The College offers several interdisciplinary programs of study that can be pursued in conjunction with any major (except an
interdisciplinary major). These minors require the completion of a minimum of 18 semester hours:
1.- HONORS
The University Honors Program, now a campus-wide endeavor involving students from all the colleges, began as a Liberal Arts
Honors Program. Even today it remains most closely allied with the humanities disciplines, fostering academic excellence as well
as intellectual curiosity and debate, establishing meaningful faculty-student dialogue, and building a sense of scholarly
community. Honors courses, taught by outstanding faculty and limited in size, have been offered by the departments of
Communication, Criminal Justice, English, History, Languages and Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science,
Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology, and Theatre Arts. Moreover, History, Political Science, and Psychology offer
departmental honors upon completion of an Honors thesis. Besides enrolling in courses restricted to program participants,
Honors students may avail themselves of options for independent study or Honors contracts, in which special projects are
carried out under faculty supervision. Through its close alliance with the University Honors Program, the College of Liberal Arts
strengthens its commitment toward providing students with the satisfaction of having exercised their intellectual capabilities to
the fullest.
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2.- WESTERN CULTURAL HERITAGE
The College of Liberal Arts offers a special sequence of interdisciplinary courses required to fulfill the Western Cultural
Heritage area of the General Education Core. Details on these courses, the creation of which was facilitated by grants from the
National Endowment for the Humanities, can be found under the Western Cultural Heritage section.
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3.- PRE-LAW
The University of Texas at El Paso is a very good place to prepare for law school. Law schools generally seek undergraduate
students who have acquired a critical understanding of human institutions and values, demonstrated ability as creative thinkers,
mastered certain skills such as comprehension, written and oral expression, and obtained a broad education. Any course or
major that helps individuals acquire these skills is appropriate for pre-law students, and consequently no specific courses or
majors are required. You should select a major that interests you, and since plans for a law career may change, you may also
want to consider the career alternatives provided by the various majors. The most demanding courses will likely provide the
best preparation for law schools.
While the Association of American Law Schools and the Law School Admissions Council do not prescribe courses or majors
for pre-law students, they do advise against taking many law courses at the undergraduate level; however, the particular course
of subject matter (as long as it is substantial) is far less important than the intensity with which the student pursues it.
For advice on which courses may be of greatest value to you personally, you should consult with the undergraduate advisor in
your major department. If you have not yet selected a major, contact the Academic Advising Center (915) 747-5290.
In addition to seeking advice from the departmental undergraduate advisors, counsel should be sought from faculty who have
special interest and expertise in legal education. A listing of official Pre-law Advisors is printed in the Schedule of Classes each
semester or session.
