The LL.M. Program consists essentially of a year of professional studies and is an opportunity for specialization in fields not fully covered in previous law work. Except for the Master’s Essay and some clinical offerings, the courses and seminars open to LL.M. candidates are generally those open to J.D. students in the second and third years. LL.M. candidates are required to earn twenty-four (24) points of academic credit and one LL.M. Writing Credit for the LL.M. degree. Of the twenty-four points of academic credit required for the degree, no more than eight points can be earned through supervised research and no more than six points can be earned in courses outside the Law School (see “Instruction and Research in Other Schools,” below). Ordinarily, a candidate’s program consists of 11-14 points in each of the two terms, but with approval may consist of a greater number of points. The academic programs of all candidates for graduate degrees are subject to the approval of the Dean of Graduate Legal Studies.
Entry into seminars and popular courses is sometimes difficult because the number of candidates desiring to participate exceeds the places available. The Faculty, therefore, has voted to accord a certain preference for entry to LL.M. candidates. This preference is available only to those admitted LL.M. candidates who complete the online pre-registration, details of which are sent to admitted students in early July for fall pre-registration and in November for spring pre-registration, by the assigned date. Even with timely pre-registration, and even with some preference given to LL.M. candidates, enrollment in very popular seminars and courses cannot be guaranteed. In addition, students who request classes in areas entirely different from the areas of interest indicated on their applications will not receive preference in seat assignments.
LL.M. candidates must file a degree application several months before the anticipated degree conferral date. Dates for award of the LL.M. degree fall in May, October, and February. Students who expect to receive the degree in May must file the degree application during spring term pre-registration (typically in November). If a student does not complete the requirements for the degree, the student is responsible for reapplying for the next degree conferral date. Any student who does not receive the May degree must reapply by August 1 for the October degree or by November 15 for the February degree. Degree application forms may be obtained in the Office of Registration Services or online at http://www.law.columbia.edu/academics/registrar/Reg_Forms.
If an LL.M. student who is a candidate for the May degree receives a grade of incomplete (IN) in the fall semester, the work must be completed and submitted by April 1 of the spring semester. The due date for completion of all spring semester work is the last day of classes of that semester. If the student is not a candidate for the May degree but rather is a candidate for the October degree, all work must be completed and submitted by September 1. If the student is a candidate for the February degree, all work must be completed and submitted by December 31.
No LL.M. candidacy will be extended or renewed beyond the second award date subsequent to the termination of the candidate’s period of residence, i.e., February for candidates going out of residence in May. The final date on which the requirements for the LL.M. degree may be fulfilled, including submission in final, accepted form of a Master’s Essay, is December 31 of the calendar year in which the candidate completed the required period of residency. Of course, every candidate registered for the LL.M. degree is strongly urged to complete all work in time to receive the degree in May of the year of residence.
The performance of LL.M. candidates in courses, seminars, and research papers is indicated by the letters A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, and F. If a candidate fails an examination and is given permission to repeat it, he or she will not receive a grade higher than "C" the second time, and the transcript will include a notation that this grade is the result of re-examination. To qualify for the degree, LL.M. candidates must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 2.67 (B-) or better or a preponderance of B or better grades, and may not fail more than one course or seminar. Grades earned in courses taken outside of the Law School (either in another division of Columbia University or as part of the CLS/NYU Law Exchange) will not be factored into either calculation. Regular attendance at all classes is expected.
Back to top
Instruction and Research in Other Schools
A student must earn all credits for the LL.M. degree by registering as a full-time student at Columbia University and paying full tuition and fees. If a student chooses to take a course at a school outside Columbia University in the absence of an agreement between that school and Columbia, s/he must do so with the understanding that payment for such a course may not be deducted from any tuition owed to Columbia University, nor may any credits earned at the other institution supplant any of the credits required for the Columbia University degree.
While there are no joint degrees at the advanced degree level, candidates for advanced degrees in the Law School may be given permission to register for a limited number of courses in other departments of the University when such work seems appropriate to their academic programs. LL.M. candidates may earn up to six (6) points in another school or division of Columbia toward their LL.M. degree, provided the course work pertains to their program of study. Credits earned in foreign language courses, even if the courses are offered by the Law School or listed on the Law School’s curriculum schedule, do not count toward the twenty-four points of credit required for the LL.M. degree. LL.M. writing credits cannot be earned in courses taken outside the Law School.
All courses taken outside the Law School must be graded on the A-B-C-F scale. Grades lower than C will not be accepted for credit toward the LL.M.
The number of academic credits awarded for courses taken at another school or division of Columbia is limited to the actual number of hours a class meets per week, irrespective of the number of credits listed in that school’s catalogue (i.e., a three-credit course which meets for two hours each week yields two credits, not three). An exception to this rule occurs when the other school assigns fewer credits than the number of hours the course meets each week; in that case, the student will earn the number of credits assigned to that course by the school (i.e., a two-credit course which meets for three hours each week yields two credits, not three).
For a complete list of Columbia University schools, visit the Columbia University Web site at www.columbia.edu. The University’s directory of classes is available at www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb.
