Pathway Programme with the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Law)
Programme Information
This programme is designed for single LLB students with a maximum annual intake of three students per year.
Nominated students will spend a summer before their final year by starting the first half of a US LLM Programme and complete the remainder of the LLM in the summer after graduation (under the “Two Summers Timeline” of the LLM executive track, details can be found at https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/llm/exec-track/).
The standard duration for each summer session is 10-13 weeks. This programme would also allow students to focus their studies on earning a Certificate of Specialization or meet the requirements to become eligible to register for the California Bar Examination.
Upon successful completion of all course requirements at HKU and Berkeley Law, students will be awarded an LLB degree from HKU and an LLM degree from UC Berkeley.
The curriculum structure is as follows:
Year |
Number of Credits |
First Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
Second Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
Third Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
First Summer Semester at Berkeley Law |
6-12 HKU credits may be transferred towards the LLB degree, subject to the final approval by the Exchange Director (Outgoing). |
Fourth Year (at HKU) |
60 Credits (normal study load) |
Second Summer Semester at Berkeley Law |
N/A |
Students can find a digital version of Berkeley Law’s LLM brochure at https://issuu.com/berkeleylaw/docs/llm_genbro_7x10_2021?fr=sMTQ4ODQ3MDA4MQ.
Eligibility
Third-year LLB students with a minimum CGPA of 3.30 at the time of application; selected nominees should also have a minimum CGPA of 3.30 at the end of the semester before their departure.
Application Process
Interested applicants should apply by submitting the following documents via email at by 5:00 PM HKT, 30th November 2022 (Wednesday):-
- A Personal Statement of no more than 750 words (the content should outlinethe features about yourself that distinguish you from other candidates and/or anything you feel is relevant to your application, including but not limited to highlights about your non-academic achievements) with your full name, university number, curriculum and year of study; and
- A copy of your academic transcript(s)
Tuition Fee
Students will pay the tuition fees to UC Berkeley, while selected students may be eligible for a waiver of application fee.
The costs of attendance for the LLM (Executive Track) are as follows:
- Summer Semester 2022 (3 Months): USD$33,265.00
- Summer Semester 2023** (3 Months): USD$34,928.50
Remark(s):
*https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/llm/tuition-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/
**The second-semester tuition fees may be higher than the first semester, with an increase of 4-5%. Projections for the next year will be available in March/April every year.
Enquiries
- For further information about your HKU LLB degree and study plan, please contact the Outgoing Exchange Team at .
- For information about the admissions process, please contact Berkeley Law’s Advanced Degree Programmes Office at .