The University of Texas at Austin

J.D. Credit for Non-Law Courses

Law students not enrolled in an approved dual or combined degree program may apply a maximum of 12 credit hours of non-law courses taken at The University of Texas to the 86 credit hours required for a J.D. degree. Courses taken for credit towards the J.D. degree should relate to the student's legal education or career goals and must be either graduate level courses or undergraduate language courses.

Law students taking graduate level courses will be permitted to apply the actual credits earned toward their J.D. degree, until they reach the 12 credit non-law course maximum. Law students taking undergraduate language courses will be permitted to apply 1 credit hour per 2½ credit hours earned toward their J.D. degree, until they reach the 12 credit non-law course maximum.

To be counted toward the 86 credit hours required for a J.D. degree:

  1. Credits 1–6 of non law graduate level coursework or undergraduate language course work must be approved by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs before the student registers for the course(s);
  2. Credits 7–12 of non law graduate level coursework or undergraduate language course work must be approved by the Standards Oversight Subcommittee before the student registers for the course(s).

At the end of each semester, the Standards Oversight Subcommittee must circulate to the tenured and tenure-track faculty a list of all non-law credits approved under paragraph 2 above.