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 elsewhere.
Students participating in one of these “official” Georgetown programs will need to be registered at the Law Center for eligibility for financial aid and other assistance, and will also be enrolled 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 to 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, please see the CTLS link or email the Office of Transnational Programs at lawtransnational@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 year (see each program’s website for the number of seats available). See the links to the right for a full list of available programs.
The language of instruction at Tsinghua, Leiden, Amsterdam, Bucerius, NLS, Hebrew University, Hong Kong and Singapore is English. The instructional language at Torcuato is Spanish; applicants will need to have near-fluency in Spanish. Keio Law School, Yonsei University Law School, and ESADE provide courses in English as well as the national language. Students without Japanese/Korean/Spanish language ability may 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 take between 12-13 credits on average. The Georgetown transcript will show the name of the foreign institution and 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 Les Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) that allows students to participate 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. Courses may be taken in either English or French.
Our study abroad programs are designed to offer students a variety of opportunities in which they will be immersed in a foreign culture, while 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.
Watch the video of the Sciences Po info session held January, 29, 2024.