LL.M. Program: Information about the LL.M. Programs

Thomas M. Cooley Law School - Practical Legal Scholarship Since 1972

Cooley Law School Academics

Guest (Non-Degree) Student Status

Guest (Non-Degree) Student Application (pdf)

The Graduate Program at Thomas M. Cooley Law School offers qualified applicants the opportunity to take classes without earning a degree. These applicants may be practicing attorneys who want exposure to advanced legal courses or non-Cooley students wanting to transfer course credit to their degree-granting institution. An admitted guest student can earn up to eight credits without earning the LL.M. degree.

Guest student applicants must possess a J.D. degree. International students may also apply as a guest student to the LL.M. program. For more information about admission as an international student, please visit the Graduate Program web site, www.cooley.edu/llm.

Guest students pay the same tuition rate as degree-seeking LL.M. students. The current tuition rate may be found at the Graduate Program's web site. The Financial Aid Office is available to answer questions at finaid@cooley.edu or by telephone at (517) 371-5140, ext. 2210.

Cooley offers graduate level law courses at its three Michigan campus locations. Cooley uses state-of-the-art videoconferencing technology to link its classrooms at the Lansing, Auburn Hills, and Grand Rapids campuses. Classes are primarily offered on the weekend; although, sometimes courses are scheduled during weeknights and in an accelerated format. Web-based classes in the Graduate Program in Intellectual Property Law are also available. Generally, a guest student may take any course that is offered if space is available. Some courses have prerequisites. No class that was previously failed at any ABA accredited law school may be retaken at Cooley Law School under guest student status.

The guest student may decide to pursue the LL.M. degree after all and apply to the Graduate Program as a degree-seeking student. To earn the LL.M. degree, students must successfully complete four three-credit required courses and a sufficient number of electives to earn 24 credits. In the Graduate e-IP Program, 18 of the 24 credits may be taken in web-based classes. An overall cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 or "B" on the total hours taken and completed must be achieved. Students can earn the degree in one year or take up to five years.

To apply, submit a completed Guest (Non-Degree) Student Application to Cooley's Office of Graduate and Extended Programs. There is no application fee. Cooley has rolling admissions. The application deadline for Michaelmas (fall) Term is June 15; Hilary (winter) Term is October 15; and, Trinity (summer) Term is February 15.

FAQs

What are the admission requirements for guest student status?

Guest student applicants must possess a J.D. degree.

Also, the Guest (Non-Degree) Student Application must be completed and submitted to Cooley's Office of Graduate and Extended Programs. There is no application fee.

What is the difference between a non-degree seeking guest student and a guest student visiting from another law or graduate school?

A guest student visiting from another law or graduate school intends to transfer the credit earned at Cooley to the guest's school. The non-degree seeking guest student is usually a practitioner who wants to enroll in courses for continuing legal education and is not intending to earn Cooley's degree.

Does a non-degree seeking guest student have to earn a grade in a course?

Not necessarily but it is recommended that a grade be earned. A non-degree seeking guest student may decide to pursue the LL.M. degree and so would want the grade. However, with permission a limited number of highly qualified students may be allowed to audit a course without earning a grade.

Why is it a benefit to be a guest student?

A guest student has the opportunity to earn up to eight credits. These credits could be transferred to the student's law or graduate school. A non-degree seeking guest student has the chance to enhance their practice and decide whether to earn the LL.M. degree.

How much is tuition?

Guest students pay the same tuition rate as degree seeking LL.M. students. Currently, the tuition is $555 per credit hour.

Where and when are the LL.M. classes offered?

Terms begin in September, January, and May. Generally faculty teach from Cooley's campus in Auburn Hills although some courses can be and are taught from the Lansing and Grand Rapids campuses. These classrooms are linked by state-of-the-art videoconferencing. Classes are primarily offered on the weekends although sometimes courses are scheduled on weeknights and in an accelerated format.

What courses are available?

Courses are offered on a rotating basis throughout the calendar year. Course length ranges from two days to between three and fifteen weeks.

Not all courses are offered every term. The schedule for each term is generally available on the Graduate Program's website roughly two months before the term begins. Students needing to make longer term arrangements should contact the Graduate Program.

How large are the classes?

Classes are small, generally less than 15 students, although the required courses may be larger.

What is involved in scheduling courses?

A guest student will consult with an LL.M. academic advisor to make sure that the course(s) selected are appropriate.

Can a guest student change status to full admission as a degree seeking student in the Graduate Program?

Yes, if all admission requirements for full, degree-seeking admission are met. An application for admission into the Graduate Program must be completed and submitted to the Office of Graduate and Extended Programs. The application may be obtained from the Office of Graduate and Extended Programs, and the Enrollment and Student Services coordinators at the Auburn Hills and Grand Rapids campuses.

Admission to the Graduate Program will be based on, among other things, graduation from an approved law school, law school grades, undergraduate major and academic performance, a writing sample, a written personal statement, and a letter of recommendation. Applicants who did not graduate in the top half of their law school class will be asked to demonstrate academic capability not reflected in their law school performance.

For admission, the applicant must possess an earned J.D. (or LL.B.) degree from a law school that is approved by the American Bar Association, or be admitted to practice law in one or more states or territories of the United States and have graduated from a law school in the United States determined by Cooley to be reputable and qualified.

In special cases, the Associate Dean for International, Graduate and Extended Programs may admit to the LL.M. degree program an applicant who has earned a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a law school in a common law-based country, or an equivalent degree from a law school in a non-common law-based country, at which the applicant has compiled a distinguished academic record or has clearly demonstrated by experience, academic performance or other qualifications the ability to perform well in the LL.M. program. The ability to demonstrate proficiency in speaking and writing English is required of applicants who are not native English speakers. The Law School may establish one or more methods to determine the requisite proficiency. Click on the link for more information about international applicants.

This Page was last updated on: 11/14/2008