Courses outside of the Law School During the Regular School Year
Matriculated students are ordinarily expected to take all law school courses while in residence at this law school. In extraordinary circumstances related to family, health, and other unusual personal situations, the associate dean for academic affairs may permit a student to visit at another law school for a total leave for any reason of not more than two semesters. Upon timely application to the associate dean for academic affairs, a student may be permitted to visit away for no more than one semester to participate in a structured program of unusual academic and professional enrichment at another institution, on condition that the program for which leave is taken is not available at this law school and is of demonstrated academic rigor, and that the total time visiting at other institutions, for any reason, does not exceed two semesters.
Permission may not be granted solely to reduce the costs of attending law school or to prove an opportunity for students to
be enriched by experiencing another law school's general academic, cultural, or geographic environment. A student who visits away must pay a "transient student fee" to cover administrative expenses and will receive credit only for courses in which a satisfactory grade has been received. Such credits will satisfy degree requirements (credit hours and residency) but no grades will be entered on the student's permanent record and, therefore, the grades received will not be included in the calculation of the student's cumulative average and class rank. Students must earn a minimum of 56 credit hours at CUA to be included in the class ranking.
Except for students transferring from another approved law school, no credit toward the J.D. degree can be given for course work
done prior to matriculation in the law school. Within the limits of maximum course load, students may request permission to take courses relating to the law in other schools or departments of the university for credit toward their J.D. degree. No
more than three such courses will be approved, and in every case the student should verify the availability of the course and his or her admissibility in the pertinent school or department in advance of registration. Grades in such courses will be entered on the student's record but will not be computed into his or her academic average.
Note: The limitation to three courses does not apply to joint-degree candidates. Also within the limits of maximum course load, students may request approval to take courses at other law schools for credit toward their degrees here. Such approval will not be given unless the course is not historically offered at the law school or the student is unable to take, and could not reasonably have taken, the course at this school prior to graduation. Admissibility to specific courses is in all cases determined by the receiving school, and tuition charges are determined by that school. Only courses in which satisfactory grades (i.e., according to the scale at that school) are earned will be credited toward degree requirements here.
Summer Courses at Other Law Schools
1. Approval will not be given for students to take courses elsewhere that are required courses here or that will be offered here during the remainder of the student's program of studies.
2. Upon timely application to the associate dean for academic affairs, a student may be permitted to participate in another law school's structured summer program abroad where the program offers unusual academic, professional or cultural enrichment, even if the program includes nonrequired courses that are or may be offered here.
3. Students employed more than 20 hours per week in the summer will not be authorized to take at another school any
combination of courses or credit hours which require more than 10 classroom hours per week.
4. No transfer credit will be given for summer coursework at another school unless the student earns a grade which is
satisfactory according to the standards of that school. Students are responsible for seeing that transcripts of summer work are
forwarded promptly to the associate dean.
5. Summer courses at other law schools will not count toward CUA residency requirements.
6. Approval will not be given for summer courses which will officially begin or conclude during the regular school year.
LLM Rules on Transfer of Credit
Courses Outside of the Law School
LL.M. students are expected to complete all degree requirements at this university. In appropriate circumstances, however, students may be permitted to take one graduate level course (not to exceed four credits) relating to the academic program at another university. Similarly, within the limits of maximum course load, LL.M. students may request permission to take graduate level courses relating to the academic program in other schools or departments within the Catholic University of America for credit toward their LL.M. degree.
Generally students will not be permitted to register for more than two courses in other CU A schools or departments. Courses taken outside of the Law School (whether at CU A or at another university) must be included in the student's written academic plan and approved by the faculty advisor. Credit in such courses will be entered on the student's record but grades in these courses will not be computed into his or her academic average.