UA Launches First Dual Degree Law Program in China

The University of Arizona has received accreditation to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Law in Qingdao, China, through a dual degree program at Ocean University of China, or OUC. The degree program is the first U.S.-China joint offering in law available fully in residence in China.

The UA-OUC program, which allows Chinese students to earn undergraduate law degrees from both universities in four years, launched in fall 2015 with an inaugural class of 77 students and is expected to grow to 400 students at full capacity.

"This dual degree partnership responds to the globalization of legal practice and takes the University of Arizona to students who would not otherwise have access to a high-quality U.S. legal education," said Brent White, associate dean for programs and global initiatives and professor of law at the UA James E. Rogers College of Law.

Students in the program will earn an LLB (the law degree commonly offered outside the United States) from OUC and a Bachelor of Arts in Law from the UA — taking the same U.S. law courses and receiving the same legal training as UA bachelor's in law students in Tucson.

In fall 2014, the UA became the first U.S. university to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Law domestically. That degree program now has 300 students, all of whom are eligible to spend up to one year studying law at OUC.

Marc Miller, dean of the James E. Rogers College of Law, said, "The creation of the B.A. in Law in partnership with the UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the UA School of Government and Public Policy opens the door to these types of global partnerships, since law is overwhelmingly studied at the undergraduate level around the world."

All required law courses will be offered at the UA's new location on OUC's campus in Qingdao, China, although students will have the option to complete a portion of their studies in residence at the UA's Tucson campus.

Students will spend the first two years completing coursework for the Chinese LLB and UA general education requirements, in addition to English language training under the supervision of the UA Center for English as a Second Language. During the third and fourth years, students will complete their bachelor's in law coursework.

"China is the second-largest economy in the world and has become the United States' largest trading partner," saidAndrew Comrie, UA provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. "Both countries benefit from a better understanding of our economy and our laws. The University of Arizona partnership with Ocean University of China serves a pressing need for bilingual lawyers competent in both legal systems."

OUC is a comprehensive research university with 17 colleges and more than 45,000 students, including those at the undergraduate, master's, doctoral and continuing education levels.