International & Comparative Law Certificate

To earn the International & Comparative Law Certificate, a student must:

1. complete at least 9 units of approved course work in the subject area, including at least two of the following core courses;
2. complete a practicum requirement related to international & comparative law; and
3. complete an upper level research and writing requirement analyzing an issue related to international & comparative law.

Any remaining units (to reach the required total of 9 units) must be completed by taking additional core courses and/or courses from the list of approved International & Comparative Law elective courses.

Note: The curriculum below is subject to change and not all courses are offered every year.

Study Abroad

The University of San Francisco School of Law offers summer study abroad opportunities that meet the certificate requirements. Participation is not required, but it is strongly recommended that certificate applicants participate in at least one of these programs.

Practicum Requirement

To earn the certificate, a student must participate in an experiential learning activity that is focused on international & comparative law. Students must fulfill this practicum requirement in one of  the following ways:

1. completion of the International Human Rights clinic;
2. completion of a three unit (minimum) externship relevant to international & comparative law;
3. completion of 141 hours of paid work relevant to international comparative law; or
4. completion of a simulation designated as "ICL Prac" on the course schedule.

Writing Requirement

To earn the certificate, a student must complete a substantial research paper analyzing an issue relevant to international or comparative law. The paper must demonstrate the ability to identify, describe, and analyze the subject matter, and, if possible, should, where possible, propose a resolution. The paper must meet the standards for an upper level research and writing requirement project and may be used to satisfy that requirement and/or the requirements of a course taken for credit.

Scholastic Requirements

International & Comparative Law Certificate recipients must achieve a grade of C+ or higher in each course applied to meet the requirements for the certificate and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.700 or higher for all courses applied to the certificate.

A student achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.500 or higher for all courses applied to meet the requirements of the certificate is awarded the certificate with honors.

All course work for the certificate must be taken for a letter grade except for any approved elective course in which credit/no credit grading is mandatory. For any course in which a letter grade is not provided, a "credit" must be achieved in order for the course to be applied to meet the certificate requirements.

Transfer Units

All course work must be taken at USF with the exception of one elective course (for a maximum of three units of credit). If a student wishes to apply to a course taken at another law school to meet the requirements of the International & Comparative Law Certificate, prior approval must be obtained by the associate dean of academic affairs. The student must take the course for a letter grade and earn a grade of C+ or higher for credit to be applied to the International & Comparative Law Certificate. A course taken at another law school will be transferred as "credit" only for purposes of determining the International & Comparative Law Certificate grade point average as well as for calculating the USF semester and cumulative grade point averages.

Applying for the Certificate

To be eligible to receive an International & Comparative Law Certificate, a student must submit an International & Comparative Law Certificate application to the USF School of Law Office of the Registrar. Applications will not be accepted until the student's second-to-last semester. Applications must be submitted on or before the last day to drop classes in that semester.

Students may obtain only one certificate. No student will be awarded more than one certificate upon completion of the JD degree, even if such student completed the requirements to more than one certificate program.

It is each student's responsibility to ensure that all requirements for the International & Comparative Law Certificate are satisfied in a timely manner.