Hofstra Law School’s four-year, part-time J.D. degree offers day and evening study to students who have schedules that prevent them from carrying a full course load. The academic requirements for the part-time program, except for duration, are identical to those of the full-time program. Part-time day students carry between nine and twelve credits each semester of the first year, and a minimum of eight credits thereafter. Evening students typically carry nine or ten credits each semester in the first year, are required to take two credits during the first summer, and carry a minimum of eight credits thereafter.  During the first two years, the part-time program is filled largely by required courses. The third and fourth years are composed mainly of electives. Part-time students have the opportunity to participate in all facets of the Law School experience.

Students in the part-time program must pass all required first and second year courses, take Lawyers’ Ethics or Ethics and Economics of Law Practice and successfully complete the two upper-class writing requirements, as are students in the full-time program.  Beginning with the classes entering in 2007, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.2 (2.0 for classes entering prior to 2007).  Students who obtain lower than a 2.5 GPA at the end of the first semester will be required to attend a mandatory Academic Support Program and will be required to take Business Organizations and Evidence no later than the 6^th semester of law school (during the second year of law school for full time students).

Students may be permitted to transfer from the part-time to the full-time program upon written application with the consent of the Dean’s designee. Students who are interested in transferring from part-time to full-time should speak with the Director of Part-Time Programs and consult the Law School Student Handbook and Registration Bulletin for additional information about transfer requirements and fees.