Prospective Students

LL.M. Admissions

Two ways to Apply

To expedite the application and administration process, we encourage applicants to submit an online application. Prospective applicants who are unable to apply online or print an application should contact the Office of Law Graduate Admission at (312) 362-8185 or lawllm@depaul.edu to request a copy of the application.

LL.M. Admission Policy

DePaul offers Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs in Health Law, International Law, Intellectual Property Law and Taxation. Prospective applicants who received their law degree from an ABA-accredited institution, their bachelor of law degree from a foreign institution, or who will have received such degree prior to when admission is sought are eligible to apply. DePaul University has a nondiscriminatory admission policy; it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability.

Admission Criteria

Applicants should submit the LL.M. application by the deadline for the term for which they wish to apply:

Fall Semester – July 1
Spring Semester – November 1
Summer Session – April 1

The LL.M. Admission Committee considers the applicant’s law school record and professional background in determining admission.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required for all applicants, and additional letters are helpful. Letters may be written by employers or colleagues who are in positions to make critical and informed appraisals of your qualifications. Letters from your law school professors also are particularly useful. Letters of recommendation can be submitted to LSAC or sent directly to the Office of Law Graduate Admission.

Personal Statement

A personal statement is required and must be electronically attached to your application for admission. It should not exceed two pages, and may provide the LL.M. Admission Committee with information regarding such matters as intellectual interests and pursuits; personal, family or educational background; experiences and talents of special interest; reasons for applying to the LL.M. program as they may relate to personal goals and professional aspirations; or any other factors that will assist the committee's evaluation of your candidacy for admission.

Résumé

A current résumé is required, should not exceed two pages and should be electronically attached to your application. It should include a complete employment record and identify honors, scholarships, and commendations received; membership in any bar, scholastic, honorary, and professional associations; as well as community, volunteer, and extracurricular activities.

Application Fee

A $40 nonrefundable application processing fee is required and must be submitted electronically with the application for admission.

Special Information for Graduates of Foreign Institutions

In addition to submitting their application form, application fee, personal statement, résumé and two letters of recommendation, applicants who have earned a primary law degree from international institutions may submit their international transcripts through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) LLM Credential Assembly Service at LSAC.org/LLM. Foreign transcripts received through the LLM Credential Assembly Service will be sent to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) where the transcript will be authenticated and analyzed. The data will be assembled into an international credential evaluation document that contains AACRAO's summary, copies of the transcripts (and translations as necessary), and a TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable. LL.M. applicants educated in international countries at institutions where English is not the primary language also must register for the TOEFL or IELTS. You must advise the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send your TOEFL score to LSAC (institution code number 00580). LSAC will incorporate your international credential evaluation, TOEFL or IELTS score, and associated documents into the credential packet.

While the College of Law strongly encourages international applicants to submit their foreign transcripts to the LSAC LLM Credential Assembly Service, we also will accept detailed evaluation reports from Educational Credential Evaluators (ece.org), World Educational Services (wes.org) oor from any other member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

A JD from an ABA-accredited law school is required to take the Illinois bar exam. An LL.M. degree does not make someone eligible to take the Illinois bar exam or enter the Illinois bar. Requirements for bar admission and examination vary by state. A comprehensive guide to bar admission requirements in other jurisdictions is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners (ncbex.org). For additional information for international students, including a copy of the Financial Affidavit of Support Form for International Students, please visit depaul.edu/international.

Conditional Admission & English Language Proficiency

LL.M. applicants for whom English is a second language are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. We do not require any specific score for admission to the LL.M. program. However, most students who successfully complete the LL.M. program have demonstrated English language proficiency of at least 90 on the iBT, 577 on the PBT or 6.5 on the IELTS.

Students who otherwise have a strong overall academic record, but cannot demonstrate the necessary English proficiency, may apply for conditional admission. If granted a conditional admission, an applicant may enroll in DePaul’s English Language Academy (ELA). To formally begin studies in the LL.M. program, an applicant that has been conditionally admitted must either successfully complete ELA’s University Bridge Certificate or otherwise demonstrate the necessary English language proficiency (90 on the iBT, 577 on the PBT or 6.5 on the IELTS). For more information on how to apply for conditional admission, please contact the LL.M. admission coordinator at LawLLM@depaul.edu.

Special Information for Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants may apply for admission for the fall and spring semesters, as well as the summer session. Transfer LL.M. applicants admitted to the College of Law may receive up to six (6) credit hours toward the LL.M. degree. The determination of applicable credit is made upon admission. Transfer LL.M. applicants are required to submit all materials required of all first-time LL.M. applicants: application, application fee, letters of recommendation (at least one from an LL.M. program faculty member), official law school transcript, résumé, personal statement and TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable. In addition, transfer applicants must submit directly to the Office of Law Admission, official transcripts from all previously attended LL.M. programs. LL.M. program transcripts must provide grades for all courses attempted. DePaul University does not have an articulation agreement with any university or law school program regarding transfer admission.

Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid

LL.M. students pay tuition by credit hour. Current tuition and fee information can be found at law.depaul.edu/tuition. All policies are under continual review, and the Board of Trustees reserves the right to change tuition and fees as conditions require. DePaul University and the College of Law provide a range of financial assistance in the form of loans and scholarships. Should you wish to apply for financial assistance, indicate your intent in the application for admission.

Financial aid applications are available annually after January 1.

To apply for loans and other need-based assistance, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required and can be obtained after January 1 at colleges and universities or at the FAFSA Web site (fafsa.ed.gov). The FAFSA code for DePaul University College of Law is 001671. The FAFSA must be complete and on file in the Office of Financial Aid on or before March 1 in order to receive full consideration for DePaul administered financial aid.

The University and the College of Law provide merit-based scholarships to especially promising International LL.M. program applicants. No separate application is required to be considered for merit-based assistance.