EWU and Gonzaga Law 3+3 Pre-Law Degree Path

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Complete Your B.A. at EWU While Earning Your J.D.

Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University School of Law’s joint program provides students who have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree the ability to apply to and graduate from law school a year sooner.

An EWU student that has fulfilled all necessary proficiencies, other requirements, including the first two years of university requirements majoring in Political Science with the Pre-Law option could complete the 3+3 plan and path with Gonzaga School of Law.

How the 3+3 Program Works

Gonzaga University Law considers applications for admission to its full-time J.D. program from any EWU student who, at the time of application, will have earned at least 50 percent of the credits required for an EWU baccalaureate degree and will have earned at least 75 percent of the credits required for an EWU baccalaureate degree before their enrollment at Gonzaga University Law.

In conjunction, EWU will accept up to thirty semester credits as transfer credits from Gonzaga University Law to meet the degree requirements for select bachelor’s degree programs. Students must also meet the minimum graduation requirements outlined by EWU.

Requirements & Typical Application Process

  • Assess the academic performance to date to ensure that the 3.30 GPA requirement has been met and 50% of required baccalaureate credits have been earned;
  • Prepare for the LSAT

  • Consult with faculty advisor to plan course selection for spring quarter of junior year to ensure that all requirements for the baccalaureate degree, other than courses to be taken in the first year of law school, will be fulfilled;
  • Take October or December administration of the LSAT

  • Receive LSAT score and determine if eligible to submit application
  • Submit transcripts, including fall semester junior year grades, to CAS
  • Submit application materials to Gonzaga University Law, including:
    • Application form
    • CAS report (includes undergraduate transcript and LSAT scores)
    • Two letters of recommendation;
    • Resume
    • Personal statement;
    • Letter of eligibility for 3+ 3 Program from faculty advisor

  • Request interview after application materials have been submitted.
  • Take February LSAT if necessary.

3+3 Program Articulate Agreement – EWU & GU school of Law

Another program that is offered through EWU and Gonzaga is the Juris Doctor / Master of Social Work program.

If you are interested in this program you can learn more at Gonzaga School of Law or talk to an advisor in Social Work at EWU.

Students must apply for admission to Gonzaga University Law’s full-time, regular J.D. program and receive admission to the Law School. Admission is not guaranteed. The law school must receive all required application materials no later than March 15 of the calendar year in which you hope to matriculate at Gonzaga University Law.

Ideally students interested in this program would contact an advisor in their sophomore year to begin preparation for the application process.

To receive preference for admission or scholarships, students should have a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher at EWU for the credits counted toward the EWU baccalaureate degree at the time of application. All grades earned at any post-secondary institution will be considered by the Gonzaga University Law Admissions Committee, including grades from courses transferred into EWU from other colleges.

Once admitted to the J.D. program, we strongly encourage students maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 before enrollment. A drop in an admitted student’s cumulative GPA below 3.30 during such period may result in rescinding our decision to admit the student.

Additionally, preferred students should achieve a score at or above the twenty-fifth percentile of LSAT scores for matriculants at Gonzaga University Law for the previous admission year. Please contact our Gonzaga admissions office to find out what the twenty-fifth percentile LSAT score was.

EWU offers multiple paths towards this option.
Talk to your advisor for more information.

Path for Pre-Law Majors

Path for Criminal Justice Majors

Path for Political Science Pre-Law Majors

Completing the required introductory core courses, each 5 credits for a total of 20 credits and no changes from standard path:

  • POLI 100 Introduction to US Politics,
  • POLI 202 Introduction to Political Theory,
  • POLI 203 Introduction to Comparative Politics, and
  • POLI 204 Introduction to International Politics,

The student would also need two classes,

  • POLI 313 Ancient and Medieval Political Thought or POLI 314 Modern Political Thought, and
  • POLI 320 International Systems

For 10 credits towards the disciplinary core for a total of 30 credits in the junior year.

The EWU student would need to be admitted to Gonzaga School of Law and then three courses (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Law) from the first year curriculum of Gonzaga School of Law would count as equivalencies or substitutes for three disciplinary core classes- POLI 300 Judicial Process, POLI 335 US Congress, and POLI 332 US Presidency, for a total of 15 credits of equivalencies or substitutions.

The remainder of the first year courses from Gonzaga School of Law would count as equivalencies or substitutions for 30 credits of elective requirements towards the POLI Pre-Law degree. Those courses include: Torts, Contracts, Property, Legal Research & Writing I, Legal Research and Writing II, Litigation Skills & Professionalism Lab, Transactional Skills & Professionalism Lab.

The student would complete POLI 490 for 5 credits and POLI 493 for 2 credits in the summer after the first year of law school to complete the EWU POLI Pre-Law degree, or, the student could complete the ITGS 400 Online Capstone for 4 credits and POLI 493 for 2 credits which could be completed any time during the senior year, allowing the student to graduate with an EWU degree in Political Science with the Pre-Law option and continue as a second year law student at Gonzaga. 6 or 7 credits during or after the regular senior year at EWU.

Total of 82 credits- EWU degree earned

An EWU student that has fulfilled all necessary proficiencies, other requirements, including the first two years of university requirements majoring in Political Science with the Pre-Law option could complete the 3+3 plan and path with Gonzaga School of Law in the following way:

3+3 Path for Political Science Pre-Law Major Information Flyer

Students interested in this path should talk to their Political Science Advisor.

 

Path for Criminal Justice Majors

EWU students in the Criminal Justice Program are expected to complete all of the Required Courses from their major by the end of their Junior Year.

After that, the final 40 elective credits for the Criminal Justice Major are substituted for their first year of GU law school.

Learn more about the Criminal Justice Major.

Please connect with your Criminal Justice Advisor if you are interested in this program.

 

Tuition and Financial Aid

EWU students who apply for admission to, or matriculate in, the program can apply for any and all applicable scholarships and other financial aid at Gonzaga University Law on the same terms as any other students. Total scholarships awarded, including external scholarships, may not exceed Gonzaga University Law’s tuition cost.

Carl Maxey Social Justice Scholarship Program

Gonzaga reserves one Carl Maxey Social Justice Scholarship per academic year for an EWU student who satisfies the selection criteria for the Carl Maxey Social Justice Scholarship Program.

Applicants to this program must demonstrate their commitment to social justice, illustrate their leadership potential or promise, and explain how they contribute to the diversity of Gonzaga University Law and to the profession.

Learn More at Gonzaga School of Law website.