FAQ

How do I declare a Law and Society Minor?

  • A student may self declare for the Minor Program in Law and Society (LASO) during their registration window at theStudent Services Centre (SSC) once they have earned 27 credits, provided they are students in Good Standing.

What should I do to become a Law and Society Minor?

  • Learn about the program here on the website. If you have questions, you may visit the Law and Society Advisor also.
  • Fill out an ADVISING FORM so that you know what prerequisites you need at the lower level to be eiligible to take the courses you hope to take to complete your Law and Society minor. If you are in the Faculty of Arts, you are not required to have your LASO program approved before declaring the minor.
  • Declare a Law and Society Minor online at the SSC, if you are in the Faculty of Arts and have completed 27 credits, when your registration window opens for winter session.
  • Enroll in LASO 204 Introduction to Law and Society during your second year if possible. Registration in LASO 204 is generally restricted to declared minors.
  • The Law and Society Advisor will visit your LASO 204 class during the term to answer questions and distribute the ADVISING FORM for students who have not yet competed or submitted it. Fill out the form and return it to the LASO advisor before the end of Term 1 if possible.
  • Students can declare a specialization on the SSC only during their registration window and if they have at least 27 credits completed. If you want to declare your Law and Society minor, but can no longer do so on the SSC, bring your completed Advising Form to the LASO Advisor.

Do I have to declare a Law and Society Minor to take LASO 204?

  • Yes. LASO 204 is specifically designed for the Law and Society Minor program and is required for the program, so it is restricted to students who have declared their Minor on the SSC.

How can I be a Law and Society Minor if I am not a student in the Faculty of Arts?

  • Visit the advising office in your faculty to find out the procedure for having an Arts Minor. THey will need to declare your minor on the SSC for you to register in the course.
  • Download the Advising Form and PLANNING WORKSHEET to plan your LASO program.
  • Bring the LASO advising form to the Law and Society Advisor for discussion and approval. There may be courses in your own Faculty that may be counted toward the LASO Minor.  The advisor may double count as many as six of these credits.
  • If you have taken the above steps and still cannot register for LASO 204, please email the LASO program advisor.

What if I didn’t take LASO 204 in my second year?

  • You may still take the course in your third or fourth year. About a quarter of the class are upper-level students who, for one reason or another, were unable to take the course in second year.

Who is the Law and Society advisor?

  • Carole Blackburn, an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, currently serves as the LASO advisor.

What courses should I take in the FIRST and SECOND years?

  • LASO 204 – Introduction to Law and Society, a 3-credit course that serves as the foundational or “core” course for the programme, focusing on the ideas, concepts, and frameworks for thinking about the nature of law and legal processes in both Canadian and global context. This course is restricted to Law and Society Minors; if you have 27 credits, you can register for this course as soon as you declare your LASO MInor on the SSC.
  • Plus a minimum of 9 credits consisting of a combination of the following:
    • courses from the Law and Society 100-200 Level Course List,
    • prerequisites to one or more courses necessary to satisfy upper division requirements for the minor.
    • or a completed CAP – Law and Society program (9 credits that include ANTH 100, POLI 101 and a particular section of HIST 104)

NOTE: Students must ensure they have taken prerequisites for courses they plan to take for the Minor in the various departments.  The lower division prerequisites may count towards the LASO minor.

What courses should I take in the THIRD and FOURTH years?

  • A minimum of 18 and a maximum of 30 credits drawn from the Law and Society 300-400 Level Course List.
    • LASO 309 Against the Law is now offered and available for the LASO minor.
  • Note: no more than 12 of the 300-/400-level credits may be taken in the same department.
  • A maximum of six upper-level credits may double count to meet the minimum requirements of both your major and minor programs.

Upper level courses offered in Winter Session Term 1 and Term 2

  • AMNE 332, 333, 341
  • ANTH 430, 471
  • ECON 318, 319,367
  • GRSJ 301, 303, 305, 306, 326
  • HIST 391, 414, 441
  • LASO 309, 350
  • PHIL 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 338, 362, 363, 431, 432
  • POLI 303 320A, 320B, 324A, 327, 347A, 376
  • SOCI 301, 310, 361, 369, 387, 470

What if courses are not counting appropriately toward the LASO Minor in Degree Navigator?

  • The quick answer: visit the LASO advisor to have your program reviewed and any problems corrected.
  • The long answer: Appropriate courses may not count on Degree Navigator for a variety of reasons:
    • If the course is a “topics” course for which only specific sections are appropriate for the LASO minor or if the course is not yet on the list of approved courses in the UBC Calendar, you will need to see the LASO advisor to have your Report edited.
    • You changed the version year on your Minor report. Don’t do that.  Your Version Year is the year you declared the Minor and automatically appears on your report.  If you change it, then any accommodations made by the LASO advisor disappear.
    • There is a mistake in Degree Navigator, so contact the LASO advisor:
      • Degree Navigator has not yet been updated for the current academic year.
      • Mistakes were introduced when Degree Navigator was updated for the current academic year.