# LAW, PUBLIC POLICY, AND SOCIETY (Associate in Arts for Transfer)

Cuesta College · 2026-2027 Catalog · Department: Criminal Justice

Source: https://cuesta.curriqunet.com/catalog/iq/30065/30066/30067/30068/30169

The Associate in Arts in Law, Public Policy and Society for Transfer degree (AA-T in Law, Public Policy and Society) has been identified as good preparation for law school upon completion of a bachelor’s degree. This interdisciplinary area of emphasis emphasizes the development of communication skills, introduces students to the legal field, and prepares students for further study in a variety of majors.  Students who opt to pursue this course of study are encouraged to engage in further exploration of one or more specific majors as they select electives for degree completion.

This inter-disciplinary area of emphasis allows students to explore the role of institutions and the subsequent policies that frame society.  Society is a reflection of the framework of many influences, and this degree reflects that.  Students can choose an area of influence such as, but not limited to: economic institutions, the role of politics and government, the judicial system, or how diverse populations experience such institutions.

The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program.

The Cuesta College AA-T degree in Law, Public Policy and Society require

(1) Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:

(A) General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC).

A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.

(2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

(3) A grade of “C” or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A "P" (Pass) grade is an acceptable grade for courses in the major.

**Learning Outcome(s):**

1.  Describe the framework that public policy and societal institutions play in the human experience.
2.  Describe the ethical challenges faced by civic institutions.
3.  Evaluate the role that diversity plays in the challenge of representative governance.

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Required Core: (8 courses)** | | 26-28 |
| PHIL 213 | PHILOSOPHICAL CLASSICS IN ETHICS AND SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| ENGL C1000 | ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING | 4 |
| STAT C1000 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS | 4 |
| POLS C1000 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | 3 |
| **Choose one from:** | | 3-4 |
| LGL 217 | INTRODUCTION TO LAW | 3 |
| or CJ 202 | INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| or CJ 204 | PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 |
| or CJ 206 | CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW | 3 |
| or BUS 218 | BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| **Choose one from:** | | 3 |
| COMM C1000 | INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
| or COMM 210 | SMALL GROUP SPEAKING AND COMMUNICATING | 3 |
| or COMM 215 | ARGUMENTATION AND DEBATE | 3 |
| **Choose one from:** | | 3-4 |
| ENGL C1001 | CRITICAL THINKING AND WRITING | 4 |
| or COMM 215 | ARGUMENTATION AND DEBATE | 3 |
| or PHIL 208 | CRITICAL REASONING AND WRITING | 3 |
| **Choose one from:** | | 3 |
| HIST C1001 | UNITED STATES HISTORY TO 1877 | 3 |
| or HIST C1002 | UNITED STATES HISTORY SINCE 1865 | 3 |
| **List A: Complete two courses (6-7 units total), each from a different Area. Choose from courses that have not been completed as part of the Required Core.** | | 6-7 |
| **Area 1: Administrative of Justice/Criminal Justice/Criminology** | | 3 |
| CJ 202 | INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| or CJ 204 | PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 |
| or CJ 206 | CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL LAW | 3 |
| or CJ 208 | LEGAL ASPECTS OF EVIDENCE | 3 |
| or CJ 224 | COMMUNITY, DIVERSITY AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 |
| or CJ 228 | INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS | 3 |
| **Area 2: Business** | |  |
| BUS 218 | BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| **Area 3: Economics** | | 3 |
| ECON C2001 | PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 3 |
| or ECON C2002 | PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 3 |
| **Area 4: Political Science** | | 3 |
| POLS 201 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| or POLS 204 | WORLD POLITICS | 3 |
| or POLS 206 | COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT | 3 |
| or POLS 209 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THEORY | 3 |
| **Area 5: Public Policy** | | 3 |
| GLST 210 | INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL STUDIES | 3 |
| or GLST 220 | GLOBAL PROBLEMS AND ISSUES | 3 |
| or SOC 202 | SOCIAL PROBLEMS | 3 |
| or PHS 206 | PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE - ASPECTS OF DRUG USE | 3 |
| **Area 6: Diversity** | | 3 |
| ANTH 203 | CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| or ANTH 220 | CALIFORNIA INDIANS | 3 |
| or ANTH 221 | NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS | 3 |
| or CJ 224 | COMMUNITY, DIVERSITY AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 |
| or COMM 212 | INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| or GEOG 202 | CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| or HSCI 208 | MULTICULTURAL HEALTH SCIENCE | 3 |
| or HSCI 203 | WOMEN'S HEALTH SCIENCE | 3 |
| or HIST 212 | HISTORY OF MEXICAN AMERICANS | 3 |
| or HIST 233 | HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS | 3 |
| or HIST 237 | HISTORY OF AMERICAN WOMEN | 3 |
| or SOC 206 | INTRODUCTION TO RACE AND ETHNICITY | 3 |
| or SOC 208 | INTRODUCTION TO GENDER STUDIES | 3 |
| **Area 7: College Success** | |  |
| CSS 225 | COLLEGE SUCCESS | 3 |
| **Area 8: Internship/Fieldwork** | |  |
| PLGL 203 | PARALEGAL INTERNSHIP | 3 |
| **Total** | | **32-35** |