Course and Residence Credit
ABA Standard 304
- An academic year shall consist of not fewer than 130 days on which classes are regularly scheduled in the law school, extending into not fewer than eight calendar months. Time for reading periods, examinations, or other activities may not be counted for this purpose.
- A law school shall require, as a condition for graduation, successful completion of a course of study in residence of not fewer than 56,000 minutes of instruction time, including external study meeting the requirements of Standard 305, extending over not fewer than six academic semesters.
- To receive residence credit for an academic semester, a student shall be enrolled for not fewer than eight credit hours. In order to graduate in six semesters a student shall be enrolled in each semester for not fewer than ten credit hours and must receive credit for nine credit hours. If a student fails to receive credit for the specified number of hours, the student may receive residence credit only in the ratio that the hours enrolled in or in which credit was received, as the case may be, bear to the minimum specified.
- Pro rata residence credit may be awarded for study during a summer session on a basis that fairly apportions a student’s effort to the usual residence period.
- Regular and punctual class attendance is necessary to satisfy residence credit and credit hour requirements.
- A student may not engage in employment for more than 20 hours per week in any semester in which the student is enrolled in more than 12 class hours.
- A law school shall not grant credit for study by correspondence. A law school may grant credit for distance learning study in accordance with Rules of Procedure and Criteria adopted by the Council.
Updated September 5, 2002.
