3+3 Requirements

Program Requirements

To be eligible for the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program, NKU students must demonstrate that by the end of the junior year (or its equivalent) that they have completed:

• at least 90 undergraduate credit hours;
• at least 17 semester hours of 300-level or above course work;
• all general education requirements;
• all major requirements, or that certain first-year law courses will count toward satisfying the major’s requirements;
• all Honors Program requirements, or that certain first-year law courses will count toward satisfying the Honors Program’s requirements, if the student is seeking to graduate as a University Honors Scholar; and
• all other graduation requirements.

Students at other institutions should consult their undergraduate advisers, as graduation credit requirements and course-level designations may vary.

How does the “math” work for NKU undergraduates for scheduling purposes?

• 120 total credit-hours needed for Bachelor’s degree; MINUS
• 30 credit-hours from the 1L curriculum (which would serve as the “area of focus”); EQUALS
• 90 credit-hours (left that a student would need to complete before entering Chase); MINUS 37 credit-hours for the NKU General Education requirements; EQUALS
• 53 credit-hours to be applied to the student’s undergraduate major (most majors have fewer than fifty-five required credit-hours) and electives.

NKU Honors Students:

If the student is attempting to graduate as a University Honors Scholar, he or she must satisfy all Honors Program requirements by the time of enrollment in the first year of law school, or that certain first-year law courses will count toward satisfying the Honors Program’s requirements.

A student in the Honors Program will do the following to meet the 21 credit-hours of required courses:

1.  Take Honors 101 (fall of first year) (3 credits)
2.  Take two honors General Education courses (6 credits)
3.  Take one 300-level seminar (3 credits)
4.  Complete a six credit-hour capstone course (6 credits)
5.  Complete BLS-Writing (3 credits)

***Students with Advanced Placement credits and/or NKU Student Scholar credits will have more flexibility to satisfy the NKU requirements.

Admission Process

If the student satisfies the academic requirements, he or she can apply for admission to NKU Chase under the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program prior to completion of the student’s junior year (or its equivalent). Students interested in the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program are encouraged to apply no later than March 15 of the junior year (or its equivalent).

Applicants must:

• Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) for the first time no later than February of the junior year
• Submit Norse Advising certification, or the equivalent from other partner institutions, that the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program’s academic requirements have been met; 
• Interview with an NKU Chase admissions counselor;
• Include two letters of recommendation from undergraduate faculty members; and
• Complete all other NKU Chase admissions requirements.

Both at the time of application to the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program and at the end of the student’s junior year, a typical candidate for this program will have earned an undergraduate GPA of at least the median undergraduate GPA earned by the previous year’s entering class. Additionally, that candidate will have earned an LSAT score of at least the median LSAT score earned by the previous year’s entering class. The LSAT can be taken three times in a two-year. NKU will evaluate the candidate’s highest LSAT score.

Disclaimers:

Students interested in practicing law outside of Kentucky and Ohio should contact the state bar association or the National Conference of Bar Examiners to determine if completion of the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program will satisfy the requirements needed to sit for the bar exam in the student’s preferred jurisdiction.  

NKU Chase reserves the right to withhold admission from students who have been subjected to academic or disciplinary actions by NKU, other educational or testing institutions, or governmental or administrative agencies (including any branch of the armed forces), or who have been charged with a crime other than a minor traffic violation.