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About Santa Clara University

Ideally located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara University blends high-tech innovation with a social consciousness grounded in the Jesuit educational tradition.

We have a beautiful, suburban campus in Northern California close to San Francisco, the Napa / Sonoma wine region, beaches, hiking trails, and world class entertainment.

  • Founded in 1851 (oldest university in California)
  • 9000 students
  • Small class sizes
  • Dedicated, and expert faculty and staff
  • Highly involved student body
  • Nationally ranked, locally loved
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees
    • Schools dedicated to Law, Theology, Arts & Sciences,
      Engineering, Business, Counseling Psychology & Education
SCU Law Fact Sheet
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SCU School of Law, Your New Home

Educational Environment:

  • In the U.S. law school is advanced “graduate” level education that requires the prior completion of a 4 year bachelor’s degree.
  • The teaching style in the U.S. is very active and follows the Socratic method.
  • Generally, there is less reading but attendance is required, homework is assigned daily, and there is much more discussion.
  • Our faculty are experts in their fields, but also expected to be strong teachers, available to students.

Student Life:

  • U.S. Law students are typically very engaged and passionate.
  • At Santa Clara Law, students are very collegial and friendly. They are also very career focused.
  • In addition to classes, we have 3 centers of excellence, 5 clinics, and over 50 student organizations, clubs, and journals.

 

Law Centers of Excellence

                           

Center for Global Law & Policy promotes scholarship in the field of international and comparative law and provides a variety of educational opportunities for law students. The Center also manages the Law School’s global programs including Study Abroad, Exchange, and LLM.

Center for Social Justice and Public Service is a community for all who share the commitment to giving voice in the legal system to marginalized, subordinated, or underrepresented clients and causes.

The High Tech Law Institute helps coordinate Santa Clara Law’s many high tech and intellectual property law programs, initiatives, and events to foster strong ties among our faculty, students, alumni, and the thriving high tech community.

Enrollment Options

Single Term Exchange
  • Traditional “study abroad” experience.
  • On campus for 1 semester

    • Fall (August to December)

    • Spring (January to May)

  • SCU tuition waived (usually pay at home)
  • Enroll in 12 units (3-4 classes)
  • Classes count towards your home degree.
  • Classes do not count toward any future U.S. degrees.
  • No post-grad work privileges
  • No U.S. state bar exam qualification

Costs

  • Travel
  • Cost of living (housing, food, transportation)
  • Health Insurance (required, automatically enrolled and charged)
  • Books and supplies
  • SCU tuition is waived (you likely pay at home)
Exchange to LLM
  • On campus for 1 year (2 semesters)

    • Fall (August to May)

    • Spring (January to December)

  • SCU tuition waived for first semester
  • Enroll in 12 units each semester (24 total)
  • Classes may count towards your home degree
  • At the end of 2 semesters, you have completed LL.M. requirements*
  • Can stay in the U.S. to work for up to 1 year
  • Can take U.S. state bar exam*

Costs

  • Travel
  • Cost of living (housing, food, transportation)
  • Health Insurance (required, automatically enrolled and charged)
  • Books and supplies
  • SCU tuition is waived for 1 semester (you likely pay at home)
  • You pay tuition for the 2nd semester (see current tuition rates which do typically increase)

*LL.M. degree conferral and U.S. state bar exams require a completed foreign law degree, if needed, we can hold the LLM degree until after you return home to complete your degree

Application Process

Step 1: Home University

Your home university will have an application and pre-approval process that you should follow in order to be nominated to study at Santa Clara Law.

Step 2: Nomination

Your home university exchange coordinator will communicate with the Santa Clara Law exchange coordinator to confirm your nomination.

Step 3: Santa Clara Application

The Santa Clara Law exchange coordinator will reach out to you with our application. The application is mainly biographical information and immigration support documents.

Step 4: Acceptance

Once you submit your Santa Clara Law exchange application it will be reviewed. Once you are accepted, we will move on to the immigration and enrollment steps.

Cost of Studying Abroad at SCU Law

Item

Exchange

Exchange to LLM
Round Trip Travel Yes Yes
Cost of living (housing, food,
transportation)		 Yes Yes
Health Insurance (required, automatically
enrolled and charged)		 Yes Yes
Books and supplies Yes Yes
Tuition 1st Semester at SCU Waived at SCU, home institution likely charges Waived at SCU, home institution likely charges
Tuition Semesters after 1st Semester N/A SCU Law tuition is required, see current LLM tuition here

Deadlines

Classes run early August to mid December

Deadline to submit Santa Clara App (after home school nomination) is April 15

Classes run early January to mid May

Deadline to submit Santa Clara App (after home school nomination) is September 15