Academics

Transfer Credit

A.  Credit earned prior to matriculating at the School of Law: 

1. Applicants who have completed the equivalent of the first year of law school from an ABA-accredited law school may apply to transfer to the School of Law. Transfer applicants must submit the following:
   1. A complete application for admission;
   2. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the applicant’s existing or previous institution;
   3. A statement of good standing from the dean of the applicant’s existing or previous institution;
   4. An official transcript from the applicant’s existing or previous institution;
   5. A statement of why a transfer is requested;
   6. A specific list of courses for which the student seeks to obtain credit;
   7. An official course description for all courses for which the student seeks to obtain credit.
   
   
2. Applications for transfer credit shall be reviewed by:
1. The Admissions Committee and Dean. All applications for admissions shall be governed by the Student Admissions Policy contained herein.
2. The Academic Standards Committee.  The Academic Standards Committee shall, in its sole discretion, determine whether transfer credit is appropriate for each credit sought on an individual basis.  In exercising its discretion, the Academic Standards Committee shall review:
   1. The type of classes taken at the student’s existing or previous institution;
   2. The similarity between the type of classes taken at the student’s existing or previous institution with comparable classes at the School of Law;
   3. Whether the classes taken at the student’s existing or previous institution are classes traditionally taken at a law school accredited by the ABA;
   4. The grades received by the student in the classes taken at the student’s existing or previous institution; and
   5. The student’s entire admission file.
   
   
3. Under no circumstances may a student transfer more than 29 credit hours.  A student who has transferred from another law school must successfully complete at least 59 credit hours at the School of Law, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better, and satisfy all other degree requirements.


4. Under no circumstances shall the Academic Standards Committee extend credit for any class in which the student earned a grade less than “C.”

B.  Credit earned at a foreign institution while matriculating at the School of Law: Students seeking to earn credit at a foreign institution while matriculating at the School of Law must comply with all provisions of this rule. For purposes of this rule, “foreign institution” shall include any institution other than the Duncan School of Law.  

1. Students seeking to earn credit at a foreign institution must file a petition with the Academic Standards Committee prior to beginning any course of study at a foreign institution. The petition must include:
   1. The name and contact information for the foreign institution;
   2. The proposed course of study at the foreign institution, including the specific classes the student intends to take and the course descriptions for those classes
   3. A statement from the foreign institution’s admissions office indicating the student complies with the institution’s admission requirements and has in fact been granted admission; and
   4. A statement from the foreign institution’s admissions office indicating that all coursework performed and all credits earned by the student occurred during a time that the foreign institution was an ABA-accredited law school.
   
   
2. After receiving a petition pursuant to this subpart, the Academic Standards Committee shall, in its sole discretion, determine whether credit from the target foreign institution could be acceptable. In considering a petition pursuant to this provision, the Academic Standards Committee shall consider:
   1. The student’s academic performance at the School of Law;
   2. The student’s disciplinary file, if any;
   3. The type of classes the student seeks to take at the foreign institution;
   4. The similarity between the type of classes the student seeks to take at the foreign institution and comparable classes at the School of Law; and
   5. Whether the classes the student seeks to take at the foreign institution are classes traditionally taken at a law school accredited by the ABA.
      
      
      After considering the above factors, the Academic Standards Committee shall either approve the petition or deny the petition.  To be valid and serve as the basis for future consideration of credit pursuant to parts A. and B. of this policy, all approvals must be in writing and signed by the Chair of the Academic Standards Committee.  Under no circumstances shall the approval or denial, without more, grant credit. 
   
   
3. Once a student completes a course of study at a foreign institution pursuant to this rule, the student shall, if at all, petition the Academic Standards Committee for credit within 6 months of completing the foreign institution’s academic program.  The petition must include an official transcript from the foreign institution and a statement from the foreign institution indicating the student is in good standing. 


4. After receiving a complete petition for credit, the Academic Standards Committee shall grant credit for all courses in which the student received a “C” or above.

C. Notwithstanding any provision contained herein, a student may not transfer more than 29 hours of credit.

D. Transferring grades:  Accepted transfer credits shall appear on a student’s transcript as a “P,” indicating the student earned pass/fail credit.  Under no circumstances shall transfer credit be considered when determining a student’s GPA, cumulative GPA, or class rank at the School of Law. 

E. Distinction from Pass/Fail Credit:  While grades transferred from a foreign institution appear as pass/fail credit on a student’s transcript at the School of Law, credit transferred from a foreign institution shall not be considered when calculating a student’s maximum pass/fail credit pursuant to GRADING POLICIES, Section XIX, in the DSOL Student Handbook and Catalog.

F. Articulation Agreements:  While the Duncan School of Law has an articulation agreement with other programs within the Lincoln Memorial University system, the Duncan School of Law does not have an articulation agreement with any other institution.