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Academics


Academics

Degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence

The degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence will be conferred upon candidates who complete, with a grade point average of 2.0 or better, six semesters of resident law study and earn 89 semester hours of credit, including the required courses. The required average must be maintained on the work of all six semesters and also for the combined work of the grading periods in which the last 28 hours of credit are earned at the College. The normal maximum period for a full-time law student to complete requirements for the J.D. degree is five calendar years. Any exception to this rule must be approved by the Dean or the Dean's designee. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all graduation requirements have been met. Additional information on requirements can be obtained from the Student Records Office.

In addition to other requirements for graduation, each student also must earn a grade of 2.0 in at least two-thirds of the required first-year courses. A student required to repeat course work pursuant to this policy shall repeat at the earliest possible time the course(s) in which he or she received the lowest grade or such other course(s) as may be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The revised degree requirements for first-year students will apply to all students who enter the College of Law in 1996 or thereafter.

Academic Honors

The degree will be awarded with honors to all students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 33 percent of their class, with high honors to all students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or better and rank in the top 15 percent of their class, and with highest honors to students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better and rank in the top 5 percent of their class. These categories also shall be used to honor the College's best performing students each semester.