B.S. Degree in Engineering and Engineering Technology and J.D. Law Degree

The demand for engineers with specialized expertise in patent, environmental and intellectual property law will continue to increase to keep pace with the explosive growth in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Your path into this expanding field starts with our integrated six-year Engineering Technology and Law program.

With an eye on your future success, we’ve created a program that sets you on a course to obtain your degree in one of several engineering or technology emphases while also putting you on track to obtain your law degree. By your senior year, you’ll be working with experienced professors and faculty in advanced technical engineering and technology electives in addition to learning legal fundaments in the College of Law.

Admission

The six-year integrated sequence leads to both the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Engineering and Engineering Technology and Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees and is open to all undergraduate students in engineering or engineering technology majors who have senior standing and have finished at least 100 credit hours of undergraduate coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.25. In addition to applying for the combined degree program through the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology’s Office of the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs, students must also make a separate application to the College of Law’s Office of Admissions for admission to the College of Law under the special provisions of this program. The application to the College of Law must be submitted no later than February 15 of the applicant’s junior year. As part of the application to the College of Law, applicants must take the LSAT no later than February of their junior year and must score above the 50th percentile of the previous year’s matriculating law class.

Curriculum

General education and engineering or engineering technology requirements fill the schedule during the first three years of the program. Students admitted to the program will need to take a minimum of six hours of engineering courses in the summer following their junior year and up to six additional hours of engineering courses in the summer following their senior year. Beginning with the first semester of their senior year, students will be completing their B.S. degree and begin taking classes at the College of Law. The final two years of the program will follow the standard College of Law timetable. The admitted students to the integrated Engineering, Technology and Law program will receive up to nine credit hours towards their B.S. degree technical elective requirements as a result of successful completion of their first-year law courses. In addition, up to six credit hours of 400-level engineering courses will be counted towards the Law degree.

Additional Requirements

Once students have been accepted into the integrated program and have matriculated in the College of Law at the beginning of year four, they are required to take all the law courses listed in the time table below in the semesters in which they are indicated. In addition, students must have their schedules approved by the College of Law Associate Dean for Student Services each semester until they have completed all required first-year law courses. Finally, to be eligible to continue in the program, students must receive their B.S. degree no later than December of year five (the second year of law school).

Open to all CEET majors who have 100 credit hours of undergrad work and a 3.25 GPA.

Get Started

  1. Pass your LSAT and score in top 50 percent of previous year's matriculating law class. Make sure to take by December of Junior year.
  2. Apply to College of Law by your junior year (deadline is usually February)
  3. Contact the Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate programs at 815-753-1220 with questions.

Contact Us

College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Engineering Building
590 Garden Rd, DeKalb, IL
815-753-2256
ceet@niu.edu
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