School of Public Administration & Legal Studies
Immigration Justice
Prepare for advocacy, legal support, and public-service roles through the Bachelor of Science in Immigration Justice.
BS-IMMJ
A 120-credit justice degree
The Bachelor of Science in Immigration Justice is a specialized undergraduate offering that prepares legal advocates, case managers, and DOJ/EOIR accredited representatives to navigate U.S. immigration law, removal proceedings, asylum advocacy, refugee resettlement, border policy, and language access.
120 SCH total
42 SCH Texas Core
78 SCH major and legal core
Required legal clinic practicum
Degree Programs
Bachelor of Science in Immigration Justice
BS-IMMJ
TCCNS / THECB aligned undergraduate degree focused on immigration law, policy, advocacy, and legal services.
Curriculum Structure
Four years of foundations, procedural law, practice standards, advanced advocacy, and senior immersion.
Clinical Preparation
Required practicum and simulation experiences build client-centered legal advocacy skills.
Curriculum by year
A structured 120-SCH plan that progresses from core foundations to advanced advocacy and supervised practice.
Year 1
Foundations and legal introduction
31 SCH: ENGL 1301 Composition I (3); MATH 1342 Elementary Statistical Methods (3); IMMJ 1301 Introduction to U.S. Immigration Law & Policy (3); BIOL 1306/1106 General Biology I & Lab (4); UNIV 1101 Legal Advocacy Success Seminar (1); ENGL 1302 Composition II (3); HIST 1301 U.S. History I (3); PSYC 2301 General Psychology (3); IMMJ 1302 Foundations of Legal Research & Writing (3); GOVT 2305 Federal Government (3).
Year 2
Procedural law and human rights
29 SCH: GOVT 2306 Texas Government (3); HIST 1302 U.S. History II (3); IMMJ 2301 Asylum, Refugee, & Humanitarian Relief Law (3); SOCI 1301 Introductory Sociology & Migration (3); SPAN 2311 Intermediate Spanish I for Legal Contexts (3); HUMA 1301 Creative Arts Core (3); IMMJ 2302 Deportation Defense & Removal Proceedings (3); IMMJ 2303 International Human Rights & Border Governance (3); PHIL 2306 Ethics, Due Process, & Justice Systems (3); IMMJ 2201 Legal Interviewing & Language Access Lab (2).
Year 3
Practice standards and accreditation
30 SCH: IMMJ 3310 DOJ/EOIR Accredited Representative Preparation (3); IMMJ 3320 Family-Based & Employment Immigration Pathways (3); IMMJ 3330 Crimes & Deportability: Categorical Approach (3); IMMJ 3205 Immigration Court Mock Hearing Lab (2); POSC 3320 Public Administration & Administrative Law (3); IMMJ 3340 Detention Advocacy & Habeas Corpus Petitions (3); IMMJ 3350 Trauma-Informed Legal Practice & Survivor Care (3); IMMJ 3360 Economics of Global Migration & Remittances (3); IMMJ 3370 Childhood Arrivals, SIJS, & Youth Advocacy (3); IMMJ 3215 FOIA & Consular Processing Documentation Lab (2).
Year 4
Advanced advocacy and senior immersion
30 SCH: IMMJ 4410 Appellate Practice & BIA Brief Writing (4); IMMJ 4310 Border Health, Labor Rights, & Migrant Safety (3); IMMJ 4320 Community Organizing & Policy Campaign Design (3); IMMJ 4330 Immigration Legal Clinic Practicum I (3); IMMJ 4205 Advanced Removal Defense Simulation Lab (2).
Spring: IMMJ 4501 Senior Immigration Justice Legal Internship (5); IMMJ 4340 Managing Legal Services Nonprofits & Clinics (3); IMMJ 4490 Senior Capstone: Comprehensive Immigration Advocacy Plan (4). Primary practical and clinical skill focus: DOJ/EOIR accreditation preparation, removal defense procedures, asylum application intake, language access protocols, legal research, and humanitarian relief including U-Visas, VAWA, and TPS.
Begin your advocacy path
Connect with USJ to discuss the Bachelor of Science in Immigration Justice and plan your next step.
BS-IMMJ • 120 SCH • Required legal clinic practicum