(from left) Nancy Rubert, assistant dean of Admissions at Rutgers Law School; Jay Austin, senior associate dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid at Rutgers Law School; Michael Agnello, faculty chair for Legal Studies at Peirce College; and Will Bassett, admissions operations specialist at Rutgers Law School.
Students Can Earn a Bachelor’s and a Law Degree in Six Years Instead of Seven
PHILADELPHIA – Peirce College and Rutgers Law School have recently created an accelerated Bachelor-to-Juris Doctor program that enables students to earn a bachelor’s from Peirce and a law degree from Rutgers in six years rather than seven.
The institutions have signed an articulation agreement that opens the new partnership in the current academic year and allows eligible Peirce students who have completed 94 credits towards their bachelor’s degree to seek admission to Rutgers Law School. Courses successfully completed at Rutgers during the first year of law school will satisfy the remaining requirements of the bachelor’s degree at Peirce.
“We are excited about this new partnership with Rutgers Law School and the opportunities it provides for Peirce students who aspire to become attorneys,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Caro, president and CEO of Peirce College. “We think it is an especially good fit for our paralegal studies students who have the goal of advancing their careers as lawyers.”
Caro added that the partnership opens the Bachelor-to-Juris Doctor program up to more underserved students, as approximately 70 percent of Peirce students are women of color.
The juris doctor will be awarded from Rutgers Law School upon a student’s successful completion of 84 credits from law school courses and all other juris doctor requirements, which are typically completed after three years as a full-time student at Rutgers Law School.
“This program is a win for Rutgers Law and Peirce as institutions, but the most important beneficiaries are the students,” commented Kimberly Mutcherson, co-dean of Rutgers Law School in Camden. “Rutgers Law has a deep commitment to providing an affordable path to the legal profession for students from a diverse collection of backgrounds and experiences. We are excited by the prospect of welcoming Peirce students into the Rutgers Law family and putting them on the path to successful careers in law.”
Visit the Bachelor-to-JD Program page.
About Rutgers Law School
Rutgers Law School, New Jersey’s only public law school, is one of the largest law schools in the United States and has the largest J.D. enrollment of any public law school in the nation. With locations in both Camden and Newark, Rutgers Law offers a world-class faculty; a curriculum of exceptional breadth and depth in theory, practice, and interdisciplinary studies; a geographic presence that spans one of the nation's 10 largest legal markets (New Jersey) while also offering immediate access to two of the five largest markets (New York City and Philadelphia); an alumni network with over 20,000 members; and a strong tradition of diversity and social impact. As the law school for a top public university, Rutgers Law School is committed to the highest standards of teaching, scholarship, and service to its host communities, the state of New Jersey, and the nation Learn more at law.rutgers.edu.
About Peirce College
Established in 1865, Peirce College is Philadelphia’s leading senior private, nonprofit college for adults and a pioneer in online education and leveraging technology in higher education. Today, Peirce continues its tradition of serving the unique needs of working adults through career-focused, online and on-campus programs that provide students with academic excellence, flexibility and personalized support. Peirce offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs taught by faculty who are leaders in their respective fields. Learn more at www.peirce.edu.
Media Contact:
Joe Guzzardo, Peirce College
215.670.9060
jguzzardo@peirce.edu
Mike Sepanic, Rutgers Law School
856.225.6026
msepanic@camden.rutgers.edu