To qualify for the LL.M.
degree in Entertainment and Media Law, students must have earned a Juris Doctor
(J.D.) or equivalent degree and complete a minimum of 24 additional credit
hours; 18 credit hours must be in courses within the entertainment and media law
curriculum,* and 18 credit hours must be earned at
Southwestern. Graduate students are free to elect up to 6 credits from any other
courses offered by Southwestern. Students may also earn such credits by
enrolling in Southwestern's summer abroad programs in Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Guanajuato, Mexico; or Vancouver, Canada. Courses taken for credit for a J.D.
will not be counted toward the LL.M. degree.
Students may attend on either a
full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students will usually complete their
coursework in one year and part-time students will usually complete the program
in two years, but all are required to complete all coursework for the LL.M.
within four years.
Students enrolled in the LL.M. program must attain a cumulative grade point average of 2.33 to earn the LL.M. degree.** A graduate student who earns 24 credits with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or greater, but less than 2.33, will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and may be eligible to take certain state bar examinations, and, if successful, be admitted to practice.
* Copyright Law must have been completed within 3 years of entering the program or during the first semester of the program.
** An LL.M. student who has a J.D. degree from a U.S. law school and does not attain a 2.33 GPA in a semester will be placed on academic probation and will be academically disqualified after two consecutive semesters of full-time work before 2.33.
