Oakland University’s psychology and law degree 3+3 program offers a fast, affordable path to a law career. You’ll complete a psychology bachelor’s degree and a law degree in just six years, one year faster than it would take to earn both degrees separately. In addition, the program offers unique pre-law preparation that gives you distinct advantages over your law school peers. You’ll study human behaviors and motivations in the psychology degree, while becoming proficient in writing, conducting research, evaluating evidence, formulating logical arguments and other skills you’ll need in a legal career. You’ll graduate with a law degree from a nationally ranked school and a broad foundation for professional success.
Oakland University’s psychology and law degree 3+3 program offers a fast, affordable path to a law career. You’ll complete a psychology bachelor’s degree and a law degree in just six years, one year faster than it would take to earn both degrees separately. In addition, the program offers unique pre-law preparation that gives you distinct advantages over your law school peers. You’ll study human behaviors and motivations in the psychology degree, while becoming proficient in writing, conducting research, evaluating evidence, formulating logical arguments and other skills you’ll need in a legal career. You’ll graduate with a law degree from a nationally ranked school and a broad foundation for professional success.
In addition to saving you time and tuition on a law degree, our psychology-law 3+3 program helps you get your career in law off to a fast start. You’ll acquire skills and experience that distinguish you from most law students, giving you a competitive edge when you seek your first job as a lawyer.
With both a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a law degree, you’ll be extremely well qualified for a career as a practicing attorney. Lawyers participate in complex interactions that often involve intense emotions, so the ability to understand human psychology and behavior can make you a more effective legal advocate—particularly in roles such as negotiation, mediation, interrogation and persuasion.
In addition, a psychology-law degree combination enables you to broaden your range of professional options. You may find opportunities in fields such as:
Under the psychology/law degree 3+3 program, 30 credits from your first year of law school count toward both the law degree and the bachelor’s degree in psychology. As a result, you can earn both degrees in six years, a full year less than it would take to earn the degrees separately.
The academic program for our psychology major offers broad flexibility, enabling you to focus your studies on pre-law preparation. You’ll gain useful insights about emotional development and social dynamics, practical skills in social science research and statistical analysis, and hands-on community experience with populations that frequently interact with the legal system.
If you complete psychology major requirements by the end of the junior year, you’ll be eligible to apply for accelerated law school admission at Wayne State University and University of Detroit Mercy. We recommend that you work closely with academic advisers beginning in the freshman year to plan courses carefully and ensure that you fulfill all psychology degree requirements in time to qualify for law school admission after your junior year.
Not sure if the psychology and law degree 3+3 program is right for you? Check out these other programs at Oakland, and contact our admissions team to discuss your options.