Online Hybrid J.D. Frequently Asked Questions
Program Delivery
The content of the courses taught in our Online Hybrid J.D. program is the same as the content of our on-campus J.D. courses. For example, students in the online hybrid and on-campus Torts courses will be expected to master the same legal doctrines and skills. The difference is in how that content is delivered. You will participate in live weekly online classes and discussions, complete interactive coursework and attend one on-campus experience a year.
Through the online hybrid structure, you benefit from a combination of online and in-person learning. You will have the opportunity to complete coursework on your own time and earn a J.D. degree from anywhere in the world while maintaining your full-time job.
The J.D. program is designed for students to be able to work full time. You will have to take off work for the on-campus experiences (Get REAL intensives) and should plan accordingly. Visit our Curriculum page to view tips on effectively allocating your time.
The American Bar Association recognized the Program through a variance approval for an online-hybrid modality in May of 2018.
Most states require aspiring attorneys to graduate from an ABA-approved J.D. program before they can take the bar exam and become licensed. Eligibility standards, including those relating to online programs, vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are advised to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
You and your classmates will meet face-to-face during online classes, where you will engage in discussions about that week’s coursework. Our online tools make it easy to collaborate with other students on group projects or to socialize and network. You will also meet students in person during each Get REAL intensive.
No, you will earn the same degree as students in the on-campus program.
The program consists of 11 terms and takes three years and eight months to complete. You can view the full course sequence here.
We offer support from the time you request information until after graduation. The staff of Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Office of the Registrar, Office of Student Affairs, Office of Academic Affairs, Career Services Office and Law Library will be here to assist you. Through our Academic Success Program, you will be able to build the necessary skills to succeed in law school and on the bar examination. Additionally, the Road 2 Bar Passage program, an integrated and ambitious program for improving student success on the bar and in practice, is available to assist you while you are in law school and after you graduate to help you prepare for the bar exam.
Yes, the School of Law commencement ceremony is held on the University of Dayton campus every spring, with a reception for family and friends immediately following. We encourage you to join in this special celebration with your law school family.
Academics
You will be taught by the same experienced faculty members who teach the J.D. courses on campus.
Yes, you will have access to all of the offices and services used by your residential peers. You will simply access them virtually instead of in person. If eligible, you can participate in Moot Court teams, Mock Trial teams or the Law Review.
Orientation begins in early/mid August with classes starting at the end of August. New terms will start in August, January and May of each year.
Yes, our faculty members are dedicated to maintaining open communication with all of their students and will answer questions in and out of the classroom through email as well as online video office hours.
Each week, you will join classmates and professors face-to-face in real time for engaging online classes hosted on the Zoom webinar platform. These video conference sessions feature a host of learning engagement tools, such as document and video sharing, collaborative annotations, polling functionality and small-group breakout sessions. During class, you will discuss weekly coursework and learnings.
Coursework includes readings, asynchronous recorded lectures and discussions that utilize the Socratic method. This can include watching a recording of a discussion and then evaluating the parties’ responses, answering your own summary question to be discussed in the next class and taking quizzes to assess your learning.
In-Person Learning
Throughout 11 terms, you will attend Get REAL intensives on campus 4 times.
For our entering class, students will come to campus at the start of the Fall term and participate alongside our residential students in orientation and pre-law school skills classes.
Students in our second- and third-year focus on experiential learning. During each of these years, students will have the opportunity to choose between the Fall or Spring Get REAL intensives to experience hands-on co-curricular activities and skills-based sessions (of various topics).
Finally, our 4L students will be required to attend a Bar Exam prep intensive either Fall or Spring term.
Get REAL intensives cost approximately $200 per year. You are also responsible for the cost of airfare, lodging and some meals.
You can stay in the hotel or lodging of your choosing. When available, the discounted rate at the local Marriott will be offered.
Admissions
The admissions committee evaluates either your LSAT or GRE score, undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, character and fitness disclosures, and personal statement, as well as other factors.
There is no specific work experience requirement.
The Online Hybrid J.D. program requires you to take either the LSAT or GRE. If you decide to take the LSAT, we consider that to be the primary admission test, regardless of whether you submit a GRE score in addition.
Please note that if you take the LSAT, your score will be part of your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) file and will be automatically reported.
Yes, GRE scores are accepted. We will consider both LSAT and GRE scores if you have taken both tests. However, if you have taken the LSAT, it will be considered the primary admission test, regardless of whether you also submit a GRE score.
First, request information and speak to an admissions counselor to learn more about the program. Then, create a Law School Admission Council (LSAC) account and register with the Credential Assembly Service. You can then apply to the University of Dayton Online Hybrid J.D. program through your LSAC account.
Yes, an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution is required, but it does not have to be in a specific subject area.
Yes, students who have successfully completed their first year of law school with an ABA-accredited institution are eligible to apply for admission to the Online Hybrid J.D. program. Typically, transfer credits are capped at thirty semester hours, or forty-five quarter hours.
Yes, please contact Assistant Dean Victoria VanZandt at vvanzandt1@udayton.edu for more information.
Yes. You will have the opportunity to write on to Law Review and enter our intramural Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions.
