Frequently Asked Questions and Helpful Links

Study Abroad Program FAQ's

Helpful Links

Should I apply for a study abroad program?

If you're interested in international and comparative law, and seek to gain, first-hand, a new perspective on the U.S. legal system (and your own legal education), consider doing one of our study abroad programs. For a description of the Law School's study abroad programs and application details, click here.

Past participants have regarded their semesters abroad as one of the highlights of their law school education. But each carefully considered what he/she wanted to gain from the experience, and came to terms with some trade-offs involved. To some, it meant forsaking a clinic or moot court competition. To others, it meant not running for SGA or for an editorial position on a journal. Interested students should meet with Alexis McBride , Assistant Director of the Office of Graduate and International Programs, to discuss whether it makes sense to apply for a study abroad program.

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How do I do the job search if I am studying abroad?

Students who want to participate in the fall on-campus program must be here during the fall semester of their second or third year or both, which means that they should do one of the study abroad programs that occurs in the spring semester. If your job search continues while you are abroad, you can try to conduct the search long-distance. Technology eases this search somewhat. Since the value of studying abroad is great for many students, you should not let the on-going job search limit your willingness to apply for a study abroad program. Also, the CDO staff can help you with particular questions and concerns you have about the job search and foreign study.

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Should I do a study abroad program as a 2L or a 3L?

About half of BU Law's study abroad participants are 2Ls and half are 3Ls. 2Ls generally participate in spring semester programs so they can be at BU Law for on-campus interviews in the fall. Some spring semester programs end very late in the spring (or early summer) so are feasible only for 2Ls. (Check with the Office of Graduate and International Programs about that). The Oxford and Leiden programs have been popular programs for 3Ls in their final spring semesters, though 2Ls also have done those programs.

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Can I do both a dual-degree program or concentration and a study abroad program?

With careful planning, it may be possible to do a study abroad program and a dual-degree program or concentration if the two are related. For example, some students in the JD/M.A. in International Relations program have done a study abroad program. Contact Dean Marx, 4th floor, if you want details. For questions about how a study abroad program might work with a concentration, contact the concentration faculty advisor.

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How do I make sure I meet the JD credit requirements if I do a study abroad program?

Students can apply to the JD a maximum of 12 credits for a study abroad program. Since our yearly minimum credit requirement is 26 credits, students who do a study abroad program need to make sure to take enough credits in the semester they are still here so that they meet our minimum yearly credit requirement. (If you are a 3L and need more than 26 credits to graduate, you may need to take more than 14 credits in the other semester here).

Most of the study abroad programs are in the spring semester. Applications for the study abroad programs for the following year are due the prior spring semester. Thus, in planning your schedule for the following academic year, you need to register for enough credits so that if you do get into a spring semester study abroad program, you have enough credits in the fall to meet our semester, yearly, and graduation credit requirements.

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Can I get BU Law credit for another law school's summer study abroad program?

See Article IV, sec. 4.c. of the BU Law Academic Regulations. With advance approval by the BU Law Academic Standards Committee, students may be able to receive credits for another law school's ABA-approved summer foreign study program. Such credits, however, will not count toward the 84 credits required for the JD, nor will they reduce the minimum credits required for a semester or year, except that they may reduce the credits required for the next academic year to 24. In that case, the student needs to take enough credits in the other academic year to have at least 84 credits total for graduation without counting any of the credits from the summer program.

Example
First-Year Program 30 credits
Summer Study Abroad Program 2 credits (could be more)
Second-Year Program 24 credits
Third-Year Program 30 credits*
Total credits 84
  plus 2 credits from summer program
  = 86 total credits


* (need to take 30 credits because the 2 credits from the summer program do NOT count toward the 84 credits required for graduation)

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Will doing a study abroad program help me land a job overseas?

If you hope to work abroad, specifically in the country where your study abroad program is based, you might be able to do some productive prospecting for career opportunities while you are there. However, note that you may encounter employment restrictions in a given country. To explore this further, contact the CDO office and the Office of Graduate and International Programs for guidance.

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Can I contact past BU Law Study Abroad Participants?

Yes! The contact information for BU Law's most recent study abroad participants in each study abroad program can be found at the Contact Study Abroad Alumni page.

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