The University of British Columbia

International Degree Partnership Programs

• UBC-Melbourne Law School J.D./LL.M. Degree Partnership
  
• Joint Legal Education Agreement with the University of Hong Kong
• UBC-Sydney Law School Partnership Agreement

UBC-Melbourne Law School J.D./LL.M. Degree Partnership

Eligible students enrolled in the J.D. program at UBC have the opportunity to complete the final term of their J.D. studies through the LL.M. degree program at the University of Melbourne Law School (MLS). Likewise, eligible students enrolled in the J.D. program at MLS may complete their final semester of their J.D. students through one of the LL.M. programs at UBC. Students who successfully pursue this opportunity will receive (as appropriate):

• a J.D. from MLS and either an LL.M., LL.M. Common Law (LL.M. C.L.), or LL.M. in Taxation (LL.M. Tax.) from UBC; or
• a J.D. from UBC and an LL.M. from MLS.

Eligibility and Admission

Students gain admission by applying separately to MLS and UBC for the degree they wish to complete at each institution, as follows:

1. Students wishing to complete their J.D. at MLS apply first to MLS following the procedures specified by MLS. Subsequent to successful completion of three semesters of full-time study (or the equivalent) at MLS, students may apply in their fourth semester of full-time study (or the equivalent) for admission to the LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. program at UBC and otherwise following the appropriate UBC admission procedures. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Decisions regarding admission will be made by UBC only after receipt of grades for J.D. law courses taken at MLS equaling a minimum of 200 credit points (normally, corresponding to 4 semesters of full-time study in the J.D. program). The fact that a student has previously been accepted to the J.D. program at MLS is not an indication or guarantee of admission to UBC.
2. Students wishing to complete their J.D. at UBC apply first to UBC. Applications to the UBC J.D. program follow the criteria and process described in the UBC Academic Calendar. Subsequent to successful completion of four terms of full-time study (or the equivalent) in the J.D. program at UBC, students may apply in their fifth term of full-time study (or the equivalent) for admission to the LL.M. program at MLS with a Letter of Permission from UBC and otherwise following the appropriate MLS admission procedures. Decisions regarding admission will be made by MLS only after receipt of all grades for J.D. law courses taken at UBC, which must equal a minimum of 77 credits (normally, corresponding to 5 terms of full-time study in the J.D. program). The fact that a student has previously been accepted to the J.D. program at UBC is not an indication or guarantee of admission to MLS.

Academic Requirements

1. MLS J.D. students must complete at least 250 law credit points in the J.D. program at MLS and, subsequent to this, a further 30 law credits (minimum) at UBC in the LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. degree programs, or 36 law credits (minimum) at UBC in the LL.M. program. Students must complete all MLS J.D. compulsory subjects at MLS prior to enrolling at UBC.
   
   MLS J.D. students accepted into LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. studies at UBC begin at UBC following the successful completion of the fifth semester of the J.D. program at MLS. Successful completion of the equivalent of 50 MLS credit points in the LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. programs at UBC by MLS J.D. students will normally be accepted by MLS in fulfilment of the total 300 credit point requirement for the MLS J.D. program. Coursework undertaken at UBC by MLS J.D. students that is substantially similar to courses already taken at MLS will not be eligible to be counted as credit towards the MLS J.D. degree. MLS J.D. students accepted into the LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. programs at UBC under the terms of the agreement between UBC and MLS are required to consult with the MLS Associate Dean (J.D.) prior to registering in courses at UBC.
2. UBC J.D. students must complete at least 77 law credits in the J.D. program at UBC and, subsequent to this, a further 100 law credit points (minimum) at MLS in the LL.M. program. Students must complete all mandatory course requirements for the UBC J.D. program at UBC prior to enrolling at MLS, with the exception of the seminar requirement, which can be waived with the approval and at the discretion of UBC.
   
   UBC J.D. students accepted into the LL.M. program at MLS begin their program of study at MLS following the successful completion of the fifth term of the J.D. program at UBC. Successful completion of the equivalent of 15 UBC credits worth of courses in the LL.M. program at MLS by UBC J.D. students will normally be accepted by UBC in fulfilment of the total 92 credit requirement for the UBC J.D. program. Coursework undertaken at MLS by UBC J.D. students that is substantially similar to courses already taken at UBC will not be eligible to be counted as credit towards the UBC J.D. degree. UBC J.D. students accepted into the LL.M. program at MLS under the terms of the agreement between UBC and MLS are required to consult with the UBC Assistant Dean Students prior to registering in courses at UBC.

Registration

Students will be governed by the applicable academic rules, codes of conduct, and the like which are in effect at the institution at which they are studying at any given time.

Students will pay regular tuition and other applicable fees to the institution they are attending each semester/term. Students will be entitled to apply for bursaries, scholarships or other financial aid offered by the institution they are attending in a particular semester/term for which they are otherwise eligible.

Graduation

1. MLS J.D. students will be entitled to receive a J.D. degree from MLS upon successful completion of the equivalent of 50 MLS credit points in the LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. degree (as appropriate) at UBC, subject to the conditions and terms of the agreement between UBC and MLS. The J.D. degree must be awarded by MLS before the LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. degree is awarded by UBC, even if the LL.M., LL.M. C.L., or LL.M. Tax. degree has otherwise been earned.
2. UBC J.D. students will be entitled to receive a J.D. degree from UBC upon successful completion of the equivalent of 15 UBC credits in the LL.M. program at MLS, subject to the conditions and terms of the agreement between UBC and MLS. The J.D. degree must be awarded by UBC before the LL.M. degree is awarded by MLS, even if the LL.M.degree has otherwise been earned.

UBC-Tsinghua University School of Law LL.B./J.D. Degree Partnership

Eligible students enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) program at Tsinghua University may earn an LL.B. degree from Tsinghua University together with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from UBC in five years of full-time study, plus the successful completion of a degree thesis at Tsinghua University.

Students will complete three years of full-time study in the LL.B. program at Tsinghua University and complete two further years of full-time study in the J.D. program at UBC, comprised of two full winter sessions and one summer session, before returning to Tsinghua University to complete the degree thesis.

Eligibility and Admission

To be eligible to apply to UBC in the J.D. program, Tsinghua students must successfully have completed two years of full-time study in the LL.B. program at Tsinghua University (equivalent to 60 UBC credits in coursework) and be enrolled full-time in the third year of the LL.B. program with a course load equivalent to 30 UBC credits, 21 of which must be in upper/senior level law courses. In addition, eligible Tsinghua students must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency through one of the approved English language proficiency examinations. The examining body must send results directly to the Peter A. Allard School of Law, Attention: J.D. Admissions, Tsinghua-UBC Dual Degree Program. For TOEFL examinations, UBC’s institution code is 0965 and the Allard School of of Law’s department code is 03. UBC requires the following minimum scores:

• TOEFL: minimum score of 100, of which the reading, listening and writing component minimum is 75; or
• IELTS: minimum overall band of 7.0 with a reading and writing band minimum of 7.0; or
• GCE: A-level English examination with a standing of at least "B".

Test results are considered valid for two years after the date the test is taken.

Tsinghua students eligible to apply to the UBC J.D. program must follow the regular admissions process as specified in the UBC Academic Calendar, with the following modifications:

• The Tsinghua University School of Law will be responsible for: (i) collecting all application materials (except TOEFL or equivalent test scores) to be submitted to UBC by Tsinghua students and (ii) forwarding on a set of complete application packages to UBC, Attention: J.D. Admissions, UBC-Tsinghua LLB/JD Degree Partnership.
• Applicants are not required to submit an LSAT score.
• Applicants must submit a score from a TOEFL, IELTS or GCE test taken within two years of the application.
• Applications must include a form or letter from the Tsinghua University School of Law indicating: (i) approval from the Tsinghua University School of Law to apply to the UBC J.D. program and indicating that the applicant meets all eligibility requirements as stated above; (ii) the applicant’s overall grade average to date; (iii) the overall grade ranking for students enrolled in the Tsinghua University LL.B. program, per year/cohort; and (iv) the applicant’s grade average for all law courses taken at Tsinghua University to date (i.e., all courses taught within the School of Law).
• All application materials must be in English, except for transcripts, which must be provided in the original with an accompanying official English language translation, both issued by Tsinghua University in a sealed envelope.
• Initial application materials must be received by UBC by April 5.

An offer of admission from UBC will be conditional on: (1) successful completion of the third year of study at Tsinghua, as specified above, by July 31; (2) maintenance in the third year of the academic average obtained in the first two years of studies, including the average for all law courses; and (3) successful completion of the equivalent of 21 UBC credits in upper/senior level law courses by the end of the third year. Transcripts documenting that these three conditions have been fulfilled must be received by UBC not later than July 31, following the procedures outlined in (a) and (e) above.

Degree Requirements

Students must have completed all mandatory program requirements in the LL.B. program at Tsinghua prior to enrolling in the J.D. program at UBC, except for the LL.B. degree thesis. In addition, they must have completed the equivalent of 21 UBC credits in upper/senior level law courses at Tsinghua University. Students must complete 71 credits in the J.D. program at UBC, including all mandatory first-year and upper-level curricular requirements. Courses taken at UBC must not substantially replicate courses already taken at Tsinghua, except where the course must be taken at either UBC or Tsinghua to fulfill mandatory degree requirements. All J.D. coursework at UBC must be completed within two academic years (September-April), inclusive of the intervening Summer Session.

Tsinghua LL.B. students enrolled at UBC in the J.D. program are not eligible to participate in any UBC exchange programs.

Registration and Continuation

Students who have applied to and been accepted into the J.D. program at UBC will be registered as UBC students and subject to UBC policies and procedures, including UBC’s continuation policies for the J.D. program.

Graduation

Students will be eligible to receive an LL.B. from Tsinghua University on the successful defense of their LL.B. degree thesis. Absent exceptional circumstances, UBC will grant the J.D. degree to Tsinghua LL.B. students who have completed all of the requirements for the J.D. degree at UBC as specified above and by UBC policy.

Joint Legal Education Agreement with the University of Hong Kong

The Joint Legal Education Agreement between the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) allows eligible students enrolled in law degree programs at either institution an option to pursue the professional qualifications required to practice law in both Hong Kong and Canada.

UBC law students will complete the first two years of their J.D. degree program at UBC and, if admitted by HKU to the LL.B. program, will subsequently enrol in the LL.B. program at HKU for one year, after successful completion of which UBC will award them a J.D. degree. UBC J.D. students enrolled the LL.B. program at HKU may apply to HKU's Post Graduate Certificate of Law (PCLL) program in their third year of study, which they would complete the following year, if admitted. (Completion of the PCLL program is a condition for pursuit of professional qualifications in Hong Kong.)

HKU law students will complete the first three years of their LL.B. degree program at HKU and, if admitted by UBC to the J.D. program, will subsequently enrol in the J.D. program at UBC for two years, after the successful completion of which they will be awarded a J.D. degree from UBC.

Eligibility and Admission

To be eligible, UBC J.D. students must have successfully completed the first year curriculum in the UBC J.D. program and 30 UBC credits of upper level courses, including all required courses for the UBC J.D. degree, with a cumulative grade average of at least 74%.

Interested UBC J.D. students must apply to HKU by January 30 of their second year of study; and by April 30 of their third year of study for admission to the PCLL program.

To be eligible, HKU LL.B. students must have successfully completed 180 HKU credits, including 132 credits of the compulsory core and 48 credits of university required courses, with a cumulative grade average of at least 3.1.

Interested HKU LL.B. students must apply to UBC for admission to the J.D. program by January 30 of their third year of study.

Applicants will be selected according to: (a) their academic and personal qualifications; and (b) the standard application process at each institution. Each law school has sole discretion to determine admissibility into its academic program(s).

Academic Requirements

If successfully admitted to the HKU LL.B. program, UBC J.D. students will fulfill any pre-requisites for the PCLL course not already fulfilled at UBC.

HKU LL.B. students will complete all PCLL pre-requisite courses not available at UBC prior to enrolling at UBC. If successfully admitted to the UBC J.D. program, HKU LL.B. students will complete at UBC all required courses and credits for the LL.B. program not already fulfilled at HKU, as well as all courses and credits necessary for fulfillment of the UBC J.D. degree requirements.

Registration

UBC J.D. students enrolled in either the HKU LL.B. program or the HKU PCLL program under the Joint Legal Education Agreement will pay tuition and fees to HKU. HKU students enrolled in the UBC J.D. program under the Joint Legal Education Agreement will pay tuition and fees to UBC.

Graduation

Students must fulfill the graduation requirements of each degree-granting institution. The fulfillment of these requirements will be determined on a case-by-case basis for each student applying for degree conferral by the respective degree-granting institution; UBC and HKU. UBC students must meet all requirements for the J.D. degree from UBC prior to commencing the PCLL program at HKU.

UBC-Sydney Law School Partnership Agreement

Eligible students enrolled in J.D. or L.L.B. program at the University of Sydney, Sydney Law School (SLS) may earn an L.L.M. (Common Law) degree from UBC following completion of 5 semesters of law study (at least 120 Sydney law credit points) in either the J.D. or L.L.B. program at Sydney Law School. Upon successful completion of LL.M. C.L.at UBC, students will receive either an L.L.B. of JD from Sydney and an LL.M. C.L. from UBC.

Eligibility and Admission

Students must apply separately to Sydney and UBC for the degree they wish to complete at each institution.

1. Students must first apply to Sydney for the J.D. or L.L.B. program. Subsequent to successful completion of four semesters of full-time law study (or equivalent) at Sydney, students may apply during their fifth semester of full-time study (or equivalent) for admission to the LL.M. C.L. program at UBC following appropriate UBC admission procedures. Students must have completed 120 credit points of law study at Sydney, including all core and compulsory elective units, prior to commencement at UBC.
2. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
3. Enrolment in the LL.M. (C.L.) program is limited and competitive; satisfying the minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission.

Academic Requirements

1. Courses/units undertaken in the LL.M. C.L. at UBC will be eligible for a maximum of 24 credit points of unspecified credit, which will be counted towards their elective requirements at Sydney.
2. Students who successfully complete all courses/units undertaken at UBC will be awarded the LLB or JD by Sydney in accordance with Sydney policy and procedures, without requiring further study at Sydney.
3. In the event that a student is not awarded an LL.M. C.L. by UBC, they may be granted credit for any courses/units that were successfully completed at UBC. In these circumstances, the level of credit will be determined according to the applicable Sydney Law School rules regarding assessment of credit.
4. Upon request from a student, UBC will provide that student’s official transcript to Sydney according to UBC’s institutional protocols after the release of results at the end of the UBC academic year.

Registration

Students will be governed by the applicable academic rules, codes of conduct and the like which are in effect at the institution at which they are studying at any given time.

Students will pay regular tuition and other applicable fees to the institution they are attending each semester/term. Students will be entitled to apply for bursaries, scholarships or other financial aid offered by the institution they are attending in a particular semester/term for which they are otherwise eligible.

Graduation

Students must complete all program and degree requirements while registered in the LL.M C.L. at UBC to be awarded the LL.M. C.L.