The six-year accelerated program leads to either the B.A. or B.S. in Environmental Studies together with the J.D. degree. Students who want to complete this program must identify themselves to the Environmental Studies department as majors with an emphasis in either environmental policy and law or environmental justice who wish to complete the accelerated program. Undergraduates who major in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in either environmental policy and law or environmental justice and have completed at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate course work (including all general education and major requirements) with a minimum GPA of 3.25 are eligible to apply for admission to NIU’s College of Law under the special provisions of this program. Students are encouraged to apply to the program as early as possible during their junior year. As part of the application to the College of Law, applicants must take the LSAT and must receive a score at or above the 50th percentile of the previous year’s matriculating law class. Admission will be on a competitive basis, and the likelihood of admission will depend on the number and quality of the applicants to the program, the number and quality of applicants to the College of Law in general, as well as other factors normally considered in admissions decisions by the College of Law.
Curriculum
Students must complete all the requirements of the B.A. or B.S. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in either environmental policy and law or environmental justice, as well as all general education requirements (90 credit hours in total) by the end of their junior year. Students accepted into the College of Law pursuant to the special provisions of this program will matriculate in the College of Law in the fall of their senior year. Up to 30 hours of law courses will count toward the final 30 credits of the undergraduate degree. The final two years of the program will follow the standard College of Law timetable.
