Semester Abroad Opportunities

The Law Center offers a wide variety of opportunities for J.D. students, especially those entering their third year, to spend a semester or (with one program) a year living and studying in a foreign country. The semester abroad program allows students to study for a semester at the ground-breaking Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) in London or one of several outstanding law schools located elsewhere. 

Students participating in one of these "official" Georgetown programs will be registered at the Law Center so that they are eligible for financial aid and other assistance, but they will also enroll and attend classes at the host program in Asia, Europe, Latin America, or the Middle East.

Students may also apply, on an "ad hoc" basis, to spend a semester enrolled directly in an unrelated overseas law program.  Participants in such programs are generally not eligible for financial assistance.  Special procedures and considerations applicable to ad hoc programs can be found by following the link at the left. Students interested in studying abroad for the summer on an ad hoc basis can also find information on the requirements and approval process on the ad hoc study abroad webpage.

Center for Transnational Legal Studies

CTLS is a unique partnership, set in the heart of legal London, in which students and faculty drawn from around the world study complex transnational legal issues from different perspectives.  Georgetown Law students spend a semester with their global counterparts in courses taught by distinguished faculty from both common law and civil law traditions.  The language of instruction at CTLS is English.  For more information, including special selection criteria applicable to CTLS, please see the CTLS link at the left or email the Office of Transnational Programs at transnational@law.georgetown.edu.  

Other Semester and Year Long Programs

Georgetown Law has agreements with several world-class institutions that allow a defined number of Georgetown students to study abroad for a semester or a year (see each program's website for the number of seats available).  See the links at the left for a full list of available programs.

The language of instruction at Tsinghua, Leiden, Amsterdam, Bucerius, NLS in India, Hebrew University, Melbourne, and Singapore is English.  The instructional language at Torcuato and ESADE is Spanish; applicants for those schools will need to have near-fluency in Spanish. Keio Law School and Yonsei University Law School provide courses in English as well as the national language.  Students without Japanese or Korean language ability can participate, but with fewer courses available to them.  

The courses available vary by program, but they generally include international law, international business and trade, human rights, and (in Europe) European Union subjects.  A student can receive up to a maximum of 14 Georgetown credits for a semester's study abroad.  Course availability, credit equivalency, and course scheduling vary by program.  Experience has shown that students usually take between 12-13 credits.  The Georgetown transcript will show the name of the foreign institution and the number of credits earned, but will not indicate the grades or courses completed.

In addition to semester long programs, Georgetown Law also has an agreement with Institut d'Études Politiques (Sciences Po) that allows students to particpate in a year-long global economic law degree program. The program awards a Master's in Economic Law, Global Studies specialization.  A maximum of 28 credits earned through this program can transfer to the J.D. degree.  Some courses are in French and some in English; a high level of French language proficiency is required.

Our study abroad programs are designed to offer students a variety of opportunities in which they will be immersed in a foreign culture, studying transnational, international, and/or foreign law.  This allows students to develop international and transnational legal perspectives, and to prepare themselves for careers that will take them beyond the borders of the United States.