Law, Public Policy, and Society

Overview

The Law, Public Policy, and Society for Transfer degree (AA-T in Law, Public Policy and Society) provides a comprehensive liberal arts education across multiple disciplines. It allows students to explore the role of institutions and the subsequent policies that frame society. The program focuses on understanding how social, cultural, economic, and political forces treat the law within the context of historical and contemporary trends. This degree provides an excellent foundation for future studies in areas such as law, public policy, sociology, criminology, or criminal justice. The major enhances career options in the legal profession, criminal justice systems, social service agencies, regulatory agencies, political organizations, and non-profit organizations.

The AA-T in Law, Public Policy and Society provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate degree in American Studies, Communications, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Global Intelligence and National Security, International Relations, Philosophy, Political Science, Social and Behavioral Sciences (Political Economy Concentration), and other similar majors at any of the CSU campuses. 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. Visit https://icangotocollege.com/ for more information about these degrees.

Requirements

Associate Degree for Transfer Graduation Requirements

Complete all of the following:

1. All Major Requirements listed below with a “C” or better or "P" in each course.
2. Cal-GETC pattern.
3. At least 60 CSU transferable semester units.
4. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework.
5. A minimum of 12 units through SBCC.

Students are advised to consult the CSU ADT Major & Campus Search database to determine which bachelor's degree programs offered by the CSU campuses are deemed similar to the AA-T in Law, Public Policy, and Society. Students are also advised to consult ASSIST (www.assist.org) and to meet with an academic counselor to discuss the best combination of courses to take for their AA-T to ensure they receive the admission benefits associated with it, and to meet the requirements of the transfer institution to which they are intending to transfer.

Learning Outcomes

1. Address public problems using the major theories underlying the fields of law, political science and public policy including those related to governance structures, intergovernmental relations, and intersectoral relations.
2. Describe the policy process through the application of appropriate various theories, including those related to the role of stakeholders, administrators, and bureaucracies.
3. Identify and assess ethical problems in law and public policy and society, and create appropriate solutions based on moral reasoning and ethical values.
4. Articulate the value of societal diversity in the public sector and the communities it serves.

Recommended Sequence

Make an appointment with your SBCC academic counselor through Starfish to create a Student Education Plan that reflects a recommended course sequence for this program that is tailored to your individual needs.

How to schedule an Academic Counseling appointment.