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JD Student Advising

The Director of Student Advisement (LawAdvising@uh.edu) assists students with advising and counseling needs, which includes but is not limited to: mental health and wellness and related resources, including crises; personal and family emergencies, including temporary academic support measures; and course advising which includes schedule planning, graduation requirements, and specialty credits. She also fields general student complaints and assists in student events and accommodations.

Schedule a meeting with Dir. Dicksonhttps://calendly.com/emdickson or LawAdvising@uh.edu.

UPDATE: for Academic Success (study skills, exam preparation, grade improvement, and time management) and Bar Prep related questions or meetings, please reach out to our new Director of Academic SuccessDirCohen. Dir. Cohen is a seasoned law professor with a wealth of experience in teaching students and we are very excited for her to join our team and help bridge gaps and offer assistance to our law students.  

Schedule a meeting with Dir. Cohenhttps://calendly.com/lecohen-aii/student-success-meeting or lecohen@central.uh.edu.

FAQS: Course Advising and Graduation Requirements

How do I plan my course schedule?

There are a few different things to consider when planning your course schedule. Please watch this video for an overview of how to plan your schedule which includes: graduation requirements (hours and courses), where to find the Advising Calculator to calculate semester hours load, how to filter courses (Experiential Courses, Upper-Level Writing, and Bar designated), how to plan your schedule with the Course Advising Form, and how to request a Graduation Check.

What are my graduation requirements? Is there a way to check my credit hours and degree requirements?

  • The Graduation page recites the graduation requirements found in the Student Handbook, as well as links to the Graduation Check which will tally your hours and degree progress.
  • We recommend completing a Graduation Check before or during your second to last semester (3L fall) to ensure you are on track with your degree and graduation requirements.
    • Students may request a Graduation Check by sending the filled out top portion to the Office of Student Affairs (LawOSA@uh.edu) who will return the completed form to you (please allow for 3-5 days for processing).

What is S/U? How do I claim it? When should I use it?

  • The S/U Election system gives students the ability to elect upper-level courses to be graded as pass/fail. All policies for the S/U Election system can be found in the Student Handbook.
  • Please watch this video for an in-depth explanation of the S/U Election policies, the process of electing courses pass/fail, and considerations surrounding the election process.

What counts against my S/U available credits? How do I know how many I have left?

  • Traditionally non-graded credit hours do not count against your S/U available credits (such as journal, competition, Legal Analysis and Writing, externship, etc.). The only classes that count against S/U are letter graded courses where you elected to change the grading style from letter graded to pass/fail. In order to do this, you would have had to submit an S/U election form to change the grading style of the course. If you cannot remember if you submitted an election form, you can review your course history and identify any letter graded courses that were awarded an “S” or a “U.”
  • For an explanation of which classes qualify for an additional 3 credits hours (on top of the original 9) please review the Student Handbook and then watch the S/U Election System video.

How do I claim competition credits?

You can find information on claiming and registering for Blakely Advocacy Institute courses and competition credits on the Competition Credits Page.

How do I plan and register for journal credits? How many credits will I receive?

How many credits will I earn for being on a journal?

  • Each journal has different hours requirements for their members, please consult with the Editor in Chief of your journal for confirmation on hours to be worked and credits to be earned.

How do I register for journal credits?

  • Journal credits are considered “retroactive credits.” This means that while you earn your journal credits during your 2L year, you should register for them during your 3L year. Some students save all of their journal credits for their final semester to lighten their course load, but it is up to you when you register for them.

When should I register for these credits? How do I plan around them?

  • Because you are likely registering for journal credits your 3L year (4L year for part time), you may need to lessen your 2L course load to accommodate. For example:
    • 2L Fall: 12 hours of registered courses + 3 hours of journal being earned but not registered
      • 15 active hours and 12 registered hours
    • 2L Spring:  13 hours of registered courses + 3 hours of journal being earned but not registered
      • 16 active hours and 13 registered hours
    • 3L Fall: 14 hours of registered courses + 3 hours of registered journal credit (previously earned)
      • 14 active hours and 17 registered hours
    • 3L Spring: 14 hours of registered courses + 3 hours of registered journal credit (previously earned)
      • 14 active hours and 17 registered hours

NOTE: you cannot register for more than 18 hours in a semester, regardless of whether the credits have already been earned. This means you may have to claim retroactive hours such as journals and competitions your 3L fall instead of saving them all for your 3L spring if you took a lighter load during your 2L year to accommodate your journal or competition hours.

Can I meet with you for course advising?

  • Yes! Students may schedule a course advising appointment through Calendly or by emailing the Director of Student Advisement (LawAdvising@uh.edu).
  • Requirements:
    • 1Ls and 2Ls must email a completed Course Advising Form before the meeting time.
    • 3Ls and 4Ls must have a Graduation Check completed before their meeting time. First, students must request a Graduation Check by sending the filled out top portion to the Office of Student Affairs (LawOSA@uh.edu). Then, they must receive the completed form back before the meeting time (please plan for processing time of the form, usually 3-5 business days).

How do I get confirmation that I am okay to graduate?

  • Please have a Graduation Check completed and then email the Director of Student Advisement with any remaining questions you have after reviewing the Graduation Check.
    • Students may request a Graduation Check by sending the filled out top portion to the Office of Student Affairs (LawOSA@uh.edu) who will return the completed form to you (please allow for 3-5 days for processing).
  • NOTE: It is not necessary for law students to meet with an advisor in order to file for graduation. Law students may disregard the University’s notification stating otherwise.

Do I have a Distance Education Credit-Hour Limit?

  • Students are not permitted to take more than one half, that is, 45 credit-hours of distance education courses as defined by the ABA. An ABA distance education course means one in which students are separated from the faculty member or each other for more than one-third of the instruction and such instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction among students and between the students and the faculty member, either synchronously or asynchronously.
  • UHLC’s course listings can be found on its main webpage, along with the individual course descriptions for each course. The course description for a course will indicate whether that course is designated as an ABA distance education course.
  • NOTE: Courses that were offered as distance education due to the pandemic and prior to the Fall 2022 semester, will not count against the distance education credit-hour limit.

How do I switch my classification? When can I switch from part time to full time? Other considerations?

When can I switch my classification? When do I submit my required form(s)?

  • Full time to part time: you can switch your classification after completing your 1L coursework (after your 1L spring).
    • You should submit your required form before the semester in which you intend your classification to be changed.
  • Part time to full time: you can switch your classification after completing your 1L coursework (after your 1L summer). Meaning your 2L fall will be your first semester in which you can switch to full time. You will still be required to take Constitutional Law your 2L fall with your part time cohort.
    • Although you are not able to switch your classification until 2L fall, you should submit your required forms during your 1L spring before registration begins. This enables you to register for a full time courseload (12 to 16 hours). If you do not submit your forms in time for registration, the system will keep you from registering for more than 12 credit hours. If you wish to wait to make your classification change, keep in mind that you will have to register for any remaining credit hours over the 12, after other students have registered for classes.

What are the required forms for switching my classification?

Are there other considerations I may be missing for switching from part time to full time?

  • As evidenced by the Full Time Certification form, if you are switching to full time you will have to be in at maximum, a part time job. If you are unable to flex your job down from full time to part time, then you are ineligible to switch your classification.
  • When planning for degree progress, you will start your 2L fall with 28 completed hours. This means you will need to have a semester average of credits at 15.5 hours. If you are taking summer hours, or intersession courses, you will have more flexibility in your semester load. Please utilize the Advising Calculator to plan how many hours you will need in any given semester.
  • Keep in mind that even though you may be working fewer hours during your 2L year, you will be taking more credit hours which may require more cognitive load. It is recommended to be intentional when planning your first full time semester so that you do not overwhelm your schedule and cause your grades to suffer.