Pre-Law at RWU

Juris Doctor (JD)/Bachelor’s 3+3 Program: Earn your bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees in six years. You’ll get a jump start on your Pre-Law path by integrating law courses into your undergraduate studies and completing undergraduate requirements in your first year of law school.

This accelerated program allows eligible students to complete their bachelor's and Juris Doctor J.D. degrees in six years instead of seven. 

The Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is a powerful key that opens the door to myriad career options. Prepared with a J.D., and powered by drive and ingenuity, the possibilities for today’s lawyers are endless.

  • Save Money
    Students save on tuition, housing, and related costs with a shorter duration of graduate study.
  • Save Time
    The 3+3 program cuts a year from graduate study, allowing students to enter the workforce and begin earning sooner than other programs.
  • Early acceptance and advisement
    Students participating in the 3+3 program apply during junior year and start graduate coursework in the senior year. The early courses provide a no-risk opportunity to take graduate classes without a significant financial commitment                                       
  • Convenience
    Students end up loving Roger for one reason or another. By pursuing a Bachelor’s Plus program, you can choose to continue to have the same great experience with a graduate degree program here.   
  • Flexibility
    The 3+3 program is accessible to students across all majors.

Degree Requirements

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Outstanding students who qualify for this special program may be able to complete all requirements for a baccalaureate degree and the Juris Doctor degree in six years.

Full-time students who matriculate at the University in their freshman year and who maintain superior academic records with outstanding academic averages and superior scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) may apply to the Roger Williams University School of Law in their junior year. All undergraduate graduation requirements, excluding all Legal Studies requirements with the exception of LS 101 and either LS 209 or LS 215, should have been completed or the courses for completion should be in progress. The Legal Studies major will be completed using courses taken during the first year of law school. Students must have completed a minimum of 90 credits toward the undergraduate degree prior to beginning law school in the fall semester. After commencement the graduation coordinator will confirm that a minimum of 30 credits were successfully completed in the Law School. At that point the undergraduate degree will be posted.

  • A student must have earned at least 90 credits in three years of study at Roger Williams University before beginning at the School of Law.
  • All Core Curriculum requirements and major requirements must be met within those 90 credits.
  • The student’s cumulative grade-point average must be at least 3.0 with no grade lower than a C (2.0).
  • The student must have a LSAT score that is at or above the median accepted score for RWU School of Law for the previous year.

In completing the first year of work in the School of Law, a student in the Three-Plus-Three program must pass all law courses with a grade-point average of at least 2.0. It is mandatory that all non-law academic work toward the combination degree be completed before any work in law is undertaken.

Those interested in pursuing the Three-Plus-Three Program must contact the Dean of Admissions at the School of Law and the Dean of the School of Justice Studies, no later than the end of the freshman year. This program is not available to transfer students.

Eligibility 

Students may select and pursue any undergraduate major; however, note that in rare cases, certain majors have requirements that may impact the accelerated timeline, such as engineering and architecture.

All majors in SJS, SHAE, and GSB are conducive to the accelerated pathway. Check with dean and/or advisor for majors in SSNS, SECCM, and the Cummings School of Architecture. 

Students must maintain a 3.2 cumulative undergraduate GPA with 90 credits and the LSAT completed by end of junior year to be eligible. Students must present no serious character and/or fitness issues. 

Coursework

The coursework during first the first year of Law School will count toward completing undergraduate degree requirements and JD requirements.

3+3 students are required to take two legal studies prerequisites within the first three undergraduate years.

Process

Notify advisor of intent to participate in program as early as possible, and no later than the end of first year, to inform course selection.

Students enrolled in the Program must apply to the School of Law during the fall of their junior year. It is recommended that they sit for the LSAT during the October administration but no later than the December LSAT test administration of that year. Students enrolled in the Program who satisfy all undergraduate requirements, who achieve an LSAT score that is at or above the School of Law's median accepted score for the previous year, and who present no serious character and fitness issues will be guaranteed admission to the Roger Williams University School of Law.

Students following the 3+3 program will be considered candidates for the bachelor's degree following the completion of the first year in law; i.e., the fourth year of the program. Such candidates for the bachelor's must file an application for degree with the University Registrar before registering for their fourth-year courses (first year Law School courses).