level Course (512, 513 count as pre-1800 lit courses; 514, 516 are post-1800 lit.) | 4 | |
Select one of the following: |
||
ENGL 512 |
British Literature I Age of Heroes: Beowulf to Dr. Faustus | |
ENGL 513W |
British Literature II Age of Revolutions: Shakespeare to Austen | |
ENGL 514W |
British Literature III: Revolts, Renewals, Migrations | |
ENGL 516W |
American Literature II Money, Migration, and Modernity: Huck Finn to Beloved | |
Any 500-700 Level ENGL Course | 4 | |
LAW 475 | Getting Ready to Succeed in Law School (Option: can instead be taken in second year spring or third year fall.) | 2 |
Credits | 18 | |
Spring | ||
Discovery Course | 4 | |
Discovery Course | 4 | |
ENGL 600-700 Pre-1800 Literature Course (such a Shakespeare, Chaucer, Literature of Early America) | 4 | |
ENGL 600-700 Post-1800 Literature Course (such as Victorian Novel, Contemporary American Literature, Postcolonial Literature) | 4 | |
LAW 475 | Getting Ready to Succeed in Law School (If not previously taken.) | 2 |
Credits | 18 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
Discovery Course | 4 | |
Discovery Course | 4 | |
ENGL 600-700 Pre-1800 Literature Course (if you took 512 or 513, this can be any 600-700-level ENGL course.) | 4 | |
ENGL 600-700 Post-1800 Literature Course (If you took 514, 515, or 516, this can be any 600-700-level ENGL course.) | 4 | |
LAW 475 | Getting Ready to Succeed in Law School (If not previously taken.) | 2 |
Credits | 18 | |
Spring | ||
ENGL 600-700 Race Course Requirement | 4 | |
ENGL 600-700-level Elective Course | 4 | |
ENGL 787 | English Major Seminar | 4 |
Elective Course | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Total Credits | 102 |
TOTAL: 98 Credits (40 Discovery, 44 English, 4-8 Foreign Language, 4-8 Elective)
NEED: Beyond ENGL 401 First-Year Writing, 3 more WI courses, one in major, one at 600 level.
LAW 475: Students should take LAW 475 Getting Ready to Succeed in Law School at some point during their Sophomore year but no later than the first semester of their Junior year. This course, taught by a UNH Law School faculty member, will teach students how to prepare for a legal education. The course will instruct students on the LSAT exam and offer valuable strategies on how to improve LSAT scores. Such instruction will include administration of practice test questions as well as explanations for answers. This two-credit course will also explain the necessary study skills to excel in law school.
HONORS: It is not necessary to complete the honors program, but it is possible: Honors in Discovery + Honors in Major with Thesis (See addendum I) .
SEQUENCE: With the exception of ENGL 419 How to Read Anything and ENGL 787 English Major Seminar, English courses don’t need to be taken in any specific order; the guide above is only a suggestion. In general, 500-level courses should be taken before 600-700 level ones. However, a student could take a class that satisfies the Race Requirement in Semester I of Junior year rather than Semester II, or a pre-1800 600-700 level literature course in Semester II of Junior year. As long as all the categories listed above are met, students have the flexibility to choose the courses that best meet their interests and schedules. There are some writing and journalism courses that have prerequisites, and students should be careful to note these before choosing upper-level courses in those fields.
ADVISING: It is very important that students progressing through the 3+3 English/Law program maintain close contact with their degree advisor. This will help students remain “on track” to complete degree requirements, and the advisor will guide the student into the next phase of the program, admission to the Law school. Students who plan early and work closely with their advisor may find it possible to include study abroad and participation in other University programs, if desired, but only with careful planning.
All students participating in the English/Law 3+3 program are strongly encouraged to consult with the pre-law advisor on campus: Kevin Sousa, kevin.sousa@unh.edu; 603-862-2062, 110 Murkland Hall.
The Path Through UNH Law School
This is a possible Law School course outline. Variations to this suggested path of courses may be undertaken with the approval of the student’s Law school advisor.
Senior/First Year Law (31 credits)
Fourth Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
LGP 920 | Contracts | 3 |
LGP 909 | Civil Procedure | 4 |
LGP 960 | Torts | 3 |
LSK 919 | Legal Analysis and Writing 1 | 2 |
LSK 900 | Legal Research and Information Literacy | 2 |
LGP 900 | The Legal Profession | 1 |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
LGP 969 | Article II Sales | 2 |
LGP 916 | Constitutional Law | 4 |
LGP 952 | Property | 4 |
LSK 920 | Legal Analysis and Writing 2 | 3 |
LIP 944 or LPI 912 | Fundamentals of Intellectual Property or Fundamentals of Law Practice | 3 |
Credits | 16 | |
Total Credits | 31 |
The schedule and track of the second and third years of law school are directed by each student with careful advising from the law faculty.
Students in the English/law 3+3 option complete the requirements of the English major. See the Degree Plan for the recommended path through the English major.
Participation requires that students:
- Complete all discovery and major requirements and at least 98 credits before beginning law school
- Maintain a 3.5 or above grade point average, including transfer credits
- Take the LSAT no later than December of the final undergraduate year and have a score of 157 or above.
- Submit the law school application through the Law School Admissions by January 1 of the year in which the student wishes to enroll in law school.
Major Requirements
- Students must complete a minimum of 40 credits of with a minimum grade of C-.
- The required minimum overall GPA is 2.0.
- ENGL 401, 415s, "Literature and..." courses, 444s, ENGL 620 and ENGL 788 may not be used to satisfy major requirements.
- A total of six courses must be numbered 600 and above.
- One major-required course may be used to satisfy one Discovery category requirement.
- Only one online course may count toward major requirements.
- Special Topics in Literature courses (e.g. ENGL 693, 787, 797) may be used to satisfy Pre-1800 or Post-1800 and/or Race Requirement areas if the designated topic is appropriate.
-
Capstone must be completed with a minimum grade of C. May not be double-counted toward major requirements. Submit a Capstone Declaration form indicating the English course to be taken at the time of registration.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required | ||
ENGL 419 | How to Read Anything (Minimum grade of C) | 4 |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select two courses from the following: | 8 |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
500-level Courses | ||
ENGL/LING 405 | Introduction to Linguistics | |
ENGL 501 | Introduction to Creative Nonfiction | |
ENGL 502 | Professional and Technical Writing | |
ENGL 503 | Persuasive Writing | |
ENGL 510 | Introduction to the Digital Humanities | |
ENGL 511 | Major Writers in English | |
ENGL 512 | British Literature I Age of Heroes: Beowulf to Dr. Faustus | |
ENGL 513W | British Literature II Age of Revolutions: Shakespeare to Austen | |
ENGL 514W | British Literature III: Revolts, Renewals, Migrations | |
ENGL 515W | American Literature I Conquest and Nation: First Contact to the Civil War | |
ENGL 516W | American Literature II Money, Migration, and Modernity: Huck Finn to Beloved | |
ENGL #517 | Black Creative Expression | |
ENGL 518W | Bible as Literature | |
ENGL 520 | Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction | |
ENGL 521 | Nature Writers | |
ENGL 526 | Introduction to Fiction Writing | |
ENGL 527 | Introduction to Poetry Writing | |
ENGL 533 | Introduction to Film Studies | |
ENGL 534 | 21st Century Journalism: How the News Works | |
ENGL 549 | In the Groove: African American Music as Literature | |
ENGL 550 | Introduction to the Literature and Culture of Race | |
ENGL 555 | Science Fiction | |
ENGL 560 | Introduction to Latinx Literature and Culture | |
ENGL 575 | Sex and Sensibility: The Rise of Chick Lit | |
ENGL 581 | Reading the Postcolonial Experience | |
ENGL 585 | Introduction to Women in Literature | |
ENGL 585R | Introduction to Women in Literature | |
ENGL 595 | Literary Topics |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select two courses from the following: | 8 |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Pre-1800 Literature Courses | ||
ENGL 512 | British Literature I Age of Heroes: Beowulf to Dr. Faustus | |
or ENGL 513W | British Literature II Age of Revolutions: Shakespeare to Austen | |
ENGL 595 | Literary Topics (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL 657 | Shakespeare | |
ENGL 693R | Special Topics in Literature (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL #741 | Early American Literature: Colonialism, Revolution, Nation | |
ENGL 751 | Medieval Romance | |
ENGL 753 | Old English | |
ENGL 756 | Chaucer | |
ENGL 758 | Advanced Shakespeare | |
ENGL 758R | Advanced Shakespeare | |
ENGL 759 | Milton | |
ENGL 767 | Literature of the Restoration and Early 18th Century | |
ENGL 768 | Literature of the Later 18th Century | |
ENGL 780 | Drama of Shakespeare's Contemporaries: Will and Company | |
ENGL 783 | English Novel of the Eighteenth Century | |
ENGL 787 | English Major Seminar (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL 787R | English Major Seminar (if topic is appropriate) |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select two courses from the following: | 8 |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Post-1800 Literature Courses | ||
ENGL 514W | British Literature III: Revolts, Renewals, Migrations | |
or ENGL 516W | American Literature II Money, Migration, and Modernity: Huck Finn to Beloved | |
ENGL 595 | Literary Topics (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL 609 | Ethnicity in America: The African American Experience in the 20th Century | |
ENGL 636 | Literature and the Environment | |
ENGL 650 | I Hear America Singing: Studying American Literature and Culture | |
ENGL 681 | Contemporary African Literature | |
ENGL 690 | African American Literature | |
ENGL 693R | Special Topics in Literature (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL 738 | Asian American Studies | |
ENGL 739 | American Indian Literature | |
ENGL 743R | American Literature, 1865-1915: The Birth of the American Empire | |
ENGL 745 | Contemporary American Literature | |
ENGL 749R | Major American Authors | |
ENGL 773 | Literary Modernisms: Return, Revolt, Recycle | |
ENGL 774R | Modern & Contemporary British Literature: New Departures | |
ENGL 775 | Modern Irish Literature: A Changing Landscape | |
ENGL 777 | The English Novel in the World | |
ENGL 782 | Modern and Contemporary Drama | |
ENGL #784 | English Novel of the 19th Century | |
ENGL 787 | English Major Seminar (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL 787R | English Major Seminar (if topic is appropriate) | |
ENGL 797R | Special Studies in Literature (Race & Racial Theories) (if topic is appropriate) |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select one course from the following: | 4 |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Race, the Construction of Race, and Racial Theory Courses | ||
ENGL 440A | On Race in Culture and Society | |
ENGL #441 | On Race and Culture in Society | |
ENGL #517 | Black Creative Expression | |
ENGL 549 | In the Groove: African American Music as Literature | |
ENGL 550 | Introduction to the Literature and Culture of Race | |
ENGL 560 | Introduction to Latinx Literature and Culture | |
ENGL 585R | Introduction to Women in Literature | |
ENGL 609 | Ethnicity in America: The African American Experience in the 20th Century | |
ENGL 650R | I Hear America Singing: Studying American Literature and Culture | |
ENGL 690 | African American Literature | |
ENGL 693 | Special Topics in Literature (subtopic R) | |
ENGL 693R | Special Topics in Literature | |
ENGL 738 | Asian American Studies | |
ENGL 739 | American Indian Literature | |
ENGL 743R | American Literature, 1865-1915: The Birth of the American Empire | |
ENGL 749R | Major American Authors | |
ENGL 758R | Advanced Shakespeare | |
ENGL 774R | Modern & Contemporary British Literature: New Departures | |
ENGL 778 | Race and Gender in Film and Popular Culture | |
ENGL 787R | English Major Seminar | |
ENGL 797R | Special Studies in Literature (Race & Racial Theories) |
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select one additional 500-, 600-, or 700- level ENGL course | 4 | |
Capstone (one 700-level ENGL course) | 4 |
Please see your advisor if you have questions about other courses that might fulfill these requirements.
Law School Requirements
The following summarizes the required curriculum and bar recommended curriculum. 85 credits are required for graduation.
Required courses include:
Administrative Process
Criminal Procedure
Professional Responsibility
Upper Level Writing Course
Upper Level Skills Course
Bar recommended courses include:
Personal Taxation
Business Associations
Wills, Trust & Estates
Evidence
Questions about the English/law 3+3 undergraduate program should be directed to Carla Cannizzaro, academic/career counselor, Department of English, 230F Hamilton Smith Hall, (603) 862-1313.
Questions about UNH Law School entry should be directed to Kevin Sousa, UNH pre-law advisor, 110 Murkland Hall, (603) 862-2062.
Undergraduate students in the English Department at the University of New Hampshire have many options as they advance to degree. They can choose to complete a general English major or opt to follow one of several specialized tracks: English Literature, Journalism, English Teaching, and Linguistics. I. All undergraduate English majors acquire the same core skills. These include:
- Proficiency in analytical writing, critical thinking, and public-speaking.
- Knowledge of important literary genres and subgenres
- Fluency in literary terminology,
- A broad understanding of British-and-American literature, from the medieval period in England and the moment of first contact in America to the present day.
- Demonstrated proficiency in writing an analytical essay that offers a sophisticated close-reading or explication of a literary text. This essay will have a clear thesis and proceed in a logical fashion, with interpretive claims supported by evidence from the text.
- Demonstrated proficiency in literary research and in writing an extended thesis-driven research paper in which sources are correctly and responsibly cited.
- Demonstrated understanding of how to read across the color line in the US and /or how to analyze literary works written in English from outside the UK and the US--from India, Africa, and the Caribbean, for example.