Legal Education Accelerated Degree (LEAD)

Admission

The KU Law School will determine the minimum ACT and GPA requirements for admission to the undergraduate component of the program.

Incoming Undergraduate Students Presumptive Admission

To qualify presumptively for the WSU LEAD program as an incoming, first-year WSU undergraduate student, students must:

  1. Gain admission to the program before their first in-residence year, or during the first semester of their first in-residence year, as an undergraduate at WSU;
  2. Enroll in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seeking a BA or BS degree; and
  3. Have a minimum 26 ACT score, earn a 3.500 high school GPA and complete an essay.

Incoming Undergraduate Students Discretionary Admission

To qualify discretionarily for the WSU LEAD program as an incoming, first-year WSU undergraduate student, students must:

  1. Gain admission to the program before their first in-residence year, or during the first semester of their first in-residence year, as an undergraduate at WSU;
  2. Enroll in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seeking a BA or BS degree; and
  3. Have a 24 ACT score, a 3.350 or better high school GPA, complete an essay, and submit a statement addressing the student’s interest in the program and/or the student’s preparedness for the program.

Transfer Undergraduate Students Discretionary Admission

To qualify discretionarily for the WSU LEAD program as an undergraduate student transferring to WSU from another undergraduate institution, students must:

  1. Have an exemplary, college-level academic record;
  2. Have a minimum 26 ACT score, a 3.500 high school GPA and complete an essay;
  3. Enroll in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences seeking a BA or BS degree; and
  4. Demonstrate the ability to satisfy all relevant degree requirements through transferred credits and their prospective credits at WSU. 

Law School Admission

To gain admission to the KU Law School as part of the WSU LEAD program non-discretionarily, students must:

  1. Satisfy state bar-mandated character and fitness requirements;
  2. Take the LSAT exam and complete the KU Law application form, prior to KU Law School admission;
  3. Have spent three academic years as an undergraduate student at WSU or a combination of three academic years as an undergraduate student at WSU and a prior, post-high school, undergraduate institution, prior to KU Law School admission (For purposes of this paragraph, full-time enrollment, at least 12 credit hours, during a spring or fall semester shall constitute 0.5 academic years); and
  4. Score a 157 on the LSAT and earn a 3.500 undergraduate GPA for WSU-only credits. 

Discretionary Law School Admission

To gain admission to the KU Law School as part of the WSU LEAD program on a discretionary application-by-application basis, students must:

  1. Satisfy state bar-mandated character and fitness requirements;
  2. Take the LSAT exam and complete the KU Law application form, prior to KU Law School admission;
  3. Have spent three academic years as an undergraduate student at WSU or a combination of three academic years as an undergraduate student at WSU and a prior, post-high school, undergraduate institution, prior to KU Law School admission (For purposes of this paragraph, full-time enrollment, at least 12 credit hours, during a spring or fall semester shall constitute 0.5 academic years); and
  4. Score less than a 157 on the LSAT and/or earn less than a 3.500 undergraduate GPA for WSU-only credits.

Program Requirements

  • By the conclusion of their first semester in the LEAD program at WSU, students will declare a major in one of the following six programs offered by the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: communication - open emphasis, criminal justice, English, history, philosophy or political science.
  • During their first three years of undergraduate studies, LEAD students must satisfy the university's General Education requirements, the college requirements for the Bachelor's of Arts or Bachelor's of Science degrees, as well as the requirements for the student's chosen major. Please see the appropriate entries in the Undergraduate Catalog for further details.
  • During their sophomore year in the LEAD program, students must enroll in a special section of LASI 150J designed for the LEAD program.
  • Students must have taken the LSAT before the conclusion of their junior year in the LEAD program. 
  • At the conclusion of the junior year, the KU Law School will host a recognition ceremony for juniors who are matriculating to the KU Law School in the next academic year.
  • Upon successful completion of their first-year of studies at KU Law, 29 credit hours earned at KU Law will transfer back to WSU as general elective credits which will count towards the completion of a student's undergraduate degree. Assuming they otherwise comply with all WSU requirements (see above), students in the LEAD program will graduate from WSU with their bachelor’s degree upon completion of the first year of law school.

Applied Learning 

Students in LEAD are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by competing an applied learning or research experience in their respective majors.