Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Graduate (LL.M., J.S.D., and Advanced Certificate) Applicants
Questions

1. How do I request an application?
2. May I apply for a fee waiver for the Graduate application fee?
3. What are the Graduate application deadlines?
4. Do I have to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or TWE (Test of Written English)?
5. What is the minimum TOEFL score required?
6. Will you accept any test of English language ability other than the TOEFL?
7. For how long are TOEFL scores valid?
8. How are applications evaluated? How competitive is admission to the Graduate programs? Do the admissions criteria vary from one Graduate program to another?
9. May I request an interview as part of the application process?
10. What courses does NYU School of Law offer beyond those needed to fulfill program requirements?
11. My grading system is different from that of American schools. How will the Committee know how to evaluate my grades?
12. What is the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service?
13. I am a foreign student; will I be given visa information?
14. Can I apply to more than one NYU School of Law Graduate degree program simultaneously?
15. Can I work while enrolled in a full-time Graduate program?
16. How many credits may I take as a part-time student?
17. If I enter a part-time LL.M. program may I transfer to full-time status?
18. What Graduate programs are only offered on a full-time basis?
19. How long from the time my application is complete may I expect to receive a decision by mail?
20. Is the LSAT required for admission to an LL.M. program?
21. I am currently enrolled in an LL.M. program at another law school; may I transfer credits to an NYU School of Law LL.M. program?

Answers

1. How do I request an application?
   All applicants must apply online. To receive an informational CD-Rom please either fill out our online request form, or call us at (212) 998-6060.
   
   
2. May I apply for a fee waiver for the Graduate application fee?
   There are no fee waivers for graduate law applications.
   
   
3. What are the Graduate application deadlines?
   The Graduate application deadlines are as follows:
   

   LL.M. Applicants with Foreign Education Credentials
   	Full-time programs in New York City and Singapore: December 1, 2007
   Applicants with foreign education credentials who enroll in New York City are required to begin their studies in the fall semester.
   LL.M. Applicants with Domestic Education Credentials (including Puerto Rico)
   	Full-time program in Singapore: December 1, 2007
   	Full-time programs in New York City: April 1, 2008
   	Part-time programs in New York City
   	-	Spring 2008 entry: November 1, 2007
   	-	Fall 2008 entry: July 1, 2008
   All J.S.D. Applicants
   	Full-time program in New York City: January 1, 2008

   
   
4. Do I have to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or TWE (Test of Written English)?
   Applicants whose first law degree program was not taught in English must take the TOEFL. Applicants whose law degree program was taught in English but the school is located in a country where English is not the primary language, must take the TOEFL. The TWE portion of the TOEFL is also recommended.
   
   
5. What is the minimum TOEFL score required?
   A total score of at least 600 with minimum scores of 60 in each of the three sections (listening comprehension, structure and written expression, vocabulary and reading comprehension) is required for consideration. Applicants who take the computer-based TOEFL must achieve a minimum total score of at least 250 and minimum scores of 25 on each of the subsections. Applicants taking the internet-based TOEFL (iBT) are required to achieve a minimum total score of at least 100, a minimum score of 26 on the Reading and Listening subsections, and a minimum score of 22 on the Writing subsection. Because the Speaking subsection is unique to the iBT, we do not set a minimum score for this subsection. However, the Committee on Graduate Admissions will look for scores of at least 22.
   

   	J.S.D. applicants must present TOEFL scores substantially higher than the minimum.
   	There is no conditional admission status for applicants who do not achieve the minimum standard.
   	The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is also recommended.
   	Applicants are advised to take the TOEFL as early as possible. Applicants wishing to be considered for NYU@NUS should take the TOEFL no later than mid-October, and applicants requesting to be considered exclusively for study in New York City (LL.M. and J.S.D.) should take the TOEFL no later than November.

   
   
6. Will you accept any test of English language ability other than the TOEFL?
   No.
   
   
7. For how long are TOEFL scores valid?
   The Educational Testing Service (ETS) reports scores for up to two years.
   
   
8. How are applications evaluated? How competitive is admission to the Graduate programs? Do the admissions criteria vary from one Graduate program to another?
   Admission to the Graduate Division for all LL.M. programs is highly selective and is based primarily upon prior legal studies. Standards of admission are equal across all specializations and for study in New York City and in Singapore. For the Fall 2007 semester in New York City, the Law School received more than 2,000 applications for full-time programs for a New York City class of about 425 students and a Singapore class of approximately 40 students.  Though there are no inflexible rules about class rankings or grade point averages, those admitted have excellent law school records and strong academic and/or professional recommendations. Evidence of significant professional accomplishment is also taken into consideration.
   
   The J.S.D. is NYU School of Law's most advanced law degree. Only a very small number of students who demonstrate outstanding academic promise are admitted to J.S.D. candidacy. A student is admitted to the program only if he or she meets the application requirements and shows potential for completing a dissertation of publishable quality that will make a significant scholarly contribution to the field in which it is written. Equal consideration is given to those candidates who have completed an LL.M. at NYU and those who have completed their degree at other law schools. Applicants who have completed or are enrolled in the graduate law program at NYU School of Law must have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50.
   
   
9. May I request an interview as part of the application process?
   No. The Committee on Graduate Admissions does not interview applicants. The Committee encourages all applicants to submit all relevant information in writing with the application.
   
   
10. What courses does NYU School of Law offer beyond those needed to fulfill program requirements?
    Course listings and descriptions are posted on the Office of Academic Services' Web site.
    
    
11. My grading system is different from that of American schools. How will the Committee know how to evaluate my grades?
    The Committee on Graduate Admissions is comprised of faculty and admissions officers who have extensive experience evaluating grades from foreign law schools using different grading systems.
    
    
12. What is the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service?
    Many applicants with foreign education credentials applying to U.S. law schools use the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service as it assists with the processing of applications by collecting, authenticating, and distributing credentials in an electronic report to all the schools to which an applicant applies. If you choose to use this service, your law school(s) must submit your transcripts and documentation of your class rank directly to LSAC. Because of time constraints, those applicants applying to the LL.M. program in Singapore should not use this service. Rather, we recommend that applicants to NYU@NUS send transcripts (and translations, if required) directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. The LSAC Credential Assembly Service is not available for applicants whose first degree in law is from a U.S. law school.

    The registration fee for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service is $185; this fee permits you to request that your report be sent to five schools, with the option to purchase additional reports, and your credentials will be kept on file for five years. Please note that NYU School of Law is unable to provide a reduction of this fee. For registration information, please visit www.llm.lsac.org.
    
    

13. I am a foreign student; will I be given visa information?
    Yes. If you are admitted to a Graduate program, your admission packet will include the AFCOE (a certificate of financial support) form. This form is to be returned to the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) at the University. The OISS will help you apply for your visa.
    
    
14. Can I apply to more than one NYU School of Law Graduate degree program simultaneously?
    Applicants for the LL.M. degree may apply to study in New York City, in Singapore, or in both cities. Applicants who apply to both programs must indicate their preference between the two programs. Applicants to the J.S.D. program may also request to be considered for the LL.M. program.  Please note that you can not apply to two New York City LL.M. specializations at once.
    
    
15. Can I work while enrolled in a full-time Graduate program?
    No.
    
    
16. How many credits may I take as a part-time student?
    Part-time students may register for up to six credits per semester. Students who are working full-time, however, are strongly advised to limit their course load to four or five credits per semester. Some courses for specializations offered on a part-time basis take place during the day only, and certain required courses for some programs are not offered in the evening. Please make sure to review the course listings and schedules that are posted on the Office of Academic Services Web site for further information on course availability.
    
17. If I enter a part-time LL.M. program may I transfer to full-time status?
    After enrolling and spending at least one semester in a part-time program, LL.M. students may petition the Office of Academic Services for a change of status to full-time; such requests are considered on a case by case basis.
    
    
18. What Graduate programs are only offered on a full-time basis?
    The LL.M. in Corporation Law and International Taxation offered in New York City, and the LL.M. in Law and the Global Economy offered in Singapore are only available on a full-time basis. The J.S.D. program is also offered only on a full-time basis. Some courses for specializations offered on a part-time basis take place during the day only, and certain required courses for some programs are not offered in the evening.
    
    
19. How long from the time my application is complete may I expect to receive a decision by mail?
    

    Applications are not reviewed until all required information and the application fee has been received.
    
    NYU@NUS begins in May. Therefore, decisions regarding NYU@NUS will be communicated to applicants as they are made. The Committee on Graduate Admissions will begin reviewing applications at the end of September and will send decisions on a rolling basis through January 15 to all applicants who complete their applications by the December 1 deadline.  Qualified applicants have a better chance of admission and scholarship the sooner they apply and complete their applications. Those applications to NYU@NUS not completed by the deadline may be considered following completion of their file, provided that room remains in the program.

    Decisions regarding the full-time LL.M. program in New York City will be communicated in early to mid-March to applicants with foreign education credentials who supply all materials necessary to complete their files by the December 1 deadline, without preference to date of application. Those foreign applicants who do not supply materials to complete their application by the December 1 deadline will receive decisions as they are made following completion of their file. All decisions for foreign applicants to the LL.M. program in New York City will be communicated by late June.

    Applicants with domestic education credentials who complete their application by the April 1 deadline will receive decisions regarding the full-time LL.M. program in New York City as they are made, without preference as to date of application. All domestic applicants to full-time programs will receive a decision no later than late June.

    All J.S.D. applicants who supply all materials required to complete their files by the January 1 deadline will be mailed a decision no later than late April.

    Decisions for part-time enrollment for the spring semester will be made as soon as possible following completion of an applicant's file. Decisions for part-time enrollment for the fall semester will be mailed no later than late August.
    
    

20. Is the LSAT required for admission to an LL.M. program?
    No.
    
    
21. I am currently enrolled in an LL.M. program at another law school; may I transfer credits to an NYU School of Law LL.M. program in New York City?
    Please visit the Office of Graduate Affairs Web site for an explanation of transfer credits.

    If you are interested in the NYU School of Law and NUS Dual Degree Program (NYU@NUS), additional frequently asked questions are available on our Web site.