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McGill.CA / Student Affairs Office / BCL/JD Studies / BCL/JD Program Structure & Requirements

Non-course credits and Outside credits

On this page:

Non-Course Credits
Outside Credits

Non-Course Credits

The maximum of non-course credits that can be taken throughout the BCL/JD Program is 15.

The following courses fall within the category of non-course credits:

PRAC 510 Advanced Mooting 1 (3)
PRAC 511 Advanced Mooting 2 (3)
WRIT 440 Clerkship A (6)
WRIT 441 Clerkship B (3)
WRIT 048 Group Assistants (2)
WRIT 433 Legal Clinic 1 (6)
WRIT 434 Legal Clinic 2 (3)
WRIT 435 Legal Clinic 3 (3)
WRIT 016 Legal Methodology Teaching Group 1 (4) Effective 2020-2021, this course will be credited and graded as a law-elective course.
WRIT 017 Legal Methodology Teaching Group 2 (4)
WRIT 020 International Human Rights Internship (3)
WRIT 021 Independent Human Rights Internship (3)
WRIT 001 McGill Law Journal - Editor-in-Chief (6)
WRIT 002 McGill Law Journal - Executive Editor (5)
WRIT 003 McGill Law Journal - Managing Editor (6)
WRIT 004 McGill Law Journal - Senior Editor (3)
WRIT 005 McGill Law Journal - Senior Manager (2)
WRIT 009 McGill Law Journal - Specialized Editor (4)
WRIT 010 McGill Law Journal - Junior Manager (2)
WRIT 011 McGill Law Journal - Junior Editor (3)
WRIT 330 McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy - Editor-in-Chief (4)
WRIT 330 McGill Journal of Law and Health - Editor-in-Chief(4)
WRIT 330 McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution - Editor-in-Chief(4)
WRIT 331 McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy - Executive Editor (4)
WRIT 331 McGill Journal of Law and Health - Executive Editor (4)
WRIT 331 McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution - Executive Editor (4)
WRIT 332 McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy - Managing Editor (4)
WRIT 332 McGill Journal of Law and Health - Managing Editor (4)
WRIT 332 McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution - Managing Editor (4)
WRIT 333 McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy - Senior Editor (2)
WRIT 333 McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution - Senior Editor (2)
WRIT 334 McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy - Specialized Editor (2)
WRIT 334 McGill Journal of Law and Health - Specialized Editor (2)
WRIT 334 McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution - Specialized Editor (2)

The following courses may be taken only twice during a student's law program: Legal Clinic (3 credits) and Research Seminars.

The following courses can be taken only once: Group Assistants, Legal Methodology Teaching Groups, Clerkships, Legal Clinic (6 credits), Student-Initiated Seminars and Mooting*.

For McGill Law Journal courses, students may only receive credits from the same position once.

*Mooting: it may be possible to participate twice in Mooting, only upon approval of Associate Dean (Academic)

Outside Credits

A limited number of the elective credits required for the BCL/JD degree may be obtained as follows:

  1. Outside Law Credits: Approved courses taken at other faculties of law.
  2. Outside Non-Law Credits: Approved courses taken at other faculties at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ or other universities.

A. Outside Law Credits

Students having successfully completed two terms in the Faculty may apply to receive credit for outside law courses for a maximum of 6 credits (see below for the total number of outside credits allowed). Prior approval of the Student Affairs Officer, must be obtained. Students must ensure official transcripts are sent directly to the SAO. Transcripts sent directly to the student and opened will NOT be considered as official. Application for outside credits must be made through Minerva by using the Study Away Application.

Exchange and Study Abroad Programs

Students who participate in an approved exchange or study abroad program may obtain a maximum of 15 law credits during their exchange or study abroad term. See the Exchange and Study Away Programs pages on our website.

B. Outside Non-Law Credits

No Faculty approval is required for non-law courses taken at McGill for credit towards the BCL/JD program, except when students wish to complete an independent research project in another Faculty. Law students can register in Arts and Science courses directly via Minerva (as other undergraduate students do), provided that there are no other course restrictions set by the course offering department (such as by student program, year, or course capacity).

Students who do not meet the course offering departmental criteria to register for a specific course on Minerva must request permission from said department. If permission is granted, the department will assign a permit override allowing the student to register via Minerva. Students unsure if a course will satisfy the non-law course requirement should contact the Student Affairs Office before registration. Courses outside of Arts & Science will still require the application to undertake outside course form.

For courses taken outside McGill, prior approval to undertake credits from another institution must be obtained from the Student Affairs Officer. Application for outside credits must be made through Minerva by using the Study Away Application.

Students are reminded that non-law courses are meant to encourage genuine interest in subjects having a complementary character to, or an interdisciplinary connection with, their legal studies, in the pursuit of an intellectually rigorous liberal education. While students are free to choose their non-law courses, they are strongly encouraged to consider the following when making their selection:

  1. The nature and scope of their pre-law academic record: Non-law courses should not duplicate work already done and should be of a higher level than work already accomplished in a given discipline.
  2. Their program of studies within the Law Faculty: Non-law courses should, in their scope and character, be a complement to legal studies leading to a law degree. In particular, non-law courses should not be pursued in the Summer term merely to reduce or supplement the number of credits taken in the Fall and Winter terms.

C. Outside Courses Taken at a Quebec University

Students who apply to take outside courses (law or non-law) in a Québec university must also complete the online application to transfer credits available on the (click on Application  as of Summer 2020)

D. Total Number of Outside Credits Permitted (Law and Non-Law Credits)

Unless they are participating in an approved exchange or study abroad program, students may obtain a maximum of 12 outside credits to count towards their BCL/JD: 6 outside law credits and 6 outside non-law credits. Students who do not wish to complete non-law credits may choose to take an additional 6 outside law credits (for a total of 12 outside law credits).

Students who participate in an approved exchange or study abroad program may obtain a maximum of 21 outside credits to count towards their BCL/JD: 15 exchange/study abroad (law) credits and 6 outside credits (law and/or non-law credits).

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