UC Irvine Humanities and Law Schools to Offer 6-Year Bachelor’s, Law Degree Program

• UC Irvine's School of Humanities and Law School have partnered to offer a six-year bachelor’s and law degree program.
• It typically takes seven years to complete both degrees.
• Participating students would also be eligible for scholarship assistance to help cover tuition.
• So-called "3+3" partnerships are an increasingly popular way to get qualified students enrolled in law school.

The University of California, Irvine, School of Humanities and the UC Irvine School of Law are teaming up to offer an accelerated bachelor’s and law degree program, along with scholarship opportunities for eligible students.

The collaboration, dubbed the 3+3 Articulated Program, will allow students to complete a bachelor’s degree in humanities at UC Irvine in three years. If accepted to UCI Law, they will also be eligible for scholarship assistance and mentorship opportunities throughout their law school career.

UCI is the first campus in the 10-school University of California system to establish a formal partnership between its humanities and law schools, according to a UCI press release.

More than 25% of graduates from UCI law hold a bachelor’s in humanities, according to the university.

“A humanities degree equips future lawyers with analytical and empathetic skills that are critical to the practice of law,” UCI Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen L. Parrish said in the release. “The partnership between UCI Law and the UCI School of Humanities underscores what we know from our successful alums: A UCI BA. and a UCI JD are a powerful combination.”

Additionally, the School of Humanities is launching a scholarship program aimed at students interested in pursuing a career in law. The program guarantees a minimum tuition scholarship of $30,000 per year for students who have graduated from the UCI School of Humanities and are accepted to the law program at the university.

The scholarship will be open to residents of California and nonresidents who meet the eligibility requirements, including reaching or exceeding Undergraduate Grade Point Average (UGPA) and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores.

“Our partnership with the School of Law signifies a transformative step toward higher education’s future,” Dean of Humanities Tyrus Miller said in the release.

“It’s about expanding horizons for humanities students and enabling them to make a difference in the world through the legal profession," Miller continued. "The Humanities-Law initiative exemplifies UCI’s dedication to equipping future leaders with critical skills and perspectives needed to address the legal and societal challenges of tomorrow.”

Across the country, so-called "3+3" partnerships are an increasingly popular way to get qualified students enrolled in law school.

Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, announced a "3+3" dual bachelor's and law degree program in October 2022. Qualifying Tuskegee students can attend the first year of law school at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law after finishing their junior year.

The Pepperdine-Tuskegee agreement was announced a month after Kent State University and the University of Akron School of Law, both in Ohio, announced their own 3+3 partnership.

Akron's School of Law already had a host of 3+3 partnerships with other schools in Northeast Ohio and Southwest Pennsylvania, including Robert Morris University, the University of Mount Union, Walsh University, and Youngstown State University.