Temple Law’s part-time programs are designed for students with time restrictions due to employment or other responsibilities. Most part-time students attend the Evening Division and attend classes held Monday through Thursday evenings. The Law School, which began as an evening program, is committed to making the experience for evening students comparable to that of the day students. Full-time faculty regularly teach in the evening and enjoy teaching the Law School’s exceptional Evening Division students. Admissions, the curriculum, examinations, and all other standards are the same for both divisions.
Students with evening family responsibilities or evening jobs, or students with disabilities that limit their studying, may enroll part-time in the Day Division. Students who wish to be part-time Day Division students must demonstrate that neither the full-time program nor the part-time Evening Division program is a reasonable educational alternative for them.
Part-time study, whether in the Day Division or Evening Division, requires four academic years to complete the J.D. Curriculum. Part-time students are classified as first, second, third or fourth-year part-time students.
Considering Temple’s part-time program? Here are five things you should know about being an evening student at Temple Law School.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Part-time students are billed on a flat fee basis. Part-time students who have received permission to underload and are taking less than eight credits are billed on a per-credit basis.
Part-time students are eligible to receive the same types of financial aid as full-time students, including merit and need-based scholarships and federal and private loans. Part-time students with full-time employment who do not think they will qualify for “need-based” financial aid may still borrow federal and private loan funds to help meet their cost of attendance. More information on tuition costs and the financial aid process is available on the Financial Aid page of the law school website.
Course Load
The first year of the part-time evening program consists of required courses which meet Monday through Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m. Students who attend the part-time day program enroll in classes meeting throughout the day, Monday through Friday.
Part-time students continue taking required courses, along with elective courses, during the first semester of the second year. Part-time evening students must complete the part-time sequence of the mandated First-Year Curriculum to be classified as second year part-time students. After the first year of mandatory coursework, part-time students must take eight to 11 credits per semester. All part-time students must take a minimum of 19 credit hours during the second and third academic years, including the summer session after the spring semester of each year.
The mandated First-Year Curriculum for Part-Time Day students is identical in content and similar in sequence to that of the Part-Time Evening program. Part-Time Day students must meet with the Assistant Dean for Students to establish a schedule of courses for their first and second years.
Part-time students in either the day or evening division delay taking Criminal Law and Constitutional Law until their second year. Although summer study is not required, most students who select the part-time sequence in the first year find it necessary to attend summer classes at some time in order to complete the required 88 credits by the end of the fourth year.
First-Year Courses (Evening)
| Total | 11 credits |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Contracts I | 4 credits |
| Civil Procedure | 4 credits |
| Legal Research and Writing I | 3 credits |
| Total | 11 credits |
| Course | Credit/s |
|---|---|
| Property | 4 credits |
| Torts | 4 credits |
| Intro to Transactional Skills | 1 credit |
| Legal Research and Writing II | 2 credits |
| Total | 9-11 credits |
| Course | Credit/s |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Law | 4 credits |
| Criminal Law | 3 credits |
| Electives | 2-4 credits |
Transfer Between Divisions
Students whose circumstances change or who wish to complete the program in fewer than four years may transfer between the Day and Evening Divisions and between the full-time and part-time programs. This transfer may be permitted only after completion of the first year upon petition to the Associate Dean for Students. Students should file these petitions as soon as possible before the semester in which the transfer is sought. The Associate Dean for Students will advise students of any possible adjustments to their curricular requirements and tuition or financial aid resulting from the transfer.
Services
To meet the needs of part-time evening students, many administrative offices offer evening hours by appointment. The Office of Career Services frequently offers programs for students at 5:00 p.m. to accommodate both day and evening students. The Law Library is open evenings and weekends, however, all law school buildings are closed at 11:00 p.m.
Activities
Part-time students may participate in any extracurricular activity that is offered and have access to the full range of student activities at the Law School. Evening students hold office in student government, write for the law reviews, participate on the trial team and moot court and are members of nearly every student organization.