SWT approved for new master’s degree program

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — Southwest Texas State University has been authorized to begin offering a master of arts degree program with a major in legal studies.

The new SWT program is the first of its kind in Texas and only the seventh such program in the nation. SWT was approved for the program recently by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

“This is very important and very timely,” said Cynthia Opheim, chair of the SWT Department of Political Science. “The standards for lawyer assistant education have been increasing steadily. Our program will serve a real need in the state and in this region.”

Students in the program may choose from four areas of concentration: legal administration, alternative dispute resolution, environmental law or advanced legal assistant studies.

Terry Hull, assistant professor of political science at SWT and director of the new program, said the goal is to produce better educated legal personnel to assume new roles in the legal field.

“Those roles include expanded opportunities in administrative agencies and corporations, as well as in the traditional delivery of legal services,” said Hull.

The 36-semester-credit-hour program requires courseword in legal studies as well as in other departments, depending on the chosen field of concentration.

Applications for admission into the program are now being accepted. For further information, contact the SWT Department of Political Science at (512) 245-2233.