ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS – J.D

To receive the J.D. degree students must complete a minimum of 91 semester hours of course work, and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Dual Degree Students are required to complete a minimum of 82 hours in the School of Law, and have a cumulative J.D. grade point average of 2.0 or higher.  The cumulative J.D. grade point average is computed by adding the quality points awarded for each letter grade and dividing by the hours of credit. The unit of credit is the semester hour. Grades in courses taken outside the School of Law are not included in computing the G.P.A. Passing grades (P) awarded in some law courses and grades received in courses designated with (*) have no effect on the G.P.A.

GENERAL CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS: 
The following courses are required of all J.D. students:

The Humanities requirement may be satisfied by enrolling in a course which is designated by an (H) in the registration materials or in a seminar designated as 86H. A course which satisfies the humanities requirement is a "perspective" course in which the student studies a particular area of law from the perspective of such disciplines as philosophy, history, or literature. Examples of humanities courses include American Legal History, English Legal History, Jurisprudence, and Comparative Law. Ordinarily, this course must be taken within the School of Law.

Seminars involve a small group of students who engage in extensive research, writing, and discussion. Seminars which are designated as “86H” satisfy both the seminar and humanities requirements.

Legal Profession is offered every year in the full-time program and part-time program. Generally, elective courses which are tested on the Missouri bar exam are also offered every year. Other elective courses may be offered annually or in alternating years.

Effective with the Fall 2006 entering class, each student shall complete (with a passing grade) an upper level course in Professional Skills as a condition of graduation. Courses meeting this requirement are designated with a (PS) in the course descriptions. The Professional Skills requirement is an ABA requirement that cannot be satisfied with course offerings that meet the seminar or humanities requirements.

MINIMUM/MAXIMUM COURSE LOAD - REQUEST TO TAKE 17 HOURS

Generally, 16 hours for full-time students and 11 hours for part-time students is the maximum course load in any regular semester. Students wanting to enroll for additional hours must obtain written permission from the Dean of Students, except that full-time students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher may enroll in a maximum of 17 hours without special permission of the Dean of Students after all first year requirements are met.

No full-time student may register for less than twelve hours in any semester nor may a part-time student register for less than eight hours without the written permission of the Dean of Students or Dean of Academic Programs. Permission to take a reduced schedule will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.