3+3 Law Program (Bachelor's & JD)
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Earn your bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor within three years in Sacred Heart University’s 3+3 Bachelor’s & JD Program.
If chosen for this select academic program, a student can earn a bachelor’s and JD by completing all required credits for their degree program at Sacred Heart University within three years (90 credits). The balance of their undergraduate credits (30 credits) will be completed during their first year of law school at Pace University, Seton Hall University or Villanova University.
Declare a major from one of the following programs:
- Business Economics
- Chemistry
- Criminal Justice
- English
- Foreign Languages
- Global Studies
- History
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Theology
General Program Progression Requirements
To remain in the partnership program, students are required to:
- Follow the requirements of their declared Sacred Heart major
- Maintain good social standing while enrolled at Sacred Heart
- Take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) by October of their third year of undergraduate education and score in the 75th percentile or higher
- Earn a letter grade of C or higher in all courses that will satisfy the BS or BA requirements during their first year of legal study at Pace, Seton Hall or Villanova
Sacred Heart faculty advisers will assist admitted students to ensure program requirements are met to be recommended for direct admission to the respective law program. Pace, Seton Hall and Villanova admissions committees will be responsible for final review and evaluation prior to entry into the respective JD degree program. Admitted students who fail to meet program requirements may still be considered for regular admission to law school at Pace, Seton Hall or Villanova.
Law School Eligibility & Admission Requirements
Third-year students (juniors) at Sacred Heart will be offered direct admission to the School of Law under this Agreement if they have or will have:
- Completed at least three (3) years of coursework and 75% of their bachelor’s degree requirements at Sacred Heart;
- Earned a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA (as calculated by the Law School Admission Council, or "LSAC") above the median of the most recent class of third-year students to matriculate at the School of Law;
- Taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and earned a minimum score at or above the median LSAT for the most recent class of third-year students to matriculate at the School of Law;
- Applied by June 1 of the year in which they seek to enter the School of Law (juniors);
- Obtained a strong recommendation from Sacred Heart’s pre-law adviser;
- Interviewed successfully with the School of Law prior to receiving a final admission decision;
- Remained in good academic and disciplinary standing (throughout their matriculation at Sacred Heart);
- Met all of the fitness, character and other holistic criteria for admission required by the Office of Admission of the School of Law.
Third-year students (juniors) at Sacred Heart will be offered direct admission to the School of Law if they have or will have:
- Completed at least three (3) years of coursework and 75% of their bachelor’s degree requirements at Sacred Heart;
- Earned a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.65 (as calculated by the Law School Admission Council, or "LSAC");
- Taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than December of their junior year and earned a minimum score at or above 160;
- Applied by January 15 of the year in which they seek to enter the School of Law (juniors);
- Completed their law school application, including transmission of the LSAC Credentials Assembly Service Report, no later than February 1 of the year in which they seek to enter the School of Law;
- Be nominated by and obtained a strong recommendation from Sacred Heart’s pre-law adviser;
- Remained in good academic and disciplinary standing (throughout their matriculation at Sacred Heart);
- Met all of the fitness, character and other holistic criteria for admission required by the Office of Admission of the School of Law.
Third-year students (juniors) at Sacred Heart will be offered direct admission to the School of Law if they have or will have:
- Completed at least three (3) years of coursework and a minimum of 72 credits at Sacred Heart;
- Earned a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA. (as calculated by the Law School Admission Council, or "LSAC") above the 50th percentile of the most recent class to matriculate at the School of Law;
- Taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than January of their junior year and earned a minimum score at or above the 75th percentile of the most recent class to matriculate at the School of Law for third-year students (juniors);
- Applied by February 1 of the year in which they seek to enter the School of Law (juniors);
- Obtained a strong recommendation from Sacred Heart’s pre-law adviser;
- Interviewed successfully with the School of Law prior to receiving a final admission decision;
- Remained in good academic and disciplinary standing (throughout their matriculation at Sacred Heart);
- Met all of the fitness, character and other holistic criteria for admission required by the Office of Admission of the School of Law.
4+3 Law Program at Villanova
Students may also choose the 4+3 pathway, completing their undergraduate degree in four years at SHU before beginning the Juris Doctor program at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law.
Eligibility and admission requirements mirror those of the 3+3 program, with one key difference: students must take the LSAT no later than their senior year and achieve a score at or above the 75th percentile of the most recent class to matriculate at the School of Law.
This option allows students to finish their bachelor’s degree in the traditional four-year timeline while still securing a direct pathway into Villanova Law.
General Considerations
- The application fee will be waived for those students who satisfy all the above eligibility criteria and apply through this agreement
- For students who begin the JD program upon completion of their third year, and who successfully complete the first year of coursework in the JD program, a maximum of 30 credits may be transferred to Sacred Heart and will count toward the bachelor's degree at Sacred Heart and will also count toward the JD degree
Tuition
Tuition for the duration of the program spent at Sacred Heart, including summer courses, if any, shall be the same tuition charged to students in other Sacred Heart programs. Tuition will not be charged by Sacred Heart for the fourth year of the 3+3 program. Tuition during the three years of study at Pace, Seton Hall or Villanova law schools will be the same as the tuition charged to students enrolled in the regular curriculum at Pace, Seton Hall or Villanova.