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Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Law and Policy

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Law and Policy degree provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in law and policy or are preparing for graduate programs in law or other related fields. With a bachelor's degree, students may work in areas where a license to practice law is not required. These areas include, but are not limited to compliance, contracts, risk management, human resources, public policy, probation, insurance, finance, real estate, city planning and administration.

Details

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Law and Policy (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8141
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners:

U of A, Law, BA

Refer to the for more information: .

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Use critical analysis and creative thinking to develop solutions.
  • Formulate and defend arguments.
  • Critically analyze complex textual material.
  • Communicate complex ideas clearly with a purpose appropriate to the context or audience in written and oral forms.
  • Demonstrate empathetic and active listening skills.
  • Demonstrate information literacy by identifying a research need and accessing and critically evaluating information for the appropriate context.
  • Synthesize multiple sources of information to achieve an objective within a given context.
  • Apply professional guidelines for the ethical promotion of justice in the legal system.
  • Explain the role of law in a free society.
  • Demonstrate techniques and skills for developing and maintaining a collaborative environment with diverse internal and external agents.
  • Compare and contrast the US legal system with other legal systems.
  • Apply legal concepts, doctrines, and theories appropriate to a given context.
  • Utilize appropriate technology to accomplish objectives relevant to the context.
  • Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
$98,190
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
$73,420
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
$59,030
Compliance Managers
$121,290
Education Administrators, Postsecondary
$104,250
Human Resources Specialists
$64,110
Insurance Underwriters
$77,280
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
$100,330
Judicial Law Clerks
$62,730
Labor Relations Specialists
$81,510
Law Teachers, Postsecondary
$118,370
Lawyers
$126,600
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
$56,120
Public Relations Specialists
$70,390
Regulatory Affairs Specialists
$67,680
Social and Community Service Managers
$69,700
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
$50,720

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Legislators

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Critical course Gateway course SB 3
OR Higher course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
or
 or Critical course FYC or FYC 3
or required for students taking certain LAS and PAR course options. CS 3
Elective General Elective 0–3
or
 or 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
 or or Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: , , None or G, SB or SB 3
or
 or Critical course FYC or FYC 3
or
or
or
 or or or recommended SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
Critical course L 3
Critical course OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
Elective General Elective 3–5

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
 or or Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: , , None or G, SB or SB 3
Recommend HU 3
Recommend OR SQ 4
Elective General Elective 3–5
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
 or or or or or or or or or or or Law Focus: Select one (1) course for a total of three (3) credits from the following: SB or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or C, SB 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 0–3
HU 3
or
 or Recommend OR SQ or SG 4
Elective General Elective 0–3
May be met by OR in the Required Courses area SB

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
 or Critical course FYC or FYC 3
or
 or 1–3
Critical course Gateway course SB 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
OR Higher course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
or
 or Critical course FYC or FYC 3
Critical course OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or required for students taking certain LAS and PAR course options. CS 3
Elective General Elective 3–5
or
or
 or or Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: , , None or G, SB or SB 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
or
 or or or recommended SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
Critical course L 3
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
 or or Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: , , None or G, SB or SB 3
Recommend HU 3
May be met by OR in the Required Courses area SB

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Recommend OR SQ 4
Elective General Elective 0–3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
or
 or or or or or or or or or or or Law Focus: Select one (1) course for a total of three (3) credits from the following: SB or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or C, SB 3
or
 or Recommend OR SQ or SG 4
Elective General Elective 3–5

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 0–3
HU 3

Restricted Electives 

Students should complete 3-6 credits from one or more of the categories below that best align with their academic and professional goals.

Constitutional Foundations:
Constitutional Law 
Introduction to Law 
Introduction to the Paralegal Profession 
Legal Foundations for Paralegals 
Civil Rights and Liberties 

Criminal Law:
Introduction to Criminal Justice 
Substantive Criminal Law 
Rules of Evidence 
Juvenile Justice Procedures 
Procedural Criminal Law 

Civil Law:
Civil Procedures I 
Civil Procedures II 
Contract Law 
Legal Research 
Tort Law 
Business Organizations 
Civil Litigation I 
Civil Litigation II 
Note: is available at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCollege as part of their Paralegal Studies program. Students accepted into this program may use this course to satisfy this requirement.

Applications of Law:
Criminology 
The Police Function 
The Correction Function 
AJS/EMT/ Victimology and Crisis Management in Public Safety
Victimology and Crisis, a Social Services Perspective
Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues in Business
Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing I 
Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing II 

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.