Pre-Law Advisory Program

Students in all of Stetson’s undergraduate majors can prepare for admission to the law program at the University’s College of Law in Gulfport or Tampa or to distinguished law schools around the nation. Through the Pre-Law Advisory Program, faculty and staff from across the University advise undergraduates on appropriate plans of study and offer special opportunities, such as law school admission fairs, lectures on the DeLand campus by law faculty and distinguished legal scholars and practitioners, LSAT preparation sessions, and internships. The Pre-Law Advisory committee also guides students through the admission process, helping them arrange for detailed letters of recommendation and to write compelling personal statements ready by the deadlines for their applications.

Through a collaborative effort, the Pre-Law Advisory committee and faculty at the College of Law have established two noteworthy opportunities for Stetson undergraduates to earn law degrees at the University: the 4+3 program and the 3+3 accelerated program. Another option, a combined J.D./M.B.A program is described in the graduate section of the Catalog. Thanks to these programs, Stetson now has a proud group of “Double-Hatters” - students who have earned both the bachelors and the J.D. Degree at the University.

4+3 Direct Admission to the College of Law

Stetson University faculty encourage students interested in legal careers to take full advantage of the undergraduate program over four years. The 4+3 program allows students in any of our undergraduate majors to prepare for admission to the College of Law and to meet the expectations of law faculty (see the entry on “Pre-Law Preparation” in the College of Law section of this Catalog). To be eligible for enhanced consideration for admission to the three-year J.D. program, students must complete a bachelor’s degree with at least 22.5 units (or 90 credit hours), at least 12 units (48 credit hours) of which have been earned through the DeLand undergraduate program, present a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, score at the 50th percentile or above on the LSAT (or an alternate examination approved by the College of Law), and satisfy all other admission requirements, including requirements for character and moral fitness.

3+3 Accelerated Bachelor’s/J.D. Program

Students with outstanding credentials upon entry to the University as undergraduates, including at least 1300 on the SAT or the equivalent ACT score, may apply to the Pre-Law Advisory Committee to join a program that may allow them to qualify for early admission to Stetson’s College of Law. This unusually rigorous program requires students to earn the number of credits necessary in the undergraduate curriculum required except for the 32 credits to be earned during the first year at the College of Law, establish a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 after three years of undergraduate study, achieve a minimum score at the 75th percentile on the LSAT (or an alternate examination approved by the College of Law), and satisfy all other admission requirements, including character and moral fitness requirements. Students in the 3+3 program who are accepted for early admission to the College of Law will be granted the bachelor’s degree upon completing the first year of legal study, with at least 128 credits overall at the University. They are then on track to earn the J.D. degree in their sixth year of study at the University. Students interested in this accelerated program must apply to the Pre-Law Advisory Committee no later than the end of their first undergraduate semester at Stetson University.

For more information on these opportunities, contact any member of the Pre-Law Advisory Committee, or the Admissions Office at the College of Law.