Non-Law Courses for JD Credit

Law students may apply up to six (6) credits of qualifying non-law coursework toward the 90 credits required for their JD degree. Generally, a qualifying non-law coursework includes a language or graduate-level course that has been approved by Academic Affairs.

Approval Process

To request approval of a non-law course, students must submit the 'Permission to Take a Graduate Level Non-Law Academic Course for Law Credit' form prior to enrolling in the course.

Requirements and Restrictions

To apply non-law credits to the JD degree, students must:

  • Comply with Law School Rule 3.08.
  • Earn a grade of 'B' or better (on the University’s 4.0 scale). Note: grades of BC or lower do not qualify.

GPA and Credit Limitations

Grades earned in non-law courses do not factor into a student’s Law School GPA, which is calculated on a 4.3 scale. Additionally, non-law courses do not count toward the 64-credit rule or the 60-credit rule for diploma privilege.

Non-Qualifying Enrichment Courses

Courses considered as 'enrichment'—such as ballroom dance, yoga, golf, band, etc.—will not count toward the 90 credits required for the JD degree.

Dual Degree Limitation

Students who count dual degree credits towards their JD pursuant to Law School Rule 3.05 cannot count non-law credits under Law School Rule 3.08 towards their JD.


Keywords:
non-law courses 
Doc ID:
154412
Owned by:
Lauren D. in Law School Student Handbook
Created:
2025-08-26
Updated:
2025-09-24
Sites:
Law School Student Handbook