Humanities and Law
Minor Special Programs · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Jeffrey Helmreich, Director
85 Humanities Instructional Building
949-824-6525
www.humanities.uci.edu/humlaw
The minor in Humanities and Law involves courses in the School of Humanities that UCI graduates have found useful in acquiring the skills and knowledge that prepare them for law-related careers. One set of courses develops skills in critical reading, writing, and analysis that are essential to the study and practice of law. Another set presents theoretical and analytical perspectives on ethical, political, and social issues relevant to the law. A final set focuses on specific law-related topics from a humanistic perspective. Lower-division requirements primarily develop foundational skills in the first set, whereas upper-division requirements are drawn primarily from the other sets.
Requirements
Requirements for the Minor in Humanities and Law
Minimum of eight courses (32 units) are required for the minor.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Complete: | ||
| PHILOS 22 | Introduction to Law and Society | |
| orENGLISH 11 | Society, Law, and Literature | |
| B. Select one of the following options: | ||
| HUMAN 1A & HUMAN 1AS & HUMAN 1B & HUMAN 1BS & HUMAN 1C & HUMAN 1CS | Humanities Core Lectureand Humanities Core Writingand Humanities Core Lectureand Humanities Core Writingand Humanities Core Lectureand Humanities Core Writing | |
| (or the Humanities Core Alternative) | ||
| or | ||
| PHILOS 2 or PHILOS 29 and one course, not used above, chosen from: PHILOS 22, PHILOS 133, ENGLISH 11, or GEN&SEX 60B | ||
| C. Select five upper-division courses with approved topics from the list of electives below. At least one course must be completed from each area of philosophy, history, and either literature or classics. | ||
Electives
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFAM 157 | Critical Race Theory | |
| AFAM 162W | The Black Protest Tradition | |
| AFAM 128 | Topics in Gender/Sexuality | |
| ASIANAM 130 | Undocumented Immigrant Experiences | |
| ASIANAM 150 | Special Topics in Asian American Studies | |
| ASIANAM 168 | Politics of Animal Rights | |
| ASIANAM 138 | Race and Urban Space | |
| ASIANAM 144 | The Politics of Protest | |
| CLASSIC 176 | International Studies and the Classics | |
| COM LIT 107 | Colonialisms and Postcolonialisms | |
| ENGLISH 100 | Introduction to Literary Theory | |
| COM LIT 130 | Gender, Sexuality, Race, Class | |
| ENGLISH H80 | Sanctuary: Medieval and Modern | |
| ENGLISH H81 | What is a Person? | |
| GEN&SEX 110A | Gender, State, and Nation | |
| FLM&MDA 115 | Topics in Authorship | |
| LIT JRN 103 | Lectures on Topics in Literary Journalism | |
| HISTORY 147 | Education and the American Dream: Historical Perspectives on Democracy and Education | |
| PHILOS 102W | Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge | |
| PHILOS 103 | Introduction to Moral Philosophy | |
| PHILOS 121A | Medical Epistemology | |
| PHILOS 124 | Topics in Feminist Epistemology | |
| PHILOS 131C | Medical Ethics | |
| PHILOS 133 | Topics in Philosophy of Law | |
| PHILOS 134 | Topics in Philosophy of Gender and Race | |
| PHILOS 162 | Social Ontology | |
| PHILOS 163 | Social Epistemology | |
| PHILOS 165 | Philosophy of Action |
- Additional courses may be substituted with prior approval of the Director of the Humanities and Law minor.
- The Humanities Core Alternative is also an option. Visit the School of Humanities Undergraduate Study website for additional information.
- All topics must be approved by the Director of the Humanities and Law Minor.
Students considering a career in law are strongly encouraged to take advantage of other law-related courses offered across the campus and of extracurricular activities such as the Pre-Law Society.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: Four upper-division courses required for the minor must be successfully completed at UCI. Two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.