Graduate Students

Many courses offered by the Law School are available to graduate students and can complement studies in other disciplines. The Law School embraces interdisciplinary learning and welcomes the diverse perspective brought to our classrooms by students pursuing degrees outside the legal profession. Whether you want to incorporate a legal perspective into your current studies or are exploring the possibility of pursuing a law degree, taking a Law School course can be an enriching experience. Additionally, graduate or professional students are welcome to pursue a Law Minor.

Most Law School courses are taught at the 6000 level though some are available to graduate students at the 5000 level. More information is available on the course list. These courses generally are open on a space-available basis. Some 6000 level courses may require individual approval by the faculty member teaching the course and all require a petition form. All communication should be conducted through the Law School Registrar via the Non-Law Student Petition for Law Courses form. First-year law courses (6001-6009) and experiential learning courses (7000 level) are open only to current law students.

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+Graduate Law Minor

Graduate and professional students are welcome to obtain a Law Minor, available to both master's (M.A. and M.S.) and doctoral students. A master's minor requires 6 LAW credits; a doctoral minor requires 12 LAW credits. Students should first contact the Graduate Program Coordinator or Director of Graduate Studies in their major program to discuss adding the Graduate Law Minor to their program. Students can declare the minor by requesting to add it to their program in the Graduate Planning & Audit System (GPAS) via the Graduate Minor Request Form. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with the Law School's Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Brian Bix (bix@umn.edu), to discuss course options. See instructions here for how to enroll in Law School courses. Email lawcurr@umn.edu with questions.

+Visiting Scholars and Researchers Program

The Visiting Scholars and Researchers Program is for faculty, jurists, government officials, senior practitioners, and Ph.D. or post-doc students to conduct research within the field of law. Minnesota Law has excellent facilities for research, including one of the country's largest law libraries with more than 1 million volumes. The program is open to applicants from the U.S. and other countries. After a prospective scholar / researcher has communicated with a faculty member and received confirmation about potential supervision, they should contact the Director of International and Graduate Programs to begin the application process.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

If you are not a current student at the University of Minnesota, you must follow the Non-Law Student Enrollment Policy.

Individuals who would like to enroll in 6000-level courses must complete the Non-Law Student Petition for Law Courses form and email it to lawreg@umn.edu.