New 3+3 agreement is the 14th partnership for the law school and the first outside MA

The University of Massachusetts School of Law – Dartmouth (UMass Law) and Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Providence, RI have finalized an agreement for a joint 3+3 program that will enable JWU students to earn an undergraduate and law degree in six rather than seven years.

Undergraduate students will take classes and earn credit toward their undergraduate degree at JWU during the first three years of the accelerated program. In the fourth year, they will matriculate at UMass Law as first-year law students, where they will begin taking law courses that will fulfill their remaining undergraduate requirements while simultaneously beginning their legal education. 

The accelerated degree program allows students to apply credits earned during the first year of law school to their final year of college, thereby saving thousands of dollars in tuition and living expenses.

“Our 3+3 programs serve our core mission of expanding access to justice by significantly reducing the cost of receiving an undergraduate and legal education and increasing the pathways to the profession,” said UMass Law Dean Eric Mitnick. “We are particularly excited to partner with Johnson & Wales, our first partner outside of Massachusetts, because it is an institution that values the sort of deep engagement and experiential education that will prepare students to succeed in law school and make a difference in their communities.” 

"All of us at JWU are pleased to partner with UMass Law on this exciting new 3+3 Law program, as our institutions share a common commitment to broadening access and lowering barriers to higher education,” said JWU College of Arts & Sciences Dean Michael Fein, Ph.D. “Opening this pathway means that exceptional JWU students who see law school as part of their academic journey will have a tremendous opportunity to reduce their tuition costs while accelerating their progress, and we look forward to sending talented JWU students to UMass Law to jump start their legal careers a year ahead of schedule."

"I am especially excited about this partnership as both institutions share a strong commitment to experientially based learning,” JWU Provost Richard Wiscott, Ph.D. added. “JWU students will be ready to hit the ground running as they begin their law studies."