Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Law and Policy

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
Effective Term
Fall 2026

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

Full-time Sequence

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

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
POS110 American National Government Critical course Gateway course IAM, SB 3
MAT15+ College Algebra/Functions OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. QNR 3–6
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC, WCM or WCM, FYC 3
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAD100 or
POS120 or
POS210		 21st Century Public Policy and Service or International Relations or Political Ideologies Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: PAD100, POS120, POS210 None or G, SB, SCB or SB, SCB 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM 3
AHM Arts and Humanities Recommend AJS123 AHM 3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences May be met by POS120 OR POS210 in the Plan Course Requirements area. SCB 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAD100 or
POS120 or
POS210		 21st Century Public Policy and Service or International Relations or Political Ideologies Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: PAD100, POS120, POS210 None or G, SB, SCB or SB, SCB 3
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
NSI Natural Sciences Recommend FOR105 OR FOR106 NSI 4
AJS101 or
AJS109 or
AJS201 or
AJS210 or
AJS212 or
AJS230 or
AJS260 or
LAS109 or
PAR101 or
PAR102 or
PAR112 or
POS223		 Introduction to Criminal Justice or Substantive Criminal Law or Rules of Evidence or Constitutional Law or Juvenile Justice Procedures or The Police Function or Procedural Criminal Law or Civil Procedures I or Introduction to the Paralegal Profession or Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing I or Civil Litigation I or Civil Rights and Liberties Law Focus: Note: LAS109 is available at Phoenix College as part of their Paralegal Studies program. Students accepted into this program may use this course to satisfy this requirement. IAM, SB or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or C, IAM, SB 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
NSI Natural Sciences NSI 4
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences May be met by POS120 OR POS210 in the Plan Course Requirements area. SCB 3
Plan Elective Plan Course Elective 3
Plan Elective Plan Course Elective 0–3
Elective General Elective 0–3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)

Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:

  • Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits)
  • Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits)

Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:

  • Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits)
  • Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits)
  • Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits)
  • Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits)

For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC, WCM or WCM, FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
POS110 American National Government Critical course Gateway course IAM, SB 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT15+ College Algebra/Functions OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. QNR 3–6
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
OCM Oral Communication OCM 3
PAD100 or
POS120 or
POS210		 21st Century Public Policy and Service or International Relations or Political Ideologies Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: PAD100, POS120, POS210 None or G, SB, SCB or SB, SCB 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities Recommend AJS123. AHM 3
NSI Natural Sciences Recommend FOR105 OR FOR106 NSI 4

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PAD100 or
POS120 or
POS210		 21st Century Public Policy and Service or International Relations or Political Ideologies Policy Focus: Select two (2) courses for a total of six (6) credits from the following: PAD100, POS120, POS210 None or G, SB, SCB or SB, SCB 3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences May be met by POS120 OR POS210 in the Plan Course Requirements area. SCB 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AHM Arts and Humanities AHM 3
NSI Natural Sciences Recommend FOR105 OR FOR106 NSI 4

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AJS101 or
AJS109 or
AJS201 or
AJS210 or
AJS212 or
AJS230 or
AJS260 or
LAS109 or
PAR101 or
PAR102 or
PAR112 or
POS223		 Introduction to Criminal Justice or Substantive Criminal Law or Rules of Evidence or Constitutional Law or Juvenile Justice Procedures or The Police Function or Procedural Criminal Law or Civil Procedures I or Introduction to the Paralegal Profession or Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing I or Civil Litigation I or Civil Rights and Liberties Law Focus: Note: LAS109 is available at Phoenix College as part of their Paralegal Studies program. Students accepted into this program may use this course to satisfy this requirement. IAM, SB or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or None or C, IAM, SB 3
SCB Social and Behavioral Sciences May be met by POS120 OR POS210 in the Plan Course Requirements area. SCB 3

Term 8

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

Courses Not Currently Offered

South Mountain Community College does not currently offer these courses. These courses may be offered by other Maricopa Community Colleges as indicated below. Alternative courses, as outlined in the term-by-term course listing above, may also meet the same requirements for your degree or certificate.

Courses listed in this pathway map that are not currently offered at South Mountain Community College
Course Number Course Name Offering Colleges
AJS201 Rules of Evidence Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Glendale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado
AJS210 Constitutional Law Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado
AJS212 Juvenile Justice Procedures Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale
AJS230 The Police Function Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale
AJS260 Procedural Criminal Law Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale
LAS109 Civil Procedures I Phoenix
PAD100 21st Century Public Policy and Service Glendale, Phoenix, Rio Salado
PAR101 Introduction to the Paralegal Profession Paradise Valley, Rio Salado
PAR102 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing I Paradise Valley, Rio Salado
PAR112 Civil Litigation I Paradise Valley, Rio Salado
POS120 International Relations Chandler-Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale
POS210 Political Ideologies Chandler-Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale
POS223 Civil Rights and Liberties Chandler-Gilbert, Glendale

Plan Course Electives 

Students should complete three to six (3-6) credits from one or more of the categories below that best align with their academic and professional goals.
Constitutional Foundations:
AJS210 Constitutional Law 3
LAS101 Introduction to Law 3
PAR101 Introduction to the Paralegal Profession 3
+ PAR106 Legal Foundations for Paralegals 3
POS223 Civil Rights and Liberties 3

Criminal Law:
AJS101 Introduction to Criminal Justice 3
AJS109 Substantive Criminal Law 3
AJS201 Rules of Evidence 3
AJS212 Juvenile Justice Procedures 3
AJS260 Procedural Criminal Law 3

Civil Law:
+ LAS109 Civil Procedures I 3
+ LAS110 Civil Procedures II 3
+ LAS204 Contract Law 3
+ LAS211 Legal Research 3
+ LAS212 Tort Law 3
+ LAS214 Business Organizations 3
+ PAR112 Civil Litigation I 3
+ PAR114 Civil Litigation II 3
Note: LAS109 is available at Phoenix College as part of their Paralegal Studies program. Students accepted into this program may use this course to satisfy this requirement.

Applications of Law:
AJS225 Criminology 3
AJS230 The Police Function 3
AJS240 The Correction Function 3
AJS/EMT/FSC258 Victimology and Crisis Management in Public Safety 3
SWU258 Victimology and Crisis, a Social Services Perspective 3
GBS205 Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues in Business 3
+ PAR102 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing I 3
+ PAR103 Paralegal Research, Analysis, and Writing II 3 

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.