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). If you’re really interested in a class that’s already full, reach out to the instructor to inquire whether an override of enrollment limits is possible.

This list is in addition to ALL of the courses in the Legal Studies and Public Policy majors. It is NOT the same as the list of law-related electives for 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  133 – African-American History, Civil War-1954 (DU HS)
AFROAM  161 – Introduction to AfroAmerican Political Science (DU SB)
AFROAM  236 – History of the Civil Rights Movement (DU HS)

BIOLOGY 105H —Biology of Social Issues – Honors (BS)

ECON  105 – Introduction to Political Economy (DU SB)

EDUC  101 – Introduction to Education: Schooling in the United States (SB)
EDUC 115—Embracing Diversity (DU I)

GEOGRAPH  110 – Intro to Climate Science (PS)

HISTORY  151 – U.S. History since 1876 (HS)
HISTORY  242H – American Family in Historical Perspectives, Honors (DU HS)

HM&FNART  101 – Traversing Differences with Critical and Creative Thinking: Local Issues (AL DU)
HM&FNART  102 – Traversing Differences with Critical and Creative Thinking: Global Issues (AL DG)

HONORS  321H – Violence in American Culture (DU SB)
HONORS  322H – Criminal Law and Justice in the US (DU SB)

LABOR  201 – Women & Work (DU SB)LABOR 280 – Labor & Work in the US (DU I)

NRC  185 – Sustainable Living: Solutions for the 21st Century (I)

PHIL 105 – Practical Reasoning (R2)
PHIL 110—Introduction to Logic (R2)
PHIL 160—Introduction to Ethics (AT)
PHIL 163 – Business Ethics (AT)
PHIL 164—Medical Ethics (AT)
PHIL 170—Problems in Social Thought (SB)

POLISCI  162 – Introduction to Constitutional Law (SB)
POLISCI  203 – American Political Thought (HS)
POLISCI  280 – Public Policy (SB)

PUBHLTH 129—Healthcare for All (DU SB)

RES-ECON  262 – Environmental Economics (SB)

SOCIOL 103—Social Problems (DU SB)
SOCIOL  106 – Race, Gender, Class & Ethnicity (DU SB)
SOCIOL  201 – Women and Work (DU SB)
SOCIOL  222 – The Family (DU SB)
SOCIOL  224 – Social Class and Inequality (DU SB)
SOCIOL 242 – Drugs and Society (SB)
SOCIOL  244 – Sociology of Immigration (SB)
SOCIOL  245 – Race & Society (DU SB)
SOCIOL  262 – Globalization and Inequality (DG SB)
SOCIOL  280 – Labor & Work In The US (DU I)
SOCIOL  290S – Policy and Social Inequality (DU 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

AFROAM  293C – Seminar- Race, Sexuality, and the Law in Early America
AFROAM  293J – Seminar- Black Women, Representation, and Power in Africa and the African Diaspora

ANTHRO  380 – Grassroots Community Organizing
ANTHRO  381 – Leadership & Activism

ART  311 – Cultural Diversity and Emancipatory Inquiries in Art Education

ART-HIST  306 – Vexed Antiquities: Introduction to the Challenges of Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century

COMM  122 – Media Industries and Institution
COMM  226 – Social Impact of Mass Media
COMM  260 – Public Speaking
COMM 390STA – DIY Media and Social Change
COMM  394DI – Youth, Democracy and the Entertainment Industry
COMM  494KI – News and Public Opinion

ECON  205 – Intermediate Political Economy
ECON  308 – Political Economy of the Environment
ECON 311 – Money and Banking
ECON  313 – Public Finance
ECON  330 – Labor in the American Economy
ECON 394CI – Economics of Cooperative Enterprise
ECON  394EI – Economics and Ethics
ECON 394FI – Finance and Society
ECON  394LI – Law and Economics

ENGLISH  388 – Rhetoric, Writing, and Society
ENGLISH  494JI – Going to Jail: Incarceration in US Literature and Culture

GEOGRAPH  490STA – Rethinking US Environmental Policy

HISTORY  378 – Sex and the Supreme Court
HISTORY 378J – Social Justice Lawyering
HISTORY 378R – History of Reproductive Rights Law

HONORS  499DC – Honors Thesis- Debating Globalization Part 2
HONORS  499DG – Honors Thesis- American Struggles: Immigration and Mass Incarceration
HONORS  499DQ – Honors Thesis Seminar – Conquest by Law: The Use of Law to Subjugate and Marginalize in the U.S.

HT-MGMT 320 – Hospitality & Tourism Law

INFO  203 – A Networked World

JOURNAL 445 – Journalism and Law

LABOR  203 – Sports, Labor, and Social Justice

MANAGMNT  362 – Law of Enterprise Organization
MANAGMNT  363 – The Law of Organizations and the Natural Environment
MANAGMNT  390A – AI and Ethics: An Introduction to AI Use Cases and Challenges

MILITARY 402 – Military Leadership and Management

NRC  309 – Natural Resource Policy & Administration
NRC 310 – Community Forestry

POLISCI  258 – Gender, Conflict, and Security
POLISCI  266 – Rights, Liberties and the American Constitution
POLISCI  318 – Russian Politics, Law and Society
POLISCI  320 – Public Administration
POLISCI  362 – Politics Law & Judicial Behavior
POLISCI  391E – Seminar- Rules of War
POLISCI  395F – S-Women and Politics

PSYCH  321 – Forensic Psychology
PSYCH  391CK – Seminar- Cultural Psychology and Social Issues
PSYCH  391DR – Seminar- International Disability Rights
PSYCH  391MA – Seminar- Child Maltreatment
PSYCH  391PS – Seminar- Psychology and Public Policy

PUBHLTH  389 – Health Inequities
PUBHLTH 444 – Reproductive Justice

RES-ECON 453 – Public Policy in Private Markets

SCH-MGMT 260 – Intro to Law
SCH-MGMT  333 – Principles of Real Estate

SOCIOL  203 – Sports, Labor, and Social Justice
SOCIOL 241 – Criminology
SOCIOL  283 – Gender & Society
SOCIOL 323 – Sociology of Law
SOCIOL  340 – Probation & Parole
SOCIOL  342 – Deviance & Social Order
SOCIOL  344 – Gender And Crime

SPANISH  492N – Seminar- Narcocultures in the Hispanic World

SPRTMGT 335 – Sport Law

SRVCLRNG 393TH – Tools for Democratic Change

WGSS  205 – Feminist Health Politics
WGSS 293C – Seminar-  Race, Sexuality, and the Law in Early America
WGSS  295D – Seminar – Democracy Works: People Power in the Service of Racial & Social Justice and Better Government
WGSS  492U – Seminar- Who Owns the University?