Muhlenberg College Announces New Partnership with Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

The 3+3 program, which provides qualified Muhlenberg students with direct admission to Villanova Law, is the most recent addition to the College’s dual-degree cooperative offerings.

By: Kristine Yahna Todaro  Friday, January 25, 2019 02:39 PM

Villanova Law School PartnershipMuhlenberg College offers a new 3+3 partnership with Villanova Law.

Muhlenberg’s new 3+3 partnership with the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law will provide qualified students with early access to one of the nation’s top law schools. They will spend the first three years at Muhlenberg earning a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree and then enroll at Villanova Law to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) for the final three years, saving a year’s worth of time and tuition.

“We regularly receive incredible applicants from Muhlenberg,” says Matthew Saleh, assistant dean for admissions at Villanova Law. “This speaks not only to the strength of their academic profiles but other important qualities we look for when we’re enrolling a new class. In particular, the goals and values shared by our institutions, including challenging students to develop lives of leadership and service to community, make Muhlenberg students a great fit here.”

“By actively growing our partnerships with top graduate and professional schools, we’re helping our students map routes to the life and career outcomes they desire,” says John Williams, President of Muhlenberg College. “We know the personalized, highly-integrative learning we offer prepares students to do well after graduation—and we hear time and again from alumni who say their Muhlenberg education helped them pursue their passions, enroll in top graduate schools and achieve fulfilling careers because the experience at Muhlenberg so strongly encourages integrative and evidence-based thinking. Through programs such as this exciting new partnership with Villanova Law, Muhlenberg is providing a ‘life and career GPS’ for our students.”

Muhlenberg has offered dual-degree partnerships for many years—agreements to link the college’s degree program to a second degree, usually at a larger university—but the College has recently more than doubled the number of these partnerships. With the addition of Villanova Law, the College now offers 12 such programs. Fields include medicine, dentistry, physical and occupational therapy, public health, business and engineering, and now law, among others.

Among other criteria, Muhlenberg juniors will be offered direct admission to Villanova Law if they have completed at least three years of coursework, earned a minimum G.P.A. of 3.60 and taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than January of their junior year. Muhlenberg seniors are eligible as well. The application fee will be waived for those students who satisfy all the eligibility criteria and students will be considered for traditional financial aid options and will be automatically considered for a guaranteed annual full- or half-tuition scholarship during their three years of law school.

To learn more about the Villanova Law partnership or Muhlenberg’s pre-law advising, please contact Giacomo (Jack) Gambino, professor of political science and prelaw advisor at [email protected] or the Prelaw Advising office.

About Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

Founded in 1953, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law provides broad-based legal education that is grounded in academic rigor, practical hands-on training and a foundation in business that prepares graduates for diverse and rewarding legal careers. The Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association, offers seven in-house clinics and more than 250 externship opportunities that immerse students in the real-world application of their legal skills. Villanova is home to four Centers of Excellence and one Institute—the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law; the David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance; and the John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship; the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy; the Villanova Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation—which provide students the opportunity to pursue innovative, interdisciplinary legal fields through study, practical experience and mentorship.

About Muhlenberg College

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential, liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2,200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences as well as selected pre-professional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health. A member of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg competes in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.