Summary: The University of Dayton announced they will be offering a mostly online law degree program in 2019.
The University of Dayton is launching a new degree program next year through the law school that will allow most of the courses to be done online for a law degree. They are partnering with 2U, Inc. to offer the “hybrid” law degree program that will be available for students starting in 2019. Law@Dayton will be the second program the university has partnered with 2U, Inc. to create, the first was MBA@Dayton, which was launched in 2017, according to WHIO.
The American Bar Association allowed the variance for UD to create the program. The courses will involve some on-campus instruction with online coursework. Students will be taught by UD law school faculty every week through an online platform. One time every semester, the students will have to visit the campus for a week of in-person classes and networking opportunities, according to the school’s announcement.
UD President Eric Spina said, “We are thrilled that the American Bar Association recognized the value of our innovative format and look forward to taking this next step in the evolution of providing legal education. We are confident that 2U – with its 20-year proven track record of placing the highest value on student outcomes – will help us deliver quality legal education.”
UD Law has been struggling in the past few years with low bar exam passage rates. In an attempt to help boost the school, administrators are hoping this hybrid program will be a start. The July 2017 exam results showed that 58 percent of UD graduates passed. This put the law school last among Ohio’s nine law schools. Ohio State University had the highest rate at 87 percent.
UD has also implemented new practices that will help them identify students that may be struggling or falling behind. This includes requiring the students to take a bar prep-class.
Do you students are able to learn enough through online courses to be able to pass the bar exam? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about hybrid-type programs at other law schools, read these articles:
- Elon Law’s Shorter Program Length Entices More Students
- “FlexTime JD Program” Offered at Touro Law
- William Mitchell College of Law Welcomes First Hybrid Online Law Class
Photo: bayerbecker.com