Academic Programs
Degree Requirements and Course of Study
Students earn the LL.M. in Comparative Law upon successful completion of 26 semester hours of work. This includes four credits for the summer "Introduction to American Law" course, a three-week required course that introduces students to various aspects of the study of law in America, including the Socratic method of instruction, case briefing, legal research, simulation exercises, and final examinations. The purpose of the course is to prepare students to successfully engage with American students and professors in the J.D. courses in which they will be enrolled beginning in the fall semester. The course also helps students acclimate to the law school and the university community prior to the start of the regular academic year.
The 26 semester hours of work also include a research paper supervised by a faculty member, for which the student may receive up to two credit hours. During the fall and spring semesters, and with the director's approval, students choose their remaining credits from more than 100 courses and seminars offered each year in the J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation curriculums. Students also benefit from a weekly tutorial session with the director.
Students receive letter grades in accordance with University of Florida policy and must achieve a 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) to earn the LL.M. While no specific grade distribution or grading curve for LL.M. candidates is prescribed, the faculty recognizes that GPA requirements for the LL.M. differ from the requirements for a J.D. - and that foreign law graduates for whom English may be a second language may face difficulties that the typical UF law student does not.