The Law, Public Policy, and Society Associate in Arts Degree for Transfer (ADT) is designed to prepare students for a seamless transfer into the California State University (CSU) system to complete a baccalaureate degree in Law, Public Policy, and Society or similar majors such as Sociology, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Communications, Political Science, Philosophy, Public Administration, Linguistics, American Studies, and Humanities. This interdisciplinary degree focuses on the development of communication and critical thinking skills, introduces students to the legal field, and prepares students for further study in a variety of majors.  

While an associate degree may support attempts to gain entry-level employment or promotion in fields such as business, government, social service, education and law, a baccalaureate or higher degree is recommended for those considering professional careers, which can be achieved through transfer. Students who complete this degree receive priority admission to the CSU system, though admission to a specific campus is not guaranteed. 

Degrees and Certificates

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this program will be able to: 

  • Analyze social science concepts and theories.
  • Evaluate diverse viewpoints related to the human experience.
  • Produce evidence-based arguments.  

Industry Data: LMI Analysis

Net Job Market

In 2022, there were 32 program completions in OC (supply) and 8,061 annual job openings (demand) in target occupations, thus indicating demand far exceeds supply. During the same period, there were 62 similar programs in OC with 34,480 completions.This indicates other options of programs/career paths to choose from. However, only two most similar program with a CIP of 22.0101 Law and 22.0302 Legal Assistant/Paralegal had combined completions of 632 completions thus indicating that demand still exceeds supply.

  • In 2022, 37.5% of program awards were awards of less than 1 year, 34.4% of awards were Associates Degree, and 28.1% were Bachelor’s Degree.
  • In 2022, There were 81,760 jobs in OC in the target occupations which was 7% percent above the National average. 
  • Job growth is projected to be +0.3% in between 2022-2032 as compared to the national growth rate of +3.6%.

Earning Potential

The average initial salary, the 25th percentile was $19.97/hr for entry level positions. The median hourly earnings were $28.05/hr in OC as compared to the national median hourly earnings of $25.11/hr. The average 75th percentile earnings for target occupations were $39.15/hr. Individuals in the median, and 75th percentile are not earning a living wage for OC.

Program Credibility/Career Potential

The data indicates career growth opportunities OC as individuals progress through their education, career, and gain more experience. The attached Lightcast report lists a top list of job titles, top list of employers, and top specialized skills with an average monthly job postings of 1,589 (December 2021 - November 2022) and average monthly hires of 3,939 (December 2021 - November 2022).

Conclusion

The LMI data strongly supports this program in the region.

Zero Textbook Cost Classes

ZTC (Zero-Textbook-Cost) classes have no textbook-related costs, including access fees for online materials. Such classes often use Open Educational Resources (OER) created under a Creative Commons (a public copyright license) that give people the ability to share, use, and build upon a work that has been created. They may also use library e-books or other sources so there is no cost to the student. Saddleback College faculty have adopted and created OER to provide high-quality educational materials to you at no cost online, and low-cost print options. Click here for more information about our ZTC classes.

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