3+3 B.A./J.D. Program with UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings)

Cal Poly has a new partnership with UC Law SF to offer an accelerated program through which Political Science students can earn both their Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees in six years, rather than the usual seven.

Students participating in the Pre-Law 3+3 B.A./J.D. Concentration will have their first year of law school coursework count towards completing some of the course requirements for their undergraduate degree at Cal Poly.

To be considered for the program, students must have entered Cal Poly as freshmen, be in their third year at Cal Poly, have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA, and have a Pre-law Concentration. Students must also be on the path to complete all the POLS degree requirements outlined in the flowchart below.

Third year students who wish to be considered for the 3+3 program this year must submit a brief statement of interest to Dr. Denbow at jdenbow@calpoly.edu by noon on Monday, October 21.

Details

Cal Poly students participating in the Pre-Law 3+3 B.A./J.D. Concentration with UC Law SF will receive credit for the equivalent of 44 quarter units at Cal Poly during their first year in law school. Twelve of those units will be applied to a student’s pre-law concentration (out of 28 total), 8 units will be applied to a student’s upper-division electives (out of 20 total), and 24 units will go toward a student’s free electives (out of 24 total).

Pursuing this 3+3 program does not significantly impact the total number of units a student is expected to complete each quarter at Cal Poly, which still ranges between 14 and 16 units per quarter. The only difference will be the types of courses a student completes. For instance, instead of pursuing free electives in their third year, 3+3 students would be expected to finish up their remaining GE requirements at Cal Poly. Similarly, students would complete fewer concentration and upper-division major courses in their third year (giving them room for GE requirements). Students will also need to enroll in their senior project by the end of their third year at Cal Poly. Click here for the PowerPoint presentation.

Every Fall the Political Science Department will solicit applications from interested third year students.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Jennifer Denbow (jdenbow@calpoly.edu)

FAQs

I’m not a POLS major with a pre-law concentration. Am I eligible for the program?

No. You must be a Political Science major with a pre-law concentration to be eligible for the program. 

I’m going to graduate with my B.A. in three years. Can I do the program?

If you are graduating in three years, you can apply to UC Law SF as well as other law schools through normal application procedures. The 3+3 program is not intended for students who will finish their B.A. in three years anyway.

Will Cal Poly courses count toward the J.D.?

No. The courses you take in your first year of law school at UC Law SF will be used toward your undergraduate degree, not the other way around.