Overview

The California J.D. degree programme thoroughly prepares graduates to sit for the California Bar Exam through a collaborative learning environment that emphasizes discussion and debate. Studying alongside a diverse cohort, students come away with the cultural competence that helps them confidently advocate for clients from all walks of life and strengthens the legal profession as a whole.

Students pursuing their Juris Doctor degree study under working lawyers, judges, and elected officials, many of whom live and practice in the Santa Barbara and Ventura communities. Culminating with a pro bono internship under a practicing attorney or judge, the J.D. degree programme equips students with the practical and theoretical skills that translate into a successful professional career.

Careers

Graduates of The Colleges of Law Juris Doctor degree programme can pursue becoming a lawyer by completing the necessary steps and passing their state’s Bar Exam. However, not every J.D. graduate wishes to become a lawyer; several other career paths are available to those wanting to work in a legal-related profession. For example, Juris Doctor graduates may pursue criminal justice and law enforcement jobs or as compliance managers or officers. There are opportunities to work as legislators, regulatory affairs managers, or specialists or as paralegals, legal assistants, and judicial law clerks. Each legal-related career path may require additional training or certifications and will experience various projected job growth and demand for more professionals unique to its field.

J.D. students can explore potential specializations or areas of legal practice that revolve around technology, business, employment law, or corporate law with business-to-business operations such as acquisitions and mergers. Graduates may benefit from learning the five highest-paid types of lawyers and the various types of law when deciding on a career path.

Emerging legal specializations for lawyers include subfields such as contract law, commercial litigation, employment discrimination, labor relations, corporate finance, and securities law. With a Juris Doctor degree, students have endless opportunities to discover and establish their niche in the legal profession.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Contracts

Criminal Law

Legal Analysis

Civil Procedure

Community Property

Key information

Duration

Part-time
- 42 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-25 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

Language

English

Credits

84 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Santa Barbara, United States
Ventura, United States

Disciplines

Criminal Law Civil & Private Law View 35 other PhDs in Civil & Private Law in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Other requirements

General requirements

J.D. applicants are considered for admission in one of three categories defined by the State Bar of California—regular, special, and transfer. Requirements and application materials vary slightly depending on which admissions category applies.

Regular J.D. Students:

One of the following from an accredited college or university:

Bachelor’s degree
Associate’s degree
60 semester units of academic college credits
Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
At least one letter of recommendation
A 750-1000 word typed, double-spaced personal statement detailing your motivation, skills, and suitability to pursue a J.D. degree at the Colleges of Law
Students for whom English is the second language: TOEFL scores or English composition class transcripts (if proficiency is not otherwise demonstrated)

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

23304 USD / year

≈ 23304 USD / year
Out-of-State

23304 USD / year

≈ 23304 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

23304 USD / year

≈ 23304 USD / year

Living costs

Santa Barbara

United States

1640 - 2480 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Juris Doctor.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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