Fine Print

Lewis & Clark is is proud of its 4-5-6 Commitment. There’s no catch, but you do need to be organized and committed to complete these pathways, especially the six-year BA+JD.


Four-Year: Undergraduate Degree (BA)

Program Contact: Bruce Suttmeier, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

In order to take advantage of our commitment to graduating in eight semesters, you will need to do the following:

  • Complete an average of 32 credits per year, remaining continuously enrolled for 8 semesters at Lewis & Clark.
  • Consult with your advisor every semester in order to register on time for the classes you need and follow their guidance to complete your path to graduation.
  • Declare your major on time. Changes to your academic plan may require additional coursework not covered by the 4-5-6 Commitment.
  • Meet the academic and community expectations of Lewis & Clark and your major.

If you do these things and do not finish in eight continuous semesters, we will provide up to 16 credits worth of courses necessary for completion of a BA (in a single major) at Lewis & Clark, in the following semester, tuition-free. All requests for additional courses in the ninth semester will go through the office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The 4-year commitment is available to first-year students who entered the college in or after the fall of 2019.


FOUR-YEAR: BA+MSL (3+1) Program

Program Contact: Andrea Hibbard, Pre-Law Advisor and Assistant Professor of English With Term

3-1 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 towards the MSL. The CAS accepts the year of coursework from Lewis & Clark Law School as credit back towards the BA, which is then awarded along with the MSL at the end of the fourth year of the 3-1 program. Additional details about the program can be found on our pre-law website.

Considerations

  • If you wish to pursue the 3-1, you will need to plan well in advance in order to be able to complete all the requirements. You must declare your participation in the 3-1 no later than the end of your first year, but waiting even this long to make a 3-year plan may limit your choice of major.
  • 3-1 students must complete 100 credits before leaving the CAS and entering the MSL program for another 28 credits. (The BA requires 128 credits, total.) The standard course load at the CAS is 16 credits/semester or just 96 credits/3 years. 3-1 students can reach the necessary 100 by
    • applying advanced placement or dual enrollment credit earned during high school,
    • carrying a heavier load during one or more semesters,
    • earning credits during the summer, either at the CAS or at another accredited institution.
  • For some majors with heavy course loads (e.g., World Languages, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), the 3-1 is possible only if you enter with significant advanced placement credit.
  • Participating in the 3-1 will place some limitations on your experiences at Lewis & Clark. In order to complete all of your general education and major requirements in three years, you will in most cases not have time to participate in an overseas or off-campus program, change your major mid-course, explore various majors before choosing one, or take many CAS electives.

Change in Plans

  • If you choose this program and change your mind before enrolling in the law school, you are still welcome to complete your BA (128 credits) at the CAS.
  • If you enroll at the law school under the 3-1 program but do not complete the MSL, you may transfer any credits you have completed at the law school back to the CAS and return to complete any remaining credits toward the 128 required for the BA.

Five-Year: BA + Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Program Contact: Liza Finkel, Associate Professor of Education

You’ll begin your MAT coursework in the summer immediately following your four years at the College of Arts and Sciences and will finish with your MAT and professional licensure in the summer of your fifth year at Lewis & Clark. For details on the admissions process and requirements to complete this pathway, read the full story.


Six-Year: BA + Law Degree (JD)

Program Contact: Andrea Hibbard, Pre-Law Advisor and Assistant Professor of English With Term

If you pursue the 3-3 program (BA + JD), you will work to complete both general education and major requirements in three years at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) before entering the Law School to begin work toward your JD. The CAS will accept your 1L coursework as elective credit towards your BA, which will be granted at the end of your first year of law school (1L). Additional details about the program can be found on our pre-law website.

Considerations

  • If you wish to pursue the 3-3, you will need to plan well in advance in order to be able to complete all the requirements in a timely manner. You must declare your participation in the 3-3 no later than the end of your first year. Even so, waiting until this time might limit your choices in terms of what majors are possible.
  • For some majors with heavy course loads (e.g., World Languages, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), the 3-3 would be possible only if you enter with significant advanced placement credit.
  • Participating in the 3-3 would place some limitations on your experiences at Lewis & Clark: In order to complete all of your general education and major requirements in 3 years, you would in most cases not have time to go overseas, change your major mid-course, explore various majors before choosing one, or take many CAS electives.

Change in Plans

  • If you choose this program and change your mind before enrolling in the Law School, you are still welcome to complete your BA (128 credits) at the CAS.
  • If you enroll at the Law School under the 3-3 program but do not complete the first year of law school (1L), you could transfer any credits you have completed at the law school and return to the CAS to complete any remaining credits toward the 128 required for the BA.
  • If you enroll at the Law School under the 3-3 program and complete the 1L year (at least 32 credits) but not the JD, you would receive the BA but not the JD.
  • Under the 3-3 program, you have two years to complete the 1L year (32 credits) and receive the BA. If you wish to request more time, there is a petition process.