Our Semester Exchange Program welcomes law students from foreign partner institutions to come and study with us in Syracuse!
Semester Exchange & Visa Application
Upon inquiry to Syracuse University College of Law, you will receive an Exchange Student Application.
The application collects information that will allow us to build your student record in our system and plan for your arrival. The Exchange Student Application also collects information that the Center for International Student Serviceswill use to generate your I-20 student visa document.
Our School & Community
Founded in 1895, the College of Law is one of 11 schools and colleges at Syracuse University. The law school— Dineen Hall—enrolls approximately 600 J.D. and LL.M. students, while the university enrolls approximately 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Learn more about Syracuse University.
The College is located in Upstate New York, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours by plane from major cities along the East Coast such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. The “University Hill” area is located adjacent to Syracuse’s commercial downtown area, filled with restaurants, coffee shops, and commercial businesses. Learn more about the City of Syracuse.
Academics, Course Registration, & Course Options
All semester exchange students must have completed a minimum of two (2) full years of coursework in a Bachelors of Law (LL.B.) or law/legal studies program at his/her foreign home institution and must be in good academic standing. You will register for courses when you arrive in Syracuse before the start of your semester. You will be required to enroll in Legal Writing for International Students (3 credits) which is also a requirement for our international LL.M. program.
Semester exchange students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits of law coursework in order to be considered full time and in compliance with your student visa requirements. You may enroll in any courses where enrollment is open with the exception of those courses/sections identified on the course schedule as Legal Communication & Rhetoric I, II, and III; Clinics; externships; special activities, and non-Law courses.
The College of Law offers more than 100 different courses ranging from subjects in doctrinal law (Torts, Contracts, Property, etc.) to upper-level electives in Bankruptcy Law, International Business Transactions, Human Rights Law, and Intellectual Property Law. We have particularly strong concentrations in national security and counterterrorism law, technology transfer law, disability rights law, commercial and corporate law, and human rights law. View Syracuse’s course descriptions.
Students in our semester exchange program may use the credits obtained during their exchange semester toward satisfaction of the degree requirements in our Master of Laws (LL.M.) program. Essentially, you may come to Syracuse to pursue one semester of coursework as an exchange student and then return to complete only one more semester of coursework as an LL.M. student. The LL.M. degree will be conferred after all admissions and degree requirements are met.
Please know that students seeking to pursue the LL.M. degree under this pathway must complete both semesters within a five-year period. Students pursuing this pathway should confirm with the relevant bar exam authority whether this course of study will enable them to sit for a bar exam in the United States.
You will receive grades for courses taken at the College of Law as either letters grades (A, A-, B, etc.) or on a “pass/fail” basis depending upon the preference of your home institution.
Cost of Attendance
As a semester exchange student coming to Syracuse under a partnership agreement with your home institution, you will not be charged tuition during your exchange semester. However, you will be required to pay mandatory semester fees to Syracuse University and the College of Law. You will also be responsible for your own living expenses related to books, housing, personal allowance, etc. An estimated cost of attendance will be sent to you with your Exchange Student Application.
In order to obtain your I-20 student visa document and commence the student visa application process, you must first submit Proof of Financial Support documentation to the Office of International Programs (Dineen Hall, Suite 217, Syracuse, New York, 13210).
Acceptable financial proof for privately sponsored applicants is an original signed letter of support from the sponsor that includes the US dollar amount of support and certified bank statements indicating funds sufficient to cover at least the student’s semester of fees and living expenses. For government-sponsored applicants, the acceptable proof is an official or certified copy of the award letter that includes the US dollar amount of the award per semester and any special billing instructions. Copies can be sent to ashorsfa@syr.edu
All semester exchange students are required to have comprehensive health insurance coverage during their semester of study with us. Syracuse University’s health insurance website provides full details on the coverage options for non-matriculated semester exchange students.
Housing & Orientation
The College of Law will provide semester exchange students with guidance in locating off-campus housing during your semester of study with us. Syracuse University does not provide student housing to visiting, graduate, or law students. However, there are a variety of resources available to assist in one’s search for housing.
There will be a mandatory orientation for all students before the start of each semester. More details regarding your arrival and enrollment will be provided with your admission packet.
Once approved for study as an exchange student, please review the Pre-Arrival Checklist for Visiting Semester Exchange Students and follow the steps provided to ensure a smooth transition into the College of Law.