Every semester, we provide this list of the amazing array of law-related and law-adjacent courses that might be of interest to students considering legal careers. Some of these courses are squarely focused on the law. Others are more in the nature of background learning that will help you more deeply understand the law and its place in our world. These 100+ courses can be found in 30 different departments across 9 different colleges and schools at the University—and this is not even including the courses offered at the other four colleges (which are not listed here). It’s not just that the law touches every aspect of our lives and your studies, but that every area of study can support your eventual legal career. So think broadly as you consider which courses to take while you’re here at UMass, and rest assured that you will find something of value in every class you take, even if it takes years to figure out just what it might be.
There is nothing you MUST do as an undergrad in order to prepare for law school – no required classes or majors, no magic extracurricular activities.
Study what you love, pursue what you find meaningful, explore your interests.
You’ll find pages of info on undergraduate preparation for law school right here.
Beyond studying what you love, the most important things you can do in the classroom to enhance your eventual application to law school are the following:
- Learn how to be a good writer – take classes in which you’ll write a lot and get good feedback on your writing.
- Maintain a strong GPA. Studying what you love will make this much easier.
- Get to know your professors. They’re an amazing resource, and the more they know about you, the better their eventual letters of recommendation can be.
Enrolling in law-related classes is NOT a prerequisite for getting into law school, but it may help you decide if law is the right path for you.
The list below can help you sample law in the classroom. This is NOT a complete list of all courses that touch on or provide background for understanding legal issues, only those most directly related to law (and policy, often). It is also limited to those classes offered this Spring. This list also does NOT indicate availability – classes may be full (check SPIRE).
This list is in addition to ALL of the courses in the Legal Studies major.
Did we miss a class you think should be on this list? Please let us know.
General Education classes (GenEd designation in parentheses)
AFROAM 132 — African-American History 1619-1860 (DU HS)
AFROAM 236 — History of the Civil Rights Movement (DU HS)
ANIMLSCI 260 — Animal Care & Welfare (SI)
ANTHRO 205 – Power and Inequality in the US (DU SB)
ASIAN-ST 312 – Bridging Asia and Asian America (DG I)
ECON 105 — Intro to Political Economy (DU SB)
ECON 121 – International Economy (DG SB)
EDUC 101 – Introduction to Education: Schooling in the United States (SB)
EDUC 115 — Embracing Diversity (DU I)
HISTORY 121 – Modern Latin America (DG HS)
HISTORY 150, 151 — US History (HS)
HISTORY 220 – Capitalism and its Alternatives in Latin America (DG HS)
HISTORY 242H – American Family in Historical Perspectives, Honors (DU HS)
HISTORY 264 – History of Health Care and Medicine in the U.S. (DU HS)
HISTORY 383 – American Environmental History (HS)
HONORS 260H – Science Informed Public Policy (DU SB)
JOURNAL 250 – News Literacy (DU SB)
PHIL 105 – Practical Reasoning (R2)
PHIL 110 — Introduction to Logic (R2)
PHIL 160H — Introduction to Ethics, Honors (AT)
PHIL 163 – Business Ethics (AT)
PHIL 164 — Medical Ethics (AT)
PHIL 170 — Problems in Social Thought (SB)
POLISCI 101 – American Politics (SB)
POLISCI 171 – Introduction to Political Theory (SB)
POLISCI 181 – Controversies in Public Policy (DU SB)
PUBHLTH 129 — Healthcare for All (DU SB)
PUBHLTH 389 – Health Inequities (DU SB)
RESECON 162 – Economics is Everywhere (SB)
SOCIOL 103 — Social Problems (DU SB)
SOCIOL 106 — Race, Gender, Class and Ethnicity (DU SB)
SOCIOL 204 – Labor & The Global Economy (SB)
SOCIOL 222 – The Family (DU SB)
SOCIOL 224 – Social Class and Inequality (DU SB)
SOCIOL 242 – Drugs & Society (DU SB)
SOCIOL 244 – Sociology of Immigration (SB)
SOCIOL 245 – Race & Society (DU SB)
SOCIOL 262 – Globalization and Inequality (SB)
SOCIOL 287 – Sexuality and Society (DU SB)
SOCIOL 316 – Environment and Society (DU SB)
SPP 110 – Transforming Your World: Introduction to Community Engagement (DU SB)
SRVCLRNG 192 – Self-Awareness, Social Justice and Service (DU SB)
SRVCLRNG 293 – Learning Through Community Engagement (DU SB)
SUSTCOMM 225 – Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Equity (DU SB)
WGSS 187 — Gender, Sexuality and Culture (DU I)
WGSS 286 – History of Sexuality and Race in the US (DG HS)
WGSS 290B – Introduction to Sexuality Studies: Movements for Justice in the Contemporary World (DG SB)
Upper-Level Classes (not Gen Eds)
Prerequisites may apply and/or courses may be restricted to declared majors. Really want to take a class you’re not eligible for? Reach out to the professor — the worst that can result from a polite inquiry is an equally polite “Sorry, no.” But you’ll never know if you don’t ask!
ACCOUNTG 371 – Individual Taxation
ACCOUNTG 441 – Auditing
ACCOUNTG 472 — Corporate Taxation
ACCOUNTG 483 – CPA Law
AEROSPAC 441 – National Security Affairs and Preparation for Active Duty I
ANTHRO 215 – Forensics: Myth and Reality
ANTHRO 499C – Conquest By Law – Honors Thesis
BCT 353 – Construction Project Management
COMM 122 – Introduction to Media Industries and Institutions
COMM 497GP – Special Topics- Internet Governance & Information Policy
COMPSCI 391L – Computer Crime Law: Technologies of Investigation and Privacy
COMPSCI 563 – Internet Law and Policy
ECON 308 – Political Economy of the Environment
ECON 311 – Money and Banking
ECON 313 – Public Finance
ECON 330 — Labor in the American Economy
ECON 340 – Economics of Health
ECON 341 – Labor Economics
ECON 394EI – Economics and Ethics
ECON 394LI – Law and Economics
ENGLISH 494SI – Literature and Social Justice
ENVIRSCI 213 – Introduction to Environmental Policy
GEOGRAPH 420 – Political Ecology
HISTORY 297WL – Women and the Law
HISTORY 364 – Gender and Race in US Social Policy History
HISTORY 375 – US Constitutional History II
HISTORY 394EI – Human Rights & Energy in Eurasia
HISTORY 397ES – Special Topics- US Empire and Solidarity in Central America
HISTORY 397RL – Special Topics- Rape Law: Gender, Race, (In)justice
HONORS 499CC – Honors Thesis- Debating Globalization
HONORS 499CG – Honors Thesis- American Struggles: Immigration and Mass Incarceration
HT-MGT 320 — Hospitality and Tourism Law
INFO 203 – A Networked World
JOURNAL 445 – Journalism & Law
MANAGMNT 314 – Human Resource Management
MANAGMNT 361 — Contracts in Business Relationships
MANAGMNT 390L – Labor and Employment Law for Human Resources
PHIL 370 – Intro to Social-Political Philosophy
POLISCI 356 – International Law
POLISCI 383 – Energy Policy
POLISCI 391PC – Immigration: Politics and Policy
POLISCI 499CD – Honors Thesis – Health and Health Care Inequality in the US
PSYCH 391DR – Seminar- International Disability Rights
PUBHLTH 390CC – Climate Change and Health
PUBHLTH 499N – Honors Project- Public Policy and Citizen Action
RES-ECON 397C – Special Topics- Health Economics
RES-ECON 397W – Special Topics- The Economics of Water Policy
RES-ECON 453 – Public Policy in Private Markets
SCH-MGMT 260 — Intro to Law
SCH-MGMT 333 – Principles of Real Estate
SCH-MGMT 350 – Professional Ethics in Contemporary Society
SOCIOL 241 – Criminology
SOCIOL 248 – Conformity and Deviance
SOCIOL 297S – Special Topics- Sports, Labor, and Social Justice
SOCIOL 329 – Social Movements
SOCIOL 335 – Radical Movements
SOCIOL 342 – Deviance & Social Order
SOCIOL 344 – Gender and Crime
SOCIOL 349 – Race, Class, and Crime
SOCIOL 461 – Seminar on Race and Racism
SPP 197A – Special Topics- Controversies in Public Policy
SPP 197P – Special Topics- Adulting: Problems, Policy, and Practice in an Age of Precarity
SPP 297DP – Special Topics- The (Digital) Public Sphere
SPP 397M – Special Topics- Making a Difference: Policies & Strategies for Social Change
SPRTMGT 335 — Sport Law
SUSTCOMM 397P – Special Topics- Planning Tools and Techniques
WGSS 201 – Gender and Difference: Critical Analyses
WGSS 230 – Politics of Reproduction
WGSS 395J – Imagining Justice
