Law schools do not require prerequisites to apply to law school, but there are courses that may help with the logical and reasoning section of the LSAT and develop skills necessary for law school and the legal profession. Law Schools are looking for courses that develop your analytic and problem-solving skills, critical reading and research abilities, and effective written and oral communication, as well as organization and time management skills. We’ve identified the following courses in various majors at CSUSB that will assist students with the development of these critical skills. We encourage you to reach out to an Academic Advisor to discuss how these courses can fit into your academic plan and meet your goal of pursuing law school.
ACCT 2110. Introductory Accounting I. Units: 3
Fundamentals of recording, analyzing, and communicating financial information including income determination, assets and liability relationships and preparation of financial statements. Previously offered as ACCT 211.
ADMN 1500. Introduction to Administration. Unit: 1
Introduction to the administrative process. Strategies to achieve success in business and public careers. Includes the development of administrative theories and practices and provides an overview of the functional areas of business and public administration. Formerly offered as MGMT 100.
*COMM 1006. Oral Communication. Units: 3
Introduction to effective speech communication with emphasis on informative and persuasive public speaking and presentation skills. Formerly offered as COMM 120. Satisfies GE category A1.
*COMM 1007. Critical Thinking Through Argumentation. Units: 3
Principles of oral argumentation and forensics: evidence, methods of logical analysis, reasoned discourse demonstrated through argumentative speeches and debates. Satisfies GE Category A3. Formerly offered as COMM 180.
*CJUS 1102. Criminal Law. Units: 3
Historical development of criminal law and its contemporary application. Focus on the interrelationship between criminal law and the criminal justice system. Formerly offered as CJUS 102.
CJUS 1106. Criminal Investigations. Units: 3
Examination of crime, evidence, and police procedures in investigating crimes such as conventional street crime, organized crime, and white collar crime. Formerly offered as CJUS 106.
*CJUS 3370. Law and the Courts. Units: 3
Nature, functions, limitations and objectives of law, criminal courts, civil courts, the grand jury and petit jury, family law, and civil liability for police and correctional officers. Emphasis on practical legal problems confronting criminal justice system workers and administrators. Formerly offered as CJUS 370.
*CJUS 5504. Criminal Procedure. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: CJUS 3370
Examination of the rules governing criminal procedure. Impact of statutes and case law on criminal justice practitioners including the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th Amendments as they affect the accused, the convicted, and the employees working in the criminal justice system. Formerly offered as CJUS 3304.
*HIST 5400. Constitutional History of the United States. Units: 3
Quarter Prerequisite: HIST 200 or HIST 201, or PSCI 410 or consent of instructor American constitutional development from English and European origins to the present day. This course meets the state code requirement in U.S. history and U.S. Constitution. Formerly known as HIST 540.
GEOG 3701. Environmental Policy and Impact Assessment. Units: 3
Semester Corequisite: Must be Junior standing or greater
This course provides an introduction to environmental policy/laws including the policy process, behavior of interest groups and the actions of policymakers across local, state and federal government entities. Focus will also be given to the historical context of environmental policies and the role of science and stakeholders in evolving environmental policies and related programs. The course will also examine significant environmental issues such as pollution control, climate change, habitat conservation and the protection of biodiversity.
GEOG 5150. Global Governance and the United Nations System. Units: 3
Explores the inner workings of the principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and the related agencies. Examines how the global community is connected to the UN system and how the UN attempts to address issues around the globe in the local, regional, national and international networks. Shows how the UN tries to manage these international issues relating to international peace and security and humanitarian situations. Satisfies GE Category D3; G designation. Satisfies the Global Connections GE Pathway.
GEOG 5755. Model United Nations Practicum (Fall Semester MUN Team). Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Students wanting to take this class have to go through the CSUSB Model UN Selection Process including completing an online application, taking a competitive entrance exam and being interviewed by the faculty adviser for the CSUSB MUN Program and if selected to participate in the CSUSB MUN Program, consent to enroll in this course will be given. Quarter Prerequisite: By instructor consent
An analysis of the role of the United Nations in world politics to prepare students for the National United Nations or related Model United Nations conferences. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of nine units. Students wanting to take this class have to go through the CSUSB Model UN Program Selection Process. Formerly PSCI 515 and SSCI 515. Instructor consent is required to enroll.
GEOG 5756. Model United Nations Practicum (Spring Semester MUN Team). Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Students wanting to take this class have to go through the CSUSB Model UN Selection Process including completing an online application, taking a competitive entrance exam and being interviewed by the faculty adviser for the CSUSB MUN Program and if selected to participate in the CSUSB MUN Program, consent to enroll in this course will be given. Quarter Prerequisite: By instructor consent
An analysis of the role of the United Nations in world politics to prepare students for the National United Nations or related Model United Nations conferences. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of nine units. Students wanting to take this class have to go through the CSUSB Model UN Program Selection Process. Formerly PSCI 515 and SSCI 515. Instructor consent is required to enroll.
*MGMT 2300. Legal Environment of Organizations. Units: 3
An introduction to statutory and common law developments impacting organizational transactions. Emphasizes principles of constitutional law and commercial speech, civil procedure, white collar crime, corporate social responsibility, ethics, contract law, creditor/debtor law and bankruptcy. Formerly offered as MGMT 230.
MGMT 3300. Legal Environment of Business. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: MGMT 2300 or consent of instructor. Quarter Prerequisite: MGMT 230
Study of the legal system, nature and source of law as applied to business activity, statutes and significant cases involving business policies and the effect of public policies on private enterprise system sale of goods under the Uniform Commercial Code. Additional topics include regulations, employment law, commercial paper and secured transactions and forming business organizations including sole proprietorships, LLCs, and corporations. Formerly offered as MGMT 330.
PA 5200. Water Law, Regulation and Policy. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Junior status, or graduate status
Legal authority of water agencies, the procedures employed to exercise and limit that authority, the structure and process of administrative law, and the sharing of power in a federal system. Examines environmental laws, rulemaking, interstate compacts, emergency powers, property condemnation, allocation of water resources, and legal aspects of financing water projects. Formerly offered as PA 620.
PA 5280. Intergovernmental Relations and Policy Networks. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Junior status, or graduate status
This course provides students with an understanding of both the process and the philosophy of intergovernmental relations and policy networks in the United States, its foundations, its evolution, and its current status. Relationships among 90,000 independent federal, state and local governments in addition to non-governmental actors. Formerly offered as PA 628.
PA 5570. Public Sector Labor Relations. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Junior status, or graduate status. Quarter Prerequisite: the upper division writing requirement
Analyzes issues created by collective bargaining and unionism in public sectors. Examples: selection of bargaining agents, bargaining scope and obligation, impasse resolution and grievance procedure. Formerly offered as PA 557.
PHIL 3010. Truth, Lies and Bullshit. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the GE Critical Thinking and Written Communication requirements. Junior or senior standing. Quarter Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the GE Critical Thinking and Written Communication requirements
Investigation of the nature of truth, lies and (the related concept) bullshit, with application to contemporary topics. Satisfies GE Category C4, Diversity and Social Justice Pathway, and WI designation. Formerly PHIL 3001.
*PHIL 3350. Philosophy of Law. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the GE (A3) Critical Thinking requirement and a GE category C (C2, C3 or C4) Philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Quarter Prerequisite: satisfaction of the GE Critical Thinking (A4) and Philosophy (C4) requirements
A study of philosophical problems raised by the law, such as the obligation to obey the law; concepts of justice; and justifications for legal rights. Satisfies the GE designation WI. Formerly PHIL 362.
*PHIL 3355. Jurisprudence. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the GE (A3) Critical Thinking requirement and a GE category C (C2, C3 or C4) Philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Quarter Prerequisite: satisfaction of the GE Critical Thinking (A4) and Philosophy (C4) requirements
Addresses the classic question, "What is law?" and considers whether the criteria for identifying valid legal rules in a legal system refer exclusively to their origin or pedigree or whether they must also satisfy valid moral principles. Satisfies the GE designation WI. Formerly PHIL 363.
*PSCI 3280. Judicial Process. Units: 3
Process of judicial decision-making with emphasis on factors influencing that process and concepts of judicial roles. Formerly offered as PSCI 328.
*PSCI 4100. American Constitutional Law. Units: 3
Principles of the American Constitution as announced by the Supreme Court in selected cases. Judicial review, separation of powers, presidential power, federalism and commerce are included. This course meets the state code requirement in the U.S. Constitution. Formerly offered as PSCI 410.
*PSCI 4110. The Bill of Rights. Units: 3
Limitation on federal and state power arising out of the provisions of the first eight and the 14th Amendments to the Constitution. Modern developments are stressed. This course meets the state code requirement in the U.S. Constitution. Formerly offered as PSCI 411.
*PSCI 4120. Civil Rights. Units: 3
Jurisprudence of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments as articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court. Formerly offered as PSCI 412.
*PSCI 5350. Seminar in Constitutional Law. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: One of the following: PSCI 3280, PSCI 4100, PSCI 4110 or consent of instructor. Quarter Prerequisite: One of the following: PSCI 328, PSCI 410, PSCI 411, HIST 540 or consent of instructor
Intensive study in one or more aspects of constitutional law. May be repeated as topics change. May only be counted once towards the BA in Political Science. Formerly offered as PSCI 535.
SOC 1000. Introduction to Sociology. Units: 3
Using a sociological perspective to examine how social forces, cultural processes, and institutional arrangements shape human behavior. Satisfies GE Category D2. Formerly SOC 100.
SOC 1800. Critical Thinking about Social Issues. Units: 3
Develop students' skills to analyze a range of social problems, focusing on their causes, consequences, mechanisms of change, and potential solutions. Satisfy GE Category A3. Formerly SOC 180.
SOC 3400. Sociology of Families. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 1000. Quarter Prerequisite: SOC 100
A systematic and comparative analysis of family structures, processes, and effects of social change on families. Topics include: marriage, reproduction, child rearing, and diversity of family structures.
SOC 3430. Sociology of Violence. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 1000
Examining the prevalence, causes, and effects of selected violent relations as social phenomena, including family violence, domestic abuse, and intimate partner violence. Formerly offered as SOC 343.
SOC 3500. Criminology. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 1000. Quarter Prerequisite: SOC 100
Comprehensive examination of crime and theories of its causes with an emphasis on sociological factors. Formerly offered as SOC 350.
SOC 3540. Deviant Behavior. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 1000. Quarter Prerequisite: SOC 100
Examination of deviance and understanding of how such behavior is perceived as deviant by society; processes of personal-social interactions in developing individual and group deviance. Formerly SOC 354.
SOC 3560. Sociology of Mental Health. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 1000. Quarter Prerequisite: SOC 100
Social factors, race, class, gender, etc in mental health, including cultural variations in definitions of mental health and mental disorders, social processes in defining and labeling mental health, stigma, treatment of mental disorders, prevalence of mental disorders and indicators of quality of life. Formerly offered as SOC 356.
*SOC 4530. Citizenship, Status, and Inequality. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 1000
This course examines the concepts of citizenship and non citizenship, and how they are mobilized to produce social inequality. Themes include the production of migration "illegality" through law, media, and institutions. The course will also explore the strategies of undocumented migrants to negotiate their status, and the ways immigration status interlocks with other modes of oppression including race, gender, sexuality, age, and disability.
SOC 5490. Crime, Desistance, and Reentry. Units: 3
Semester Prerequisite: SOC 3010 or 3020 and SOC 3070 and SOC 3110 or senior standing
This course discusses the conduits and barriers to reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals in the United States, with special attention paid to issues affecting this population in California, including the social relationships between formerly incarcerated individuals and their family, friends, and communities. Formerly SOC 4900.
TA 1140. Fundamentals of Acting. Units: 3
Foundation training for actors through theatre games, improvisation and exercises for developing expressive freedom, creativity, relaxation and concentration. Fundamentals for creating a role exploring the use of such elements as objectives, given circumstances, character analysis and conflict. Formerly offered as TA 252.
TA 1141. Improvisation. Units: 3
A beginning course in improvisational techniques for the actor and for those who will use drama as an educational tool. May be taken 2 times for up to 6 units. Formerly offered as TA 240.