High Impact
Fast Track to Law Degree
| Office of the Provost
USF and Stetson University College of Law have joined forces to allow aspiring attorneys to reduce the time they spend earning a law degree.
Under a new agreement the two institutions will partner to create “3+3,” an accelerated J.D. degree program.
Students seeking a J.D. degree typically complete a four-year undergraduate program followed by three years of law school. The new 3+3 accelerated path lets qualified students earn both their bachelor’s and J.D. degrees within six years, three each at USF and Stetson Law.
“Through our agreement with the USF Honors College, students can graduate with an undergraduate degree and a law degree in six years, save a year of tuition, and attend the top-ranked advocacy program in the country — a program that blends foundational law with the legal skills necessary to succeed in today’s marketplace,” says Stetson Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. “Together, Stetson and USF will help to create not only the next generation of lawyers but also the next generation of leaders.”
The program also provides partial financial support for students once they begin at Stetson, and pairs each student with a student, graduate, and/or faculty mentor.
To participate, students must be enrolled in USF’s Honors College and meet certain eligibility requirements, such as earning a minimum LSAT score at the 75th percentile of the most recent class to enter the College of Law. Once students have successfully completed three years at USF, and applied to Stetson College of Law, Stetson will determine their eligibility for admission into the J.D. program.
Once accepted students complete 31 credits in the full-time J.D. program, USF will accept those credits as the student’s remaining undergraduate elective credits and award a bachelor’s degree. Upon completion of the program of study at Stetson, the student also will receive a J.D. awarded by the College of Law.
“The partnership between the University of South Florida and Stetson University College of Law is a great opportunity for highly-motivated and focused students to achieve their goals. Our brightest students are eager to take on the challenges of advanced degrees, and we are confident the excellent undergraduate education they receive at USF will prepare them for the rigors of Stetson’s exceptional program,” says USF President Judy Genshaft. “These talented students will move more quickly through their education — incurring less debt — and be on their way to reaching their goals.”