Note: Students majoring in Law and Policy cannot minor in Law and Policy or Politics.
Program Overview
The Law and Policy major consists of 65 total credits:
- Core courses (35 credits)
- Elective courses (25 credits)
- Capstone requirement (5 credits)

Capstone Requirement
Toward the end of their studies, all Law and Policy students engage in a capstone class. As a Law and Policy student, you also have the option of graduating with honors. This route is especially recommended for students expecting to enter graduate school. For more information on graduating with honors, speak with your advisor or view the application requirements. Please note that you must submit your application AFTER you have completed all requirements, unless you are completing one or more requirements in your final quarter.
Career Options
Majoring in Law and Policy is a good start for students interested in a range of different careers related to government, law, and politics, such as:
- Public policy analysis and management
- Nongovernmental organizations
- Local, state and federal government
- Law and legal administration
- Law enforcement
- Rights advocacy
- Teaching
Many Law and Policy majors continue on to graduate programs in law, policy studies, public policy, politics, public administration, management, education, and community advocacy. Read more about our alumni here.
Law and Policy Degree Requirements
Law and Policy transfer student information
You might be able to fulfill some of the Law and Policy major requirements with coursework taken elsewhere.
Many colleges offer courses that can be used to earn credits toward your TLAWPL degree. This means that you can arrive at UW Tacoma well on your way to completing the Law and Policy major. Please see an advisor at your community college to find out more about the articulation agreement with our campus, or contact UW Tacoma's TLAWPL advisor Heather Hucks.
Courses that will fulfill specific requirements in the Law & Policy major | |
---|---|
GREEN RIVER COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 203 International Relations | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
PHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics | TPHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics |
HIGHLINE COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 180 or 190 Critical Issues in World Politics | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
OLYMPIC COLLEGE COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 203 International Relations | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
PHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics | TPHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics |
PIERCE COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 203 International Relations | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
PHIL 150 Introduction to Ethics | TPHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics |
PHIL 115 Critical Thinking | Practical Reasoning requirement - either TPHIL 250 or TPHIL 251 |
SEATTLE CENTRAL COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 203 International Relations | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
PHIL 240 Liberation Ethics | TPHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics |
SOUTH PUGET SOUND COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 203 International Relations | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
TACOMA COURSES WITHIN THE AA | UW TACOMA EQUIVALENT COURSES WITHIN TLAWPL |
POLS 202 American Government | TPOLS 202 Introduction to American Politics |
POLS 203 International Relations | TPOLS 203 Introduction to International Relations |
PHIL 215 Introduction to Ethics | TPHIL 240 Introduction to Ethics |
Law and Policy Courses (Students declaring the major autumn 2016 or later)
Law and Policy Core Courses (35 credits)
- Two law courses:
- TLAW I; At least one of these courses must be:
- TLAW 150 Introduction to the American Legal System (formerly TPOLS 150; TLAW 205)
- TLAW 215 Introduction to International Organizations (formerly TPOLS 328)
- TLAW II; One of these courses may be:
- TLAW 363 Law in Society (formerly TPOLS 363)
- TLAW 367 Comparative Law and Courts (formerly TPOLS 367)
- TLAW I; At least one of these courses must be:
- Two politics courses:
- One practical reasoning course:
- One ethical and philosophical reasoning course:
- One writing course:
Electives (minimum 25 credits)
Each of the courses selected from the lists below must be in addition to those chosen to fulfill core requirements.
Law and Legal Systems in Policy Making (15 credits)
- TCOM 454 Communications Law
- TCRIM 395 American Criminal Courts
- TLAW 320 Constitutional Law: Institutional Powers and Constraints (formerly TPOLS 320)
- TLAW 348 Gender and Law (formerly TPOLS 348)
- TLAW 361 Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties (formerly TPOLS 361)
- TLAW 363 Law in Society (formerly TPOLS 363)
- TLAW 367 Comparative Law and Courts (formerly TPOLS 367)
- TLAW 422 International Humanitarian Law (formerly TPOLS 422)
- TLAW 423 International Law (formerly TPOLS 423)
- TLAW 424 The Politics and Law of International Human Rights (formerly TPOLS 368)
- TLAW 438 Environmental Law (formerly TPOLS 438)
- TLAW 452 Minorities and the Law (formerly TPOLS 452)
- TLAW 465 Law and Public Policy in the United States (formerly TPOLS 465)
Theory and Practice in Law and Policy (10 credits)
- TAMST 420 Drugs and U.S. Culture
- TCOM 465 Contemporary Free Speech Issues
- TCOM 481 Communication Regulation and Policy
- TECON 316 Current Issues in US Public Policy (formerly TECON 416)
- TECON 321 Economics of Education (formerly TECON 420)
- TECON 360 Poverty in Developing Countries
- TECON 370 Economics and Social Mobility
- TECON 450 Labor Economics and Policy
- TECON 470 Economics of Health and Health Policy
- TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy
- THIST 410 Early American Politics, Constitution and Law
- TLAW 339 Washington Environmental Law (formerly TEST 339)
- TLAW 486 Field Work in Law and Policy (formerly TPOLS 486)
- TPHIL 314 Philosophy of Crime and Punishment
- TPHIL 414 Philosophy of Law
- TPHIL 453 Political Theory of Human Rights (formerly TPOLS 453)
- TPOLS 325 Issues in Local Government
- TPOLS 340 Middle East Politics
- TPOLS 353 U.S. Congress
- TPOLS 400 The American Presidency
- TPOLS 451 Human Rights and the Use of Force
- TPOLS 360 Genocide
- TPOLS/TSOCWF 425 Comparative Social Policy
- TSOC 335 Social Class and Inequality
- TSOCWF 300 Historical Approaches to Social Welfare
- TURB 312 Race and Poverty in Urban America
- TURB 316 Cities and Citizenship
- TURB 430 Pacific Rim Cities
Capstone (5 credits)
You must select one of the options below for your final five (5) credits in this major. This course will be your culminating work for your major and illustrate that you have meet the student learning objectives as found in our Course Catalog.
One of the following:
Law and Policy Courses (Students who declared the major prior to autumn 2016)
Law and Policy Core Courses
- One law course:
- TLAW 320 American Constitutional Law (formerly TPOLS 320)
- TLAW 363 Law in Society (formerly TPOLS 363)
(*If both courses are taken, one course will fulfill the core requirement and the second course will count toward the Legal Studies area of specialization)
- One domestic politics course:
- One international politics course:
- One economics course:
- TECON 200/TBECON 220 Microeconomics
- TECON 201/TBECON 221 Macroeconomics
(required for International Development track)
- One ethical and philosophical reasoning course:
- Both statistics and methods courses listed:
- One writing course:
Areas of specialization (25 credits)
You may choose from one of four areas of specialization and complete at least 15 credits from that area. In addition, you must complete 10 credits from any of the area lists to provide breadth to your coursework.
Area of specialization: Health Policy
- TECON 470 Economics of Health and Health Policy
- THLTH 310 Health and Society
- THLTH 372 Environmental Health: Local to Global
- THLTH 440 Business of Health Care
- THLTH 470 Challenges and Controversies in US Health Care
- THLTH 485 Critical Issues in Global Health
- THLEAD 380 Healthcare Budgetary Analysis and Financial Decision Making
- THLEAD 410 Ethical Issues in Clinical Practice
- THLEAD 420 Healthcare Accreditation and Legal Issues
Area of specialization: Social Policy
- TECON 316 Current issues in US Public Policy (formerly TECON 416)
- TECON 321 Economics of Education (formerly TECON 420)
- TECON 360 Poverty in Developing Countries
- TECON 370 Economics and Social Mobility
- TECON 430 Behavioral Economics
- TECON 450 Labor Economics and Policy
- TECON 470 Economics of Health and Health Policy
- TPOLS 325 Issues in Local Government
- TPOLS 348 Gender and Law
- TPOLS 353 U.S. Congress
- TPOLS/TSOCWF 425 Comparative Social Policy
- TPSYCH 421 Social Psychology, Law and Society
- TSOC 335 Social Class and Inequality
- TSOC 436 History of Social Welfare Policy in the US
- TSOCWF 300 Historical Approaches to Social Welfare
- TSOCWF 320 Social Welfare: Contemporary Approaches
- TURB 312 Race and Poverty in Urban America
- TURB 316 Cities and Citizenship
- TURB 323 Sustainable Urban Development Policies
- TURB 460 Urban Issues in the Developing World
Area of specialization: International Development
- TECON 320 Gender and Development
- TECON 332 Rise of East Asia
- TECON 340 International Economics
- TECON 360 Poverty in Developing Countries
- TECON 394 Comparative Economic Development
- TECON 417 Political Economy of India
- TECON 425 Contemporary Issues in International Political Economy
- TECON 440 Global Economic Challenges
- TECON 460 China's Rise and its Global Economic Implications
- TECON 461 Current Issues in the Chinese Economy
- TEGL 435 Migration in the Modern World (formerly TSOC 435)
- TESC 341 Climate Change
- TGEOG 435 Contemporary Geopolitics
- THLTH 372 Environmental Health: Local to Global
- THLTH 485 Critical Issues in Global Health
- TLAW 348 Gender and Law (formerly TPOLS 348)
- TLAW 422 International Humanitarian Law (formerly TPOLS 422)
- TLAW 424 The Politics and Law of International Human Rights (formerly TPOLS 368)
- TPOLS 230 International Human Rights (formerly TPOLS 311)
- TPOLS 321 American Foreign Policy
- TPOLS 410 Labor Rights and Human Rights
- TPOLS 440 American Foreign Policy in the Middle East
- TSUD 444 Green Internationalism and the City
- TURB 430 Pacific Rim Cities
- TURB 460 Urban Issues in the Developing World
- TWOMN 420 Women in the Global Economy
Area of specialization: Legal Studies
- TCOM 454 Communications Law
- TCRIM 395 American Criminal Courts
- THIST 410 Early American Politics and Law
- TPHIL 314 Philosophy of Crime and Punishment
- TPHIL 414 Philosophy of Law
- TLAW 320 Constitutional Law: Institutional Powers and Constraints (formerly TPOLS 320)
- TLAW 348 Gender and Law (formerly TPOLS 348)
- TLAW 361 Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties (formerly TPOLS 361)
- TLAW 363 Law in Society (formerly TPOLS 363)
- TLAW 367 Comparative Law and Courts (formerly TPOLS 367)
- TLAW 422 International Humanitarian Law (formerly TPOLS 422)
- TLAW 423 International Law (formerly TPOLS 423)
- TLAW 424 The Politics and Law of International Human Rights (formerly TPOLS 368)
- TLAW 438 Environmental Law (formerly TPOLS 438)
- TLAW 452 Minorities and the Law (formerly TPOLS 452)
- TLAW 465 Law and Public Policy in the United States (formerly TPOLS 465)
Capstone or Internship
You must select one of the options below for your final five (5) credits in this major. This course will be your culminating work for your major and illustrate that you have meet the student learning objectives as found in our Course Catalog. While the Law and Policy capstone and internship courses are being developed, you may substitute the course options with the TPPE capstone or internship courses as listed below. This option should be confirmed with your advisor prior to registering for the course, so it can be applied correctly in DARS.
One of the following:
For questions about the Law and Policy major, contact advisor Heather Hucks.
Additional courses may be approved and added to courses lists to provide students more flexibility and options.
Please refer to this page often for the most up-to-date information.
To request changes or updates to this page, please use our Web Edit Request Form.