Degree Requirements / Honors at Graduation
Degree Requirements
The degree of Juris Doctor will be granted to all students who satisfactorily complete the upper-level requirements and:
- Graduate from an accredited college with a baccalaureate degree.
- Complete 90 hours of credit in the law school with a grade point average of at least 2.00 and a passing grade in all required courses. A minimum of 74 hours shall be taken in courses in which a letter grade is received.
- Complete the course of study for the J.D. degree no earlier than 24 months and no later than 84 months after commencing law study at Washburn or a law school from which Washburn has accepted transfer credit.
- Comply with the rules pertaining to legal education prescribed by the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools.
Honors at Graduation
The following honors are given at graduation:
- Summa Cum Laude: GPA of 3.9 or above.
- Magna Cum Laude: The top 5% of the class (with the exception that students in this category with a GPA of 3.9 or above will receive the honor of Summa Cum Laude).
- Cum Laude: The top 10% of the class, with the exception of those students who receive Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude honors.
- Dean's Honors: The top 35% of the class, with the exception of those students who receive Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude honors.
If there is a tie of GPAs at the cutoff for any category of recipients, everyone with that GPA shall be included in the category, even if the percentage of the category ends up larger than listed above.
