Accelerated Degree Programs
Our 4-5-6 Commitment helps you make the most of your future.
At Lewis & Clark, you will explore the liberal arts and choose from among 29 majors and 33 minors. Your professors will prepare you to see connections others miss, creatively pursue the ideas you find most intriguing, and solve complex problems in all sorts of domains.
All programs in our College of Arts and Sciences offer the ideal preparation for careers in a wide range of professions. And if you’re ready to think longer term, we’re also home to a graduate school and a law school! Lewis & Clark offers multiple clear and direct pathways to academic and professional success. Our 4-5-6 Commitment will get you where you want to go!
Note: There’s no catch, but you do need to be organized and committed to complete these pathways, especially the six-year BA+JD. Here are the caveats and fine print.
Our Commitment to You
A Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Four Years
We are so committed to making sure you graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in eight semesters (four years) that we will pay for the ninth if you don’t. Despite national data showing that four-year graduation rates are only between 20 and 40 percent, you will have access to an on-time, four-year graduation plan that includes the best of what we offer, including our overseas study programs. Your role is to declare your major on time and successfully complete an average of 32 credits/year based on your specific academic plan worked out with your advisors.
To support you on your path to a four-year BA, we offer structured support and planning:
- College Advising Center staff who work with you from the summer prior to your first semester all the way through to graduation.
- Faculty advisors who consult with you every semester.
- A “Path to Graduation” check-in with your faculty advisor after you declare your major.
Valerie Naborska BA ’24More about ValerieI want to pursue a career in policy making and analysis. The experience of developing policy critiques with my professors through multiple stages of communication and research has informed my process of developing my own research questions.
DJ Smith BA ’23More about DJI will be able to do multiple things with my degree. Having that privilege will allow me to be a critical thinker in the industry of my choosing.
Maddie Selby BA ’25More about MaddieI believe my student-faculty research experience will be very valuable to my goals surrounding my education in the future.
Accelerated Four-Year Program
BA + Masters of Studies in Law
Lewis & Clark is nationally recognized for its environmental studies programs on both the undergraduate and the graduate/professional level. With our Accelerated BA/MSL Dual-Degree Environmental Legal Studies (3-1) Program, you can earn your bachelor of arts degree and a master of legal studies (MSL) in environmental, natural resources, and energy law degree in just four years, rather than the typical five.
Accelerated Undergraduate Degree (BA)
Students complete both general education and major requirements in three years at Lewis & Clark’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) before entering the law school for a year of work toward their MSL. Both the BA and the MSL are awarded upon successful completion of all four years of study.
Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law
The MSL is a graduate degree for those who are interested in learning about environmental law, regulations, and policies but do not wish to practice law or obtain a law degree. The degree is useful to people in a variety of careers, including teachers, journalists, elected officials, lobbyists, federal agency and nonprofit employees, and entrepreneurs.
Five-Year Master’s Program
BA + Master of Arts in Teaching
Through Lewis & Clark’s Teacher Pathways program, we provide early admission to the graduate school and a way to earn your bachelor of arts degree plus your master of arts in teaching (MAT) degree—and licensure!—in five years. You can apply to Teacher Pathways as an incoming, first-year, or second-year student.
Undergraduate Degree (BA)
While earning your BA in the Teacher Pathways program, you have access to an advisor and ability to enroll in undergraduate education courses with a social-justice focus. These courses are taught by graduate faculty—allowing you to establish relationships with the very professors who you will learn from as a graduate student—and will introduce you to educational theory and practice. The pathway also provides participants with the unique opportunity to attend events focused on education and social justice alongside current MAT students, and to experience a hands-on practicum at a local K-12 public school.
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)—and professional licensure!
Our nationally recognized teacher education graduate programs are the perfect preparation for a career in education. The programs are firmly grounded in principles of social justice and are committed to teaching for equity as a way to transform the lives of young people. A balance of coursework and practical experience in K-12 classrooms will prepare you to change schools from the inside out.
Accelerated Six-Year Program
BA + Law Degree (JD)
Lewis & Clark is home to the only law school in Portland, and one of the nation’s top-ranked Environmental Law programs. Through our accelerated 3-3 Law Program, you will earn your bachelor of arts degree along with a doctor of jurisprudence (JD) in just six years, compared to the usual seven.
Alternatively, we also offer guaranteed admission to our law school if you prefer to take the full four years to complete your BA.
Accelerated Undergraduate Degree (BA)
Our 3-3 Law program gives you the option to enter the law school after just three years of undergraduate coursework at the College of Arts and Sciences, so long as you have completed your major and general education requirements. Your first-year coursework at the law school will count towards completion of any remaining elective credit needed for your BA.
Juris Doctor (JD) Law Degree
Lewis & Clark Law School is recognized nationally and globally for rigorous academic preparation, a commitment to developing practical skills for professional success, top-ranked specialty programs, a spectacular campus, and a tight-knit community in a supportive environment. We offer small class sizes, an experienced and enthusiastic faculty, a collaborative spirit, and a curriculum that evolves to meet the needs of an ever-changing professional landscape. A Lewis & Clark law degree can lead to a wealth of career opportunities.