Full-Time Students
Full-time students enroll in 15 semester hours in the fall and 16 semester hours in the spring of the first year. After the first year, they must take at least 12 hours each semester. Students will not be permitted to drop below the required course load or withdraw from a course during the first year without permission from the Law Center, which will be granted only under exceptional circumstances.
The maximum course load is 16 semester hours in the fall and spring, and no more than 7 semester hours in a six-week summer session or twelve hours over the entire summer. Students must petition the Law Center to take more than the recommended number of hours, but students may not take more than 18 hours.
Part-Time Students
Students employed more than 20 hours per week are considered part-time and may not take more than 11 semester hours in the fall and spring, or more than one course in each six week summer session, and no more than 7 hours total during both six-week summer sessions. All part-time first-year students must enroll in courses as required by the degree plan; they will not be permitted to withdraw from courses during the first year without permission from the Law Center, which will be granted only under exceptional circumstances.
After the first year, part-time students may not drop below six semester hours in the fall and spring without permission from the Law Center.
Change of Classification
Students normally remain enrolled in the division in which they were initially admitted to the Law Center. Changes in classification must be requested in writing to the Law Center prior to registration for the semester in which the change is to take effect.
Minimum Load
During the first year, failure to complete the minimum number of hours during a semester will result in involuntary withdrawal from the Law Center unless permission is received from the Law Center. Students will not be permitted to enroll in additional courses, but may reapply for admission at a future date to be considered on the basis of standards in effect at that time.
A student who is withdrawn from a class by an instructor and falls below the minimum load will be withdrawn from all courses and subject to readmission as stated in the above paragraph.
Graduate Course Credit
After completing 45 semester hours of law school courses with an acceptable grade point average, a student may petition the Law Center to take graduate courses. Permission must be received prior to enrolling in graduate courses, and a grade of “C” or better is required. However, the grade will not be calculated into the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Other Law School Credit
After completing the first year, a student may request permission from the Law Center to take up to 30 semester hours of credit at another approved law school. A grade of “C” or above is required and only the hours, not the grade, will be noted on the student’s permanent record.
Dean’s List and Class Standing Information
The eligibility criteria for the University of Houston Law Center Dean’s List is outlined in the Law Center’s Student Handbook.
The Law Center does not publish class standings. Instead, a percentile ranking is provided based on entering class year so individual students may determine their general position within the group of students with whom they entered the Law Center. A final individual class rank may be obtained only after graduating.
Attendance and Absences
The Law Center has a minimum 80% attendance policy for students. Any student who attends fewer than the minimum percentage of classes may be dropped automatically from class. Faculty members are free to impose stricter attendance standards. Faculty members may consider those who come in late or leave early as absent, or in interest of avoiding distraction for others, may decline to let a late student attend that day.
Full-time students may not average more than 20 hours of work per week during the fall and spring semesters. Students who must work to finance their education should consider enrolling part-time.
Academic Honesty
Students will be governed by the Law Center’s Academic Honesty Policy Honor Code (PDF).
Academic Performance
The Law Center’s policies and standards regarding a student’s academic performance are provided in the Law Center’s Student Handbook.
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