Pre-Law - Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)
Description
The Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer with a focus in pre-law includes courses useful to pre-law students and meets lower-division general education requirements at all Oregon public universities. Law school is graduate-level and builds on a bachelor's degree but does not require a specific major. Students are encouraged to combine this focus with preparation for a major they find interesting and challenging and that provides exposure to legal concepts and issues and develops skill in research, communication, problem solving, and organization.
Statewide General Education Student Learning Outcomes
Entrance Requirements
While this program has no formal entrance requirements, individual courses may have prerequisites which must be met before enrollment.
Course Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education/Foundational | ||
| Health: | ||
| Choose 3 credits1 | 3 | |
| Mathematics: | ||
| Choose one course | 4 | |
| Oral Communication: | ||
| Choose one course | 3-4 | |
| Writing: | ||
| WR 121 | Academic Composition | 4 |
| WR 122 | Argument, Research, and Multimodal Composition | 4 |
| orWR 227 | Technical Writing | |
| General Education/Discipline Studies | ||
| Cultural Literacy: | ||
| One course from the following categories must be designated as cultural literacy on the Discipline Studies list (credits count once). | ||
| Arts and Letters: | ||
| Choose three courses from at least two prefixes | 9-12 | |
| Social Science: | ||
| Choose four courses from at least two prefixes | 12-16 | |
| Science/Math/Computer Science: | ||
| Choose four courses from at least two prefixes including at least three laboratory courses in biological and/or physical science | 12-20 | |
| Electives | ||
| Choose any course numbered 100 or above that brings the total credits to 90 quarter hours. This may include up to 12 credits of Career and Technical Education courses designated by COCC as acceptable. | 39 | |
| Total Credits | 90-106 | |
- 1
-
HHPA activity courses (1 credit each) are not to be duplicated.
Advising Notes
Most law schools have no requirements for a pre-law curriculum and will accept a bachelor’s degree in any major. Students should develop an educational program that is broad yet provides depth of understanding in at least one subject area along with fundamental insights into human institutions and values. Emphasis should be on a degree program that meets students’ needs and interests, that students find challenging, and in which students will do their best work and will earn good grades.
Legal educators agree that the development of particular skills and habits will contribute more to success in law school than a major in any one subject. Therefore, coursework should focus on strengthening habits of thoroughness, intellectual curiosity, scholarship, the ability to research a topic, write concisely, analyze information, and think critically. Verbal and written communication skills are very important. In addition, lawyers must be adept at problem solving and organizing information to support a point of view.
Courses in history, political science, economics, literature, foreign language, sociology, journalism, communication, and philosophy are directly concerned with the cultivation of these skills and will provide an opportunity to gain an understanding of social institutions and values.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts after transfer should consider completing three terms of a 200-level language course. The 100-level language courses will count as electives. The 200-level language courses will partially fulfill the arts and letters requirement.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science after transfer should consider taking more math and science courses. Language is not necessary. For details, speak with an advisor.
Performance Standards
- Academic Requirements:
- Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
- Options for additional standards:
- All courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
Sample Plan
| First Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Discipline Studies Arts & Letters | 3-4 | |
| Oral Communication: | 3-4 | |
| Mathematics: | 4 | |
| WR 121 | Academic Composition | 4 |
| Credits | 14-16 | |
| Second Term | ||
| Discipline Studies Arts & Letters | 3-4 | |
| Discipline Studies Social Science | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Health (3 credits with HHP or HHPA prefix)1 | 3 | |
| WR 122
orWR 227
|
Argument, Research, and Multimodal Composition
or Technical Writing |
4 |
| Credits | 16-18 | |
| Third Term | ||
| Discipline Studies Arts & Letters | 3-4 | |
| Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science | 3-5 | |
| Discipline Studies Social Science | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 17-21 | |
| Fourth Term | ||
| Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science | 3-5 | |
| Discipline Studies Social Science | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14-17 | |
| Fifth Term | ||
| Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science | 3-5 | |
| Discipline Studies Social Science | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14-17 | |
| Sixth Term | ||
| Discipline Studies Science/Math/Computer Science | 3-5 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15-17 | |
| Total Credits | 90-106 | |
