Politics, Economics and Law Department

Professor: Carolyn Cocca
Associate Professors: Laurence Krause, Thomas Lilly, Edislav Manetovic (Chair), Rose Muzio, Sheyi Oladipo, Kevin Ozgercin

Assistant Professors: Casey Buchholz, Ariel Gomez

Politics, Economics and Law (PEL) is an interdisciplinary department in the social sciences with a national and international focus. The PEL department provides a rigorous and integrated preparation in the social sciences for students who intend to enter graduate or law school, or to seek employment in government, business, social services, human rights, political organizations, or labor unions.

The PEL department offers four degrees. Students majoring in PEL earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The PEL department also offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Economics.

Minors. The PEL department co-sponsors four minors with other departments in the School of Arts and Sciences. Also, it offers a minor in Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics. The specific minors offered by the PEL department are:

Economics
Environmental Studies
Global Studies
Industrial and Labor Relations
Pre-Law
Public Policy

Pre Law Center. The PEL department houses the Pre Law Center. The Pre Law Center offers information and resources on law schools, the law school admission process, and law-related careers. Specifically, The Pre Law Center has:

timetables describing what one needs to do, when, and how, to apply to law schools
materials on preparing for the LSAT and free practice LSATs, usually once per semester
admission, financial aid, and other information on every law school in the U.S.
tips for, and editing of, your personal statement and information on financial aid for law schools
an advisor to keep you on track in the application process
internships
guidance on career opportunities in law

For more information contact the Pre Law Center Advisor, Wendy Brandes, J.D., in NAB 3048

Major in Politics, Economics and Law

The PEL curriculum has various objectives: to introduce students to the disciplines of political science, political economy, economics and law and to examine how these different areas intersect to shape U.S. and international policies, institutions, and law. Such a course of study provides the student with a strong background in the historical development of corporations, social welfare policies, labor organizations, and civil liberties and civil rights movements.

PEL also provides students with an opportunity to develop an international perspective in the study of politics and economics - a vantage point vital in the new global marketplace. The department takes a comparative approach to the study of different societies and to the relations among them, with particular emphasis on the developing nations and globalization. The global component focuses on issues such as international trade, foreign debt, economic inequality, transnational political and social movements, environmental concerns and international institutions.

The PEL major has upper division concentrations in politics and law, economics, political economy, public policy and global studies.

B.A. and J.D. (3+3 Combined Pathways)

Students can save one full year of tuition by earning a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Old Westbury and a law degree from University at Buffalo School of Law through the collaborative 3+3 degree program. Enrollment in this combined pathway allows highly qualified SUNY Old Westbury students to work on a Juris Doctor (J.D.) at the University of Buffalo (UB) while completing their undergraduate B.A. at SUNY Old Westbury.

The 3+3 program is open to SUNY Old Westbury students majoring in:

Politics, Economics and Law
English
Philosophy and Religion
American Studies

For more information contact Pre Law Center Advisor, Wendy Brandes, J.D. (NAB 3048) or Prof. Carolyn Cocca and Prof. Tom Lilly

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, PEL majors will understand: basic legal concepts; basic economic concepts, models and policies; the basic working of domestic and international political institutions; the basics of labor relations and the role of labor in society; and have in-depth knowledge of a disciplinary or sub-disciplinary area at the 4000 level. PEL majors will also be able to identify, analyze and evaluate arguments in their own and another’s work.

Internships

PEL students are encouraged to gain practical experience by undertaking an internship as part of their course of study. Among the internships students have successfully completed are:

Washington Semester Internship
New York State Senate and Assembly
Office of the County District Attorney
New York City Summer Internship
County Legislature
Political Campaigns - U.S. Senate to County Legislature
New York Public Interest Research Group
Private Law and Financial Firms
Nonprofit Organizations
Labor Unions
SUNY Global Engagement Program
International Non-Governmental Organizations
Human Rights Watch
Catholic Charities
United Nations Association - USA
Consulates and Permanent Missions to the UN

Careers

PEL graduates have pursued graduate studies in law and in the social sciences and applied social sciences such as public administration, social work, urban studies, public policy and international relations. They have gone on to have careers in law, diplomacy, education, business, finance and public service in community agencies as well as county and state government.

Transfer Students

A maximum of five courses may be transferred from an accredited institution toward the PEL major, and a maximum of 2 of the 5 may count as upper division. A transferred two-course sequence offering two credits per course is equivalent to one course in the major.

Evening Students

The PEL program offers required and elective courses on a rotating basis from 5:30 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. or on-line to accommodate evening students. However, evening majors should note that completion of their degrees may take longer than normal.

Major in Industrial and Labor Relations

Coordinator: Prof. Thomas J. Lilly, Jr.

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Industrial and Labor Relations are multidisciplinary majors within the Politics, Economics and Law Department. Through the vantage point of worker/union/employer relations, they explore the history, contributions, and problems of working people and their institutions in contemporary society, as well as the theory and practice of various labor-management relations methods and models. Foundation courses introduce students to the analytical tools of political science, law and economics that are useful in the specialized study of labor-management issues.

Core courses emphasize current labor-management and labor-government issues, including collective bargaining, grievance procedures, arbitration, labor and employment law, public policy, and labor economics. Electives allow students the opportunity to further explore labor-management issues from the perspectives of management, unions, history, economics, sociology, politics, law, and public health.

The curriculum recognizes that globalization of labor markets and production is rapidly changing the labor-management environment. Multinational enterprises, with their enormous size and ability to relocate production and other facilities, have upset the post-World War II balance of power with unions. Thus, courses emphasize the dynamic nature of current labor-management relations.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program Industrial and Labor Relations majors will understand: basic legal concepts; basic economic concepts, models and policies; the basic working of domestic political institutions; the basics of labor relations and the role of labor in society; and have in-depth knowledge of a disciplinary or sub-disciplinary area at the 4000 level. Industrial and Labor Relations majors will also be able to identify, analyze and evaluate arguments in their own and another’s work.

Careers and Graduate Education

With their multidisciplinary curricula, combined with their emphasis on critical thinking and communication skills (written and oral), the Industrial and Labor Relations major provides students with a solid foundation for immediate careers and for graduate study. Students are well prepared for careers in ILR, human resource management, business, unions, advocacy, and government agencies (e.g., Department of Labor). Students also pursue graduate studies in law, ILR, management, public administration, and similar fields. Our graduates currently are in leadership and high staff positions in HR departments, labor unions, and government agencies. The Long Island chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) offers a scholarship each year to an Old Westbury ILR major, and it welcomes students to attend its meetings.

Internships

To assist students in exploring career opportunities, the ILR faculty actively pursues internships for academic credit. The model consists of a mentor - typically in a human resources department, a labor union, or a government agency - acquainting the student as to various responsibilities and activities. The internships are one semester long. Contact the Coordinator of ILR well before the semester begins to apply for an internship.

Transfer Students

Students may earn no grade lower than a C- in courses for the ILR degrees. A maximum of five courses may be transferred from another institution toward the B.A. in ILR, and a maximum of six courses may be transferred toward the B.S. in ILR. A transferred two course sequence offering two credits for each course is equivalent to one course in the major.

Evening Students

Students majoring in ILR can fulfill requirements for graduation by attending evening classes.

Life Long Learners (LLL)

Adult students who wish to continue their education by taking credit courses, without pursuing a degree, may elect to attend the college under a non-matriculated status. Many students, particularly members of labor unions, enroll in ILR courses as Life Long Learners (LLL). The Office of Enrollment Services will assist such students.

Major in Economics

The B.S. in Economics is designed to provide students a comprehensive exposure to economic theories and history in combination with the quantitative and analytical tools required to conduct research. The goal is to see economics as a set of tools for diagnosing social issues and problem solving. Both the core and elective courses offer opportunities to think critically regarding the strengths and limitations of economic models and techniques in making connections between theory and the real world.

The curriculum provides opportunities for students to design a course of study in such areas as domestic macro and micro economic policy, international economics, environmental, business, health or labor economics.

Learning Outcomes

The degree’s objective is to teach students how to use economic concepts, models and quantitative methods and techniques in analyzing contemporary economic issues and exercise judgement in evaluating public policy.

The program’s primary student learning outcomes are as follows:

Develop the ability to explain core economic terms, concepts and theories,
Demonstrate the ability to collect, process and interpret data,
Demonstrate the ability to apply the basic tools of economists to make arguments, understand and design research projects,
Be able to use critical thinking skills within the discipline of economics to assess various viewpoints, theories, and debates, as they apply to social issues and policy,
Demonstrate an understanding of the historical development of capitalist economies and their adaptation over time and across the globe.

Careers and Graduate Education

Economics majors acquire the skill set for a wide range of career paths in the private and public sectors. The degree provides a strong background for students who plan to go on to work and study in several fields including business, international relations, public policy, urban studies as well as for those who plan to have careers as economists in private enterprise, teaching, research or in civil service.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Minor