SMU-Yonsei J.D. Dual Degree Programme
In September 2013, SMU Yong Pung How School of Law and Korea’s Yonsei University Law School (YLS) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a dual degree programme leading to a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree conferred by SMU and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree conferred by YLS.
J.D. students from SMU and YLS who spend 2 academic years at each institution and complete 19 cus of core modules in SMU and 60 credits in YLS will obtain J.D. degrees from each institution.
Students will need to satisfy any additional requirements for each degree as mandated by each university. This includes internships and community service.
The total number of students admitted in any given year will be no more than two (2) from each school.
Getting Required Scores
- Complete at least 2 AYs in SMU and all SMU core modules (19 cus)
- Obtain a minimum CGPA of 2.5
- Complete YLS application
- (1) Korean LEET(Legal Education Eligibility Test) score
- (2) TOPIK Level 6
- (3) TOEFL scores 86 or above in IBT
The Korean LEET is an official test required for all Korean Professional Law Schools that is administered in Korean once a year usually in late summer. A Korean LEET score is valid only for the following year’s Professional Law School admissions. Fluency in Korean is essential. For more information on the LEET, please refer to http://www.leet.or.kr/.
Please understand that submission of proof of English proficiency is mandatory in our online application system, regardless of nationality and where a student received their university education. TOEFL scores should be taken within 2 years before the deadline of application period.
Documents Submission
The necessary supporting documents that must be submitted stipulated in the admission guide that can be downloaded at https://lawschool.yonsei.ac.kr:44931/entrance/ent01_1.php.
Interview
Qualified applicants must then complete an in-person interview at YLS on a designated date, usually in November. There is no separate written assessment.
Letter of Acceptance
YLS will make a decision regarding final acceptance after discussion with SMU. Letter of acceptance and Information for accepted students will be sent to the selected SMU student.
Requirements for Graduation from YLS J.D. program for SMU students
For SMU’s dual degree students, who have already completed 19 course units at SMU, YLS will recognize this as 30 credits from elective courses at YLS. SMU dual degree students will therefore have to complete 35 credits from mandatory courses and only 25 credits from elective courses at YLS.
Please refer to the YLS course structure as below.
1. Mandatorty Courses (35 credits)
| The Required Basic Courses (29 credits) | Required Professional Courses (6 credits) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2. Elective Courses (25 or more credits out of the following courses)
- Foundational Courses: 18 credits or more
- Advanced Courses: 12 credits or more
- Applied Practical Courses: 5 credits or more
- International and Comparative Law: 3 credits or more
- Basic Legal Studies and Interdisciplinary Fields: 3 credits or more
Students pursuing J.D. degree also have to pass Graduation Qualification Test before graduation.
The participating students will receive a J.D. degree scroll upon fulfillment of the graduation requirements.
Requirements for Eligibility to the Korean Bar
To sit for the Korean Bar examination, students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Satisfy the graduation requirements mentioned above and received a J.D. degreefrom a Korean Professional Law School
- Pass the Korean Professional Responsibility Examination that is usually held before the Graduation Qualification Test
Candidates will have to complete a 6-month training contract in Korea after passing the Korean Bar examination.
Fees
SMU students have to pay a non-refundable application fee of 250,000 KRW.
When enrolled at YLS, students must pay the full tuition fee, similar to Korean regular students. The tuition fee is presently is 13,309,000 KRW for the first semester and 10,238,000 KRW for the remaining semesters as of academic year 2013 but is subject to annual adjustments.
A recommendation from the SMU J.D. programme director and approval from YLS are required in order to be considered for this dual-degree programme.
Do note that some modules in YLS are conducted in English but most are conducted in Korean. A candidate must therefore be fluent in Korean language in order to do the dual degree programme
The application window for the SMU Juris Doctor (J.D.) programme for AY2016-17 is now open.
Application details can be found at /jd/apply
For more details, please contact jd@smu.edu.sg
Getting Required Scores
- Complete at least 2 AYs in YLS and 60 credits
- Obtain the minimum CGPA as set by YLS
- Complete SMU application
- Meet SMU’s TOEFL/IELTS English Proficiceny Test Requirement and other means of evaluation
A recommendation from the YLS J.D. programme director and approval from SMU are required in order to be considered for this dual-degree programme.
Do note that all modules in SMU are conducted in English. A candidate must be fluent in English in order to do the dual degree programme.
Documents Submission
YLS students can apply online for the SMU J.D. programme by clicking here. This link also informs interested candidates of the required supporting documents and key dates.
Interview and Admission Test
Shortlisted candidates will have to go through an interview (which can be done through Skype) and a written assessment which will be graded by the admission committee.
Letter of Acceptance
SMU will make a decision regarding final acceptance after discussion with YLS. Letter of acceptance and information for students will be sent to the selected YLS student.
Requirements for Graduation from SMU J.D. programme for YLS students
YLS dual-degree students will have to do 19cus in SMU and obtain a minimum of CGPA 2.5 in order to graduate.
| Course | Credit Unit |
| Contract Law 1 | 1 |
| Criminal Law | 1.5 |
| Legal Research Writing | 1 |
| Legal System, Legal Method & Analysis | 1 |
| Contract Law 2 | 1 |
| Law of Torts | 1.5 |
| Law of Business Organization | 1 |
| Comparative Legal Systems | 1 |
| Ethics & Social Responsibility | 1 |
| Corporate Law | 1 |
| Law of Property | 1.5 |
| Commercial Conflict of Laws | 1 |
| Constitutional & Admin Law | 1.5 |
| Law of Equity & Trusts | 1.5 |
| Law of Evidence & Civil Procedure | 1 |
| Legal Theory & Philosophy | 1 |
They will be exempted from the remaining 6 SMU elective modules based on the 60 credits that they have completed in YLS. This would mean that their SMU transcript would indicate with a grade for every module done in SMU and the 6 exemptions without any grades. Participating students will be awarded with a degree scroll from SMU and another from YLS upon graduation.
Requirements for Eligibility to the Singapore Bar
In order to be eligible to be called to the Singapore Bar to practice law in Singapore, J.D. students must graduate with a Cummulative GPA of 3 in their law modules and fulfill all graduation requirements. YLS Dual-Degree Programme students must complete the core modules of the SMU JD programme upon graduation should they wish to sit for the Singapore Bar.
Interested students will have to attend the 5-month National preparatory course for the Bar Exam (called Part B) organized by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education and do a 6-month training contract (i.e. pupilage) before they are called to the Singapore Bar.
Fees & Expenses
Do note that for YLS participating students applying for the programme would need to pay a non-refundable application fee of S$50.
Registration Fee* (non-refundable): S$5,500
*This amount is payable upon acceptance to the programme; S$5,000 will contribute to the first payment of tuition fees. The registration fee of S$$500 includes the cost of matriculation, examination fees, orientation activities, library & computer account. The remaining $5,000 will contribute to the payment of the first instalment of the tuition fee.
The current tuition fee for 19cus as at 2015 is SGD52,714 payable in 4 instalments. Please note that fees are subject to annual adjustments.
Participating students shall pay the host institution all tuition fees for all credit hours and be responsible for covering the cost of their own:
- International travel
- Travel in the host country
- Accommodation
- Books, equipment, consumables, incidental expenses
- Hospitalization and health insurance
Visa and Accommodation
SMU will assist in arranging for a student pass for successful applicants. More details on the student pass can be found here.
Participating students shall be responsible for arranging their own accommodation.
For more details on renting a room in a private or HDB(public housing) apartment, please click here. A list of private hostels can also be found here.
We would like to thank you for your interest in the programme.