Program Overview

Introduction to the Certificate in Legal Studies

The Certificate in Legal Studies is designed for students interested in the study of law as a cultural product and as a field of critical inquiry. This certificate is not a professional program in para-legal education and can be earned in conjunction with any baccalaureate degree.

Program Requirements

To earn the Certificate in Legal Studies, students must complete twenty-four total units distributed as follows:

• Three units which must include one of the following courses:
  • CRJU 350 Constitutional Criminal Procedure
  • HIST 308 Law and Civilization
  • HIST 479 US Constitution: Origins & Early Development
  • PHIL 352 Philosophy of Law
  • POSC 311 Constitutional Law: Powers
  • POSC 312 Constitutional Law: Rights
• Twenty-one units selected from the Legal Studies Courses listed below. The courses taken in the program must be from a minimum of three departments. The selection of courses is made by the student in consultation with the adviser in the program.
• Optional Project Paper (3 units which can be included as part of the 21 units required). To be written during the senior year under the supervision of a faculty member participating in the program. The paper can be either an exploratory project (in which a subject is researched in a detailed and original manner) or an analytic effort (where fewer sources are used but the discussion of the material is developed more fully).

Legal Studies Courses

The following courses are available for the Certificate in Legal Studies:

• ASAM 346
• AFRS 332
• AIS 485
• BLAW 220, BLAW 320/520
• CHLS 362
• CLSC 410
• COMM 441
• CRJU 301, CRJU 340, CRJU 350, CRJU 420, CRJU 430
• ECON 355
• HIST 308, HIST 479, HIST 480, HIST 489
• JOUR 430
• PHIL 352, PHIL 451, PHIL 552
• POSC 311, POSC 312, POSC 322, POSC 376, POSC 412, POSC 414, POSC 423, POSC 424
• PSY 495
• SOC 342
• SW 350
• WGSS 308

Earning the Certificate

The Legal Studies Certificate may be earned concurrently with or following the award of the baccalaureate degree from CSULB or another accredited institution. Please note that this program is not eligible for Financial Aid unless pursued concurrently with a degree program.