Eckerd College and the Florida State University College of Law have created a new program that will allow Eckerd students to obtain a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years instead of seven.
Applications are now being accepted for the 3+3 Program, the third of its kind for the FSU College of Law.
Undergraduates who gain admission to the program after successfully completing their junior year at Eckerd College will follow the usual course of study for full-time, first-year law students. Those who successfully complete their first year at FSU will obtain a BA or BS from Eckerd College. Students who fail to complete their first year at law school or decide to withdraw may return to Eckerd to complete their undergraduate degree without applying for readmission.
The program is designed for students with a commitment to academic excellence. Students in the program are required to complete at least 24 courses plus an autumn term course in their freshman year and a winter term project in each of the subsequent two years. Students must take the LSAT before or during their junior year.
Tuition and fees to the law school will be the same as other first-year law students.
“Eckerd College is excited to offer our students this opportunity,’’ said Suzan Harrison, Eckerd’s Dean of Faculty. “This saves them a year of tuition and moves them forward in their professional ambitions more quickly.”
The Florida State University College of Law has similar arrangements for undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida and Florida State University.
“I am delighted about our new relationship with Eckerd’s outstanding academic programs,” said FSU Law Dean Donald Weidner. “In short, under this program, the first year of law school is double-counted: that is, it is credited both to the law degree and to the undergraduate degree. The result is that students and/or their families save the entire cost of the fourth year of college.”
Interested students should meet early and often with their Eckerd College mentor to identify the 3+3 program as an academic goal and to map a path for its successful completion.
To learn more about the 3+3 law school admission requirements, interested students also can contact the FSU Law Office of Admissions at 850.644.3787 or admissions@law.fsu.edu.
