The American Bar Association (ABA) does not recommend any specific courses to prepare for law school.
Examples of UC Merced classes that may be related to law, politics, crime, public policy, forensic science, civil rights, ethics, social issues, or skills needed in law school or as a practicing attorney (oral presentations, research, written communication) are listed below.
NOTE: this list is NOT exhaustive! Many other UC Merced courses could assist you in preparing for law school or a legal career.
***Important things to keep in mind***
| First year students typically take courses numbered 001-099. | Courses numbered 100-199 may have prerequisites or be restricted to students declared in that major. |
| Some courses may satisfy GE, major, or minor requirements. |
Some courses may be cross-listed in more than one department (Example: COGS 170 is the same class as ECON 153 or MGMT 153 or POLI 153). You may take a cross-listed course only once. |
|
Other courses may be electives based on your specific major or degree program Elective units count toward total degree units but do not satisfy a specific requirement. |
Click on the subjects below to see possible courses that may be great for law school.
| ANTH | ECON | ESS | MIST | SOC |
| BIOE | EH | GASP | PHIL | SPAN |
| COGS | ENG | GEOG | POLI | WRI |
| COMM | ENGR | HIST | PSY | UC Online |
| CRES | ENVE | MGMT | PH |
To read class descriptions and check prerequisites:
- Go to the current UC Merced Catalog
- Select Course Descriptions in the left column.
- Scroll down to filter by department abbreviation (ANTH, COGS, etc.)
Examples of possible UC Merced courses for pre-law students:
| ANTH 112 Political Anthropology | ANTH 150 Race and Human Variation |
| ANTH 116 Indigenous Activism in the Americas | ANTH 152 Dying, Death, and Dead Persons |
| ANTH 120 Introduction to Medical Anthropology | ANTH 177 Forensic Anthropology |
| ANTH 124 Ethnopsychology | ANTH 178 Human Osteology |
Bioengineering
| BIOE 108 Genetic Engineering |
|
COGS 160 Free Will in Philosophy and Cognitive Science |
COGS 173 Advanced Judgment and Decision Making -Same course as MGMT 173- |
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COGS 170 Judgment and Decision Making -Same course as ECON 153, MGMT 153, POLI 153- |
COGS 182 Service Science -Same course as MIST 150, MGMT 150- |
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COGS 172 Thinking & Reasoning |
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COMM 1 Speech Traditions |
COMM 119 Topics in Communication |
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COMM 2 Argument and Debate |
COMM 120 Rhetorical Theory -Same course as WRI 120- |
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COMM 3 Interpersonal Communication |
COMM 123 Seminar in Professional Writing -Same course as WRI 155- |
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COMM 4 Small Group Communication |
COMM 129 Special Topics in Rhetoric -Same course as WRI 122- |
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COMM 16 Forensics |
COMM 142 Organizational Communication |
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COMM 100 Advanced Writing -Same course as WRI 100- |
COMM 149 Topics in Business Communication |
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COMM 109 Topics in Professional Writing -Same course as WRI 130- |
COMM 151 Social Media |
Critical Race and Ethnic Studies
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CRES 001 Introduction to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies |
CRES 121 Critical Refugee Studies |
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CRES 020 Introduction to Asian American Studies |
CRES 122 Comparative Immigrations |
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CRES 040 Introduction to Black Studies |
CRES 123 Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States -Same course as HIST 123- |
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CRES 101 Race and the Media |
CRES 124BR African American History 1877 to Present: Research -Same course as HIST 124BR- |
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CRES 102 Race, Gender, Sexuality |
CRES 174B Divas and Democracy |
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CRES 120 Race, Law and Civil Rights |
| ECON 115 Economics of Industrial Organization | ECON 138 Advanced Corporate Taxation |
| ECON 120 Economics of the Environment and Public Policy | ECON 140 Labor Economics |
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ECON 121 Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions |
ECON 143 Economics of Crime and Policing |
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ECON 126 Economics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
ECON 144 Economics of Immigration |
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ECON 132 Tax Accounting |
ECON 149 Economics of Sports |
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ECON 133 Tax Auditing and Assurance Services |
ECON 152 Law & Economics |
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ECON 134 Advanced Financial Reporting |
ECON 153 Judgment and Decision Making -Same course as COGS 170, MGMT 153, POLI 153- |
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ECON 135 Advanced Financial Accounting |
ECON 155 Political Economics |
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ECON 136 Financial Statements and Analysis |
ECON 158 Economics of Regulation |
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ECON 137 Accounting Ethics |
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EH 001 Introduction to Environmental Communications -Same course as ENG 001- |
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ENG 001 Introduction to Environmental Communications -Same course as EH 001- |
ENG 133 Race, Law, and American Literature |
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ENG 018 Crime and Horror in Victorian Literature and Culture |
ENG 169 Theatre and Social Responsibility -Same course as GASP 153- |
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ENG 132 Human Rights and Literature |
ENG 187 Shakespeare and Social Justice |
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ENGR 141 Environmental Science and Policy -Same course as ESS 141, GEOG 141- |
ENGR 192 Intellectual Property for Engineers and Scientists |
| ENVE 010 Environment in Crisis |
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ESS 141 Environmental Science and Policy -Same course as ENGR 141, GEOG 141- |
Global Arts and Studies Program
| GASP 041A Performative Storytelling |
GASP 153 Theater and Social Responsibility -Same course as ENG 169- |
| GASP 141A Advanced Performative Storytelling |
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GEOG 141 Environmental Science and Policy -Same course as ENGR 141, ESS 141- |
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HIST 017 Twentieth-Century America |
HIST 124BR African American History 1877 to Present: Research -Same course as CRES 124BR- |
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HIST 021 History of the American West, 1850-2000 |
HIST 129 Introduction to Chicano History |
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HIST 123 Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States -Same course as CRES 123- |
HIST 170R Law & Society in Early Modern England: Research |
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HIST 124B African American History 1877 to Present |
| MGMT 118 Women in Executive Leadership | MGMT 135 Business Law |
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MGMT 122 Teams and Organizations |
MGMT 136 Advanced Business Law |
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MGMT 123 Business Ethics |
MGMT 150 Service Science -Same course as COGS 182, MIST 150- |
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MGMT 124 Organizational Behavior and Leadership |
MGMT 153 Judgment and Decision Making -Same course as COGS 170, ECON 153, POLI 153- |
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MGMT 125 Entertainment Management |
MGMT 173 Advanced Judgment and Decision Making -Same course as COGS 173- |
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MGMT 127 Public Sector and Non-Profit Management |
Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology
| MIST 120 Park and Protected Area Management |
MIST 150 Service Science -Same course as COGS 182, MGMT 150- |
| MIST 135 Technical Communication and Visualization Skills |
| PHIL 002 Introduction to Ethics | PHIL 109 Philosophy of Law |
| PHIL 003 Contemporary Moral Problems | PHIL 122 Bioethics |
| PHIL 004 Critical Reasoning | PHIL 123 Technology Ethics |
| PHIL 005 Introduction to Logic | PHIL 126 Environmental Philosophy and Politics |
| PHIL 006 Introduction to Science, Technology, and Ethics | PHIL 128 Human Rights |
| PHIL 104 Ethical Theory |
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POLI 001 Introduction to American Politics |
POLI 123 Political Psychology |
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POLI 002 Controversies in American Politics |
POLI 125 Public Opinion |
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POLI 003 Introduction to Comparative Politics |
POLI 127 Race, Gender, and Politics |
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POLI 005 Introduction to International Relations |
POLI 130 Institutions of Democracy |
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POLI 006 Global Issues |
POLI 131 Everyday Politics in Latin America |
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POLI 100 Congressional Politics |
POLI 138 Politics of Poverty and Prosperity |
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POLI 101 The Presidency |
POLI 140 Transitions to Democracy |
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POLI 102 Judicial Politics |
POLI 145 Political Violence |
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POLI 105 Interest Groups and Political Parties |
POLI 150 Causes of International Conflict |
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POLI 106 Urban Politics |
POLI 153: Judgment and Decision Making -Same course as COGS 170, ECON 153, MGMT 153- |
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POLI 107 California Politics |
POLI 158 Politics of Human Rights. |
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POLI 108 Direct Democracy |
POLI 160 U.S. Foreign Policy |
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POLI 109 Legislative Simulation |
POLI 165 International Organizations & Regimes |
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POLI 110 Governmental Power and the Constitution |
POLI 171 Politics and Film |
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POLI 111 Liberty, Equality and the Constitution |
POLI 172 Games and Human Behavior |
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POLI 112 Public Policy: Analysis, Strategy, and Impact |
POLI 174 Data Science and Government Affairs |
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POLI 120 Voting Behavior, Campaigns, and Elections |
POLI 175 Advanced Analysis of Political Data |
| PSY 001 Introduction to Psychology | PSY 150 Personality Psychology |
| PSY 104 Psychological Tests and Measurement | PSY 151 The Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice |
| PSY 111 Forensic Psychology | PSY 152 Psychological Perspectives on Cultural, Racial and Ethnic Diversity |
| PSY 112 Psychology & Law | PSY 156 Social Psychology |
| PSY 123 Alcohol, Drugs, and Behavior | PSY 157 Personal Relationships |
| PSY 126 The Science of Behavior Change | PSY 185 Drugs of Abuse: Psychopharmacology I |
| PSY 142 Psychopathology | PSY 186 Therapeutic Drugs: Psychopharmacology II |
| PSY 143 Developmental Psychopathology |
| PH 105 Introduction to U.S. Health Care System | PH 107H Food Policy & Politics |
| PH 106 Health Policy | PH 185 Introduction to Health and Biomedical Ethics |
| SOC 001 Introduction to Sociology | SOC 118 Hate Crime |
| SOC 009 Community Mobilization and Politics | SOC 121 Latina/o/x Sociology |
| SOC 020 Social Problems | SOC 130 Social Stratification |
| SOC 030 Social Inequality | SOC 131 Urban Inequality |
| SOC 035 Introduction to Political Sociology | SOC 133 Higher Education in the U.S. |
| SOC 038 Sociology of Race and Racism | SOC 134 Sports and Society |
| SOC 070 Introduction to Crime and Deviance |
SOC 160 Gender and Society |
| SOC 107 Law and Society | SOC 180 Advanced Issues in Race and Ethnicity |
| SOC 110 Social Movements, Protest and Collective Action | SOC 182 Current Topics in Immigration |
| SOC 115 Political Sociology | SOC 183 Intersectionality |
| SOC 116 Inequality & Public Policy |
| SPAN 108 Spanish for Business and Management |
SPAN 177 Sociolinguistics and Latino Health |
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WRI 022 Interpersonal Communication |
WRI 118 Management Communication Theory and Practice |
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WRI 025 Introduction to Creative Writing |
WRI 120 Rhetorical Theory -Same course as COMM 120- |
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WRI 030 Introduction to Professional Writing |
WRI 121 International Rhetoric |
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WRI 090 Intersections of Creative and Professional Writing |
WRI 122 Special Topics in Rhetoric -Same course as CMN 129- |
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WRI 100 Advanced Writing -Same course as COMM 100- |
WRI 130 Topics in Professional Writing -Same course as COMM 109- |
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WRI 104 Personal Style and Formal Writing |
WRI 155 Seminar in Professional Writing -Same course as COMM 123- |
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WRI 105 Grammar and Style |
|
There may also be law-related classes available through UC Online.
- These online courses are offered through other UC campuses.
- First years are eligible to take a UC Online class AFTER you have completed at least one semester in the academic year (fall or spring) at UC Merced and are in good academic standing.
- See more at Office of the Registrar.
Examples of possible UC Online courses for UC Merced pre-law students:
| University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| African American Studies (AF AMER) 1: Introduction to Black Studies |
| Political Science (POL SCI) 60: Ethics and Governance |
| Political Science (POL SCI) 115D: Diversity, Disagreement, and Democracy |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
| Asian American Studies (ASAMST) 20AC: Asian American Communities and Race Relations |
| Education (EDUC) W164: Early Childhood Policy: Children, Contexts, and Politics in Diverse Societies |
| University of California, Davis (UCD) |
| Biomedical Engineering (BIM) 088V: Introduction to Research |
| Communication (CMN) 003V: Interpersonal Communication Competence |
| Political Science (POL) 165V: Mass Media and Politics |
| University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) |
| Communication (COMM) W146: Deception Communication |
| University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) |
| COWL 52: Personal Finance and Investing |
| University of California, Riverside (UCR) |
| Education (EDUC) 023: Introduction to Education Policy |
| Education (EDUC) 150: Policy and Legal Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics |
| Public Policy (PBPL) 001: Introduction to Public Policy Analysis |
| Theatre, Film, and Digital Production (TFDP) 0505: Public Speaking |
| University of California, San Diego (UCSD) |
| Global Health (GLBH) 171R: Global Mental Health |
| University of California, Irvine (UCI) |
| Writing 60: Argument and Research |
