Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Option
Law School Early Entry Option
Undergraduate
Tuition and Fees
120 credits to earn a degree.
Be more than a thinker, become a changemaker. The Bachelor of Arts in Law, Philosophy, and History is a humanities-based interdisciplinary undergraduate pre-law program unlike any other in Maryland. It combines three approaches to studying the law- philosophy, history, and legal studies to prepare you for law school and a variety of legal careers that demand intellectual rigor and ethical leadership.
Employers in law, government, business, and advocacy seek the skills the LPH major provides students: critical thinking, ethical reasoning, persuasive writing, probing research, and rigorous analysis. These skills are in high demand because they represent the foundation of leadership and informed decision-making in legal employment.
In our Bachelor of Arts program, you'll:
I am deeply grateful to have completed my pre-law coursework at the University of Baltimore. Through classes like Legal Foundations, Police and Prisons in U.S. History, and Philosophy and Law, I developed a set of skills that have been instrumental to my success as a law student, including the ability to pinpoint the legal reasoning behind statutes and judicial decisions and developing the capacity to read lengthy, detailed legal texts and synthesize them with persuasive writing.
Build your foundation with six core courses (18 credits) that introduce you to the interconnected worlds of law, philosophy, and history. You'll explore legal reasoning, ethical inquiry, and historical analysis while developing the critical thinking, argumentation, research, and writing skills every legal professional needs.
Discover your path by sampling all three tracks. You will take at least one course from each of the three tracks (Legal Studies, Law and Philosophy, or Law and History) before selecting one as your focus.
Declare your specialization: After taking at least one core class from each of the three tracks, you will choose to specialize in one track: either Legal Studies, Law and Philosophy, or Law and History. You will take five electives (15 credits) and a capstone course (3 credits) in your chosen track, building deep expertise in your concentration while maintaining an interdisciplinary foundation.
The Bachelor of Arts in Law, Philosophy, and History (LPH) is officially designated as a UBalt prelaw major and a powerful launchpad for a legal career. As Maryland’s only university with a law school and pre-law undergraduate programs, UBalt gives LPH students a distinct advantage from day one. Designed to help you build a competitive law school profile, the program includes a Law School Early Entry Option, allowing you to begin law school in your final undergraduate year at a reduced tuition rate. Along with early access to legal education and resources, LPH offers a range of benefits that set you up for success, including the following:
Earn your bachelor’s and law degree in as little as six years through the Law School Early Entry Option.
Pay the undergraduate tuition rate for your first fall and spring semesters of law school if you are accepted to the Early Entry Option as a UBalt undergraduate.
Develop critical skills needed for law school and legal careers through coursework that emphasizes analytic argumentation and communication, instruction in the philosophy and history of law, and engagement with the practice of law.
Prepare for the test by participating in a semester-long Kaplan LSAT preparation course designed to strengthen the core skills tested on the exam
Access extensive academic and professional resources for future lawyers and law-related careers such as the Fannie Angelos Program at Maryland’s only university with a law school and pre-law undergraduate programs.”
"A philosophical background is useful for law school. The ability to read different writings in a short amount of time and to understand them—that’s two-thirds of the battle. It helps you explain the reasoning of judges, and you can always connect to law professors based on a philosophical theory."
A degree in Law, Philosophy, and History prepares you for law school and a range of legal careers where critical thinking, persuasive argumentation, and ethical reasoning are essential.
Some LPH majors go on to law school, while others pursue graduate studies in public administration, policy analysis, or education. Graduates find careers in legal services, government, advocacy, business, and nonprofit organizations—anywhere analytical and communication skills drive success.
Read Full StoryA degree from the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences is more than an academic credential; it is a gateway to new possibilities.
