SAGU's History Department prepares future lawyers to begin their law careers by providing them with foundational skills through a history degree.

A bachelor's or master's degree in history at SAGU offers a student more than 170 potential careers. Graduates from SAGU's Social Studies and History degrees have continued into Juris Doctorates (JD) at law schools including Harvard, Southern Methodist University, Baylor University and Regent University.

A bachelor's degree in any area is required to attend law school. A degree in history is a popular choice for law students.

Department Chair for the Social Studies and History Department Dr. Loyd Uglow says, "Having a bachelor's degree in history will assist a future law student more than earning a pre-law degree due to the critical thinking and research that a history degree provides."

Alumnus Jordan McKnight graduated from SAGU in 2009 with a master's degree in History. McKnight chose to work on a master’s degree in history primarily to sharpen his graduate level research and writing skills prior to attending law school. He explains, "I wouldn't have been nearly as prepared for law school without having completed SAGU’s history program first. After doing graduate level research and writing, I felt like I hit the ground running in law school."

After graduation from SMU, McKnight began working as an associate attorney at Siebman, Burg, Phillips and Smith, LLP, a full-service litigation firm, where he primarily litigates civil, patent, criminal and family law cases.

Alumnus Aaron Burke graduated from Baylor University Law School in 2010 after earning a bachelor's degree in history from SAGU. He added, "I loved the atmosphere at SAGU. The small class size and structured environment kept me concentrated on my studies and focused on my goals."

Burke serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA), on the committee of 'Justice for All', and is a committee co-chair on the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL) . Among Burke's successes is his defense of clients involved in high-stakes litigation across the United States. He also guest lectures at Baylor Law School and serves as a consultant and monitoring counsel for oil, gas and manufacturing companies across the country.