Requirements for Graduation
Upon favorable recommendation by the faculty, the degree of Juris Doctor shall be awarded to all students who have successfully completed all the requirements set forth in this catalog.
Honors
To qualify for honors, a candidate must have completed all work leading to the degree of Juris Doctor and must have attained the required cumulative grade point average as follows: cum laude, 3.3; magna cum laude, 3.6; and summa cum laude, 3.9.
Credits
The curriculum is designed in accordance with the professional law courses usually offered in ABA-approved law centers/schools. For graduation, there must be satisfactory completion of at least 90 semester hours of professional courses, including required courses, earning a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Additionally, no student may qualify for the awarding of the Juris Doctor degree who has not acquired a 2.0 average for all required courses. Electives are offered as a part of the curriculum, and students are permitted to take the elective courses specified during the second and third years of school. Some electives may be assigned by the administration based on assessments of the student’s work in various courses. Each student is responsible for keeping informed of the number of additional credits needed to meet the graduation requirements.
Students are enrolled as either full-time or part-time. Students enrolled as part-time can enroll as full-time after earning 46 credit hours. A student who wishes to change his/her enrollment status during the academic year must obtain the approval of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and must file a form requesting to change their status (available in the Records and Registration Department). The Director of Records and Registration must certify all changes of status. Any student who enrolls in or reduces his or her course load to fewer than 12 hours in a semester is considered a part-time student.
Students may not enroll in more than 16 credit hours per semester without the written approval of the Chancellor or Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. As per an ABA Standard, students will not be allowed to enroll in more than 18 credit hours per semester.