Honors Admissions

Yes, you can choose any major to participate in the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program. Most pre-law students opt for political science, international studies, history, economics, criminology, environmental science & policy, or other social science majors. The key is to pick a major that will allow you to complete all of your general education, Honors College requirements, and all your major requirements in the three years that you have at USF while also serving as a good preparation for law school.

You must earn a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA to be eligible for the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program. 

The LSAT is required for admission into Stetson Law School. The benchmark score required for the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program is at least the 75th percentile of the prior Stetson Law matriculating class. 

Meeting the benchmarks is key to obtaining admission, but not the only things necessary for admission. You must also submit an application to Stetson Law as well as pass a character and fitness assessment administered by Stetson.

There is not a set number of students admissible to the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program each year — as long as students meet the eligibility criteria and are interested, they can participate in the program.

If you no longer want to pursue the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program, please notify your campus representative for the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program and you will be officially opted out. It will not impact your standing at USF and/or the Judy Genshaft Honors College. You can plan the rest of your time at USF accordingly.

If you meet the USF requirements for graduating with a bachelor’s degree including minimum credits earned and necessary courses completed, then you can graduate in three years and apply for entrance into law school for the next application cycle. If you do not meet the USF requirements for a bachelor’s degree, then you can stay at USF for your fourth year and apply to Stetson University College of Law through the 4+3 Program as well as any other law school through the traditional application methods. 

No formal application is required to gain entrance to the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program. If you are interested in the program, please contact your campus representative to ensure that you are eligible and they will help you plan accordingly.

Yes — foreign nationals are welcome to participate in the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program, apply to Stetson University College of Law, and matriculate if they are accepted.

To be eligible for the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program, students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA and obtain an LSAT score of at least the same level as 75th percentile of the prior Stetson Law cohort. Scores from the prior admitted cohort can be found can be found here if you scroll down the page.

Transfer students may be eligible for the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program if they are admitted to the Judy Genshaft Honors College in the same semester that they start at USF and they can complete their general education courses, major courses, and Honors College requirements after spending a total of three years in undergraduate courses and prior to matriculating to Stetson. Most of the time, transfer students do not have enough time to complete their Honors College requirements in time to matriculate to Stetson after three years of their undergraduate career. Students who transfer to USF are recommended to participate in Stetson University College of Law’s 4+3 Direct Admission Program. 

If you enter USF and the Judy Genshaft Honors College as a first year student with an AA then you are able to participate in the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program. You may want to discuss your academic plans including your intended major with your academic advisor and your 3+3 campus representative to ensure that you are on the right track.

Accelerated credits can help students by covering their general education courses and perhaps even their introductory major courses. If lower-level courses are already covered, then you will be able to jump into more advanced classes right away and save some time. Accelerated credits are also helpful because they allow you more time to focus on your Honors College requirements and your major core courses and give you more flexibility during your 3 years at USF.

Yes, there are special scholarships that 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program students can receive from Stetson Law! The funds are doled out based on a few different criteria: LSAT score compared to the prior year’s cohort, GPA compared to the prior year’s cohort, and when you apply to Stetson Law. Scholarships are determined on a rolling basis, so ensuring your application is in on time is crucial to ensuring your best chance at receiving the best level of funding possible in your circumstances. Students in the 3+3 Program are also afforded the cost of their first year courses’ books up to $1,500.

Any State of Florida and USF scholarships that you have earned to fund your study at USF will not transfer to your courses at Stetson University College of Law. Luckily, students in the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program are eligible for very generous scholarships offered by Stetson Law! These Stetson scholarships are renewable every year you are enrolled in law school as long as you maintain the academic standards determined by Stetson Law. Please see below for the initial distribution criteria:

3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program students officially apply to Stetson Law School during the fall semester of their third year. The absolute deadline for Stetson Law is January 15, but it is strongly recommended that you submit your application sooner than that.

The Stetson University College of Law application requires many parts: LSAT score, personal statement, diversity statement, and resume uploaded through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service, an official transcript sent from USF to Stetson Law, and up to three letters of recommendation (at least one of which should be an academic reference if possible) also collected through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service. More information from Stetson about their application process can be found here.

Stetson University College of Law will accept up to three letters of recommendation. They encourage at least one of the letters be from an academic reference (I.e. a professor you have had in college; a professor with whom you’ve taken a pre-law course in college would be the best possible choice). Other good options for letters of recommendation would be your academic advisor, your research mentor, your student organization’s faculty/staff advisor, or your job/internship supervisor. These letters of recommendation should be able to demonstrate not only your academic potential, but also your character as well as confirm your academic, personal, and professional goals.

If a student opts to participate in the 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program and are accepted to Stetson Law School, then the student is committed to attending Stetson Law School once they complete their three years at USF. If a student wants more flexibility in selecting the law school they will attend upon completion of their undergraduate degree, the student may consider applying to Stetson Law through the 4+3 Direct Admission Program in partnership with Stetson University College of Law, which also offers special benefits to USF students.

Stetson University College of Law does not require interviews for admission, but they do encourage students to visit the campus. Students can meet faculty, staff, and current students and even sit in on a class! To find out more information about scheduling a campus visit, please click here.

Stetson University College of Law admits students on a rolling basis. Typically, the sooner you apply, the sooner you will find out whether or not you are officially admitted.

Deferments may be granted for one year only, on a case-by-case basis. Requests for deferment will be considered only if made in writing to the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Planning at Stetson’s College of Law after the confirmation fee (seat deposit) has been paid.