Frequent Questions

Courses and registration

• When does registration open?

  Registration for the summer and fall terms generally opens in March. Registration generally opens for J Term and Spring terms in October. Specific dates will be posted on the Office of the Registrar website.

• How do I register?

  Click here for registration instructions.

  The school assigns first-year students to sections and students will be registered by the Office of the Registrar prior to the start of their first term.

• How do I know if a course has prerequisites?

  Course information can be found on the Course Descriptions page.

• What is the difference between a regular class and a survey class?

  Survey courses are a shorter version that focuses on topics covered on the bar exam.

• How can I see my wait list position?

  Log in to your student record and select “My Schedule.” Your wait list position is listed with your registration for the term.

• Does the section numbers of a course identify the enrollment option?

  The section number does identify the course modality. However, it is best to check the notes column for the course modality and registration restrictions.

• If I am on a wait list for a course, how will I know when a space is available?

  If you are placed on a wait list for a course, you will receive an email when a seat becomes available. To accept the seat, you will need to do the following:

  1. Drop any courses, if necessary, which create a time conflict with the course you are being offered a seat in,
  2. Ensure you will not be registered for more than the maximum credits allowed per semester (3 credits in the J-term, 10 credits in summer, and 15 credits in the fall or spring semester) by accepting the offered seat,
  3. Verify you’ve met any applicable pre-requisites,
  4. Reply to the email offer accepting the seat.

• I am not a blended student, but I want to take online courses. Can I?

  You can take online courses. If you are interested in moving to a different program, more information can be found on the blended learning website.

• What’s the difference between a HyFlex and online course? Aren’t they the same thing?

  No, they are not.

  HyFlex courses will have some mix of on-campus and remote participation with regular class meeting times.  You can choose whether to participate in these classes entirely remotely or to participate on-campus to the extent possible. There will be two cross-listed sections, fully remote and on-campus.  Register for the remote section (HR) to participate remotely, and in the in-person section (HC) to attend on-campus. Participating remotely in this option does count as distance education courses. Participating in-person in this option counts as in-person courses. Whichever section you select, you will participate in that modality for the duration of the course.

  Online courses are asynchronous, fully online courses that count as distance education courses. There are no set meeting times but there are regular assignments and optional office hours.

• I’m an on-campus student. Can I take a single blended course?

  Yes. However, it is important to note that blended courses are offered in a specific format – 1/3 online and 2/3 in person. Students come to campus once or twice a semester (depending where they are in their program), to participate in a synchronous schedule for that class. When students are not meeting synchronously for the blended course, the work is completed asynchronously, online.

• What if the blended section of a course is the only one that fits my schedule?

  Blended courses—those that meet 1/3 online and 2/3 on campus—may be taken only when the capstone week does not conflict with your other scheduled courses. Be sure to review the notes column for registration restrictions.

• I’m an on-campus student. Can I take an online elective offered through the blended program?

  Yes, you can. Online electives offered through the blended program are fully online, not HyFlex, and meant to stand alone as part of a semester schedule.  To register, click the Add or Waitlist button just as you do for other courses.

  Please note: the fully online electives offered through the blended program follow the blended academic calendar. The blended program’s online electives will follow the blended program rules and exam procedures.

  Please also note that the ABA’s rules for distance learning apply. Students must have earned 28 credits before they are eligible to take online courses. Students are limited to a total of 43 credits under the 86 credit requirement (41 credits under the 83 credit requirement) toward their J.D. degree through courses that are designated as “distance education courses.”

• Are there online courses outside of the Blended program?

  Yes, there are. J-term and summer often include online offerings. The DRI and HLI both offer online courses during spring and fall. Legal Research is a topic often taught online. Look for “online course” in the notes. If there are special registration instructions, they’ll be included in the notes as well. Students may take up to 43 credits under the 86 credit requirement (41 under the 83 credit requirement) toward their J.D. degree through courses that are designated “distance education courses.” A distance education course is one in which students are separated from all faculty members for more than one-third of the instruction and the instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and all faculty members, either synchronously or asynchronously. Source: ABA Standards Definition (7) and 306.

• Are online classes self-paced?

  No, they are not.

• What’s the difference between skills and experiential courses?

  We use “skills” is an umbrella term encompassing all courses with a skills component. “Experiential” covers the three types of courses that can count toward the ABA’s requirement that JD students earn six credit hours in experiential courses: simulations, clinics, and externships. It’s a more specific term.

  Advocacy, Negotiation, and Transactions & Settlements are all simulation courses, and count toward the ABA’s six credit requirement in experiential courses.

• When does the term start?

  Term dates can be found on the academic calendar.

• How can I find out when my class meets?

  The Course and Room Schedule page shows the day of the week a course meets. You will find the start dates for the term on the academic calendar.

• Is there a limit on the number of credits I may take each semester?

  Fall, Spring, and Summer Semesters:

  1. Maximum: 15 credits, but students who want to register for more than 8 credits in the summer term must get advance permission from the Vice Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs and in no event may a student register for more than 10 credits in the summer term.
  2. Minimum: 8 credits except in summer and in a student’s final semester. An Associate Dean may grant students a one-time exception to the 8-credit minimum for extraordinary circumstances.

  The credit limit in J-Term is 3 credits

  See  the Law School Catalog for more information.

• How many online credits may I earn?

  Students may take up to 43 credits under the 86 credit requirement (41 under the 83 credit requirement) toward their J.D. degree through courses that are designated “distance education courses.” A distance education course is one in which students are separated from all faculty members for more than one-third of the instruction and the instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and all faculty members, either synchronously or asynchronously. Source: ABA Standards Definition (7) and 306.

• How many credits do I get for my long paper?

  The long paper is not worth any credits. If you complete the long paper in a seminar course, you earn 3 credits rather than 2 credits. If you write a long paper as part of any other course, there are no additional credits associated with it. In limited circumstances, students may satisfy the ARW requirement by writing an independent long paper. Guidelines for the Advanced Research and Writing Requirement (long paper) can be found here.

Transcripts

• Do you offer electronic transcripts with electronic payment?

  Mitchell Hamline Office of the Registrar has partnered with Parchment to provide academic transcripts.

  Students will be able to order and pay for MHSL transcripts online by creating an account with Parchment. Students will finally be able to pay with a credit card and receive a secure, official PDF transcript. The new functionalities come with a cost—transcript prices will go up as follows:

  Transcript Type and Delivery Method	Fee	Shipping & Handling	Total Cost per Transcript
  eTranscript-Secure PDF Delivery	$7.50	N/A	$7.50
  Paper Transcript-Mailed (Standard USPS)	$7.50	$2.50	$10.00
  Paper Transcript-Mailed (USPS-International)	$7.50	$5.00	$12.50
  Paper Transcript-Mailed (FedEx Overnight Domestic)*	$7.50	$25.00	$32.50
  Paper Transcript-Mailed (FedEx International Priority)*	$7.50	$47.50	$55.00
  Rush Paper Transcript-Same Day Pickup	$15.00	N/A	$15.00

  *Available through online ordering only

• Why do I have to create an account with Parchment?

  We don’t have the resources for online payment or secure PDFs in house. We explored multiple vendors and selected Parchment for service, simplicity, and cost. One of the steps in setting up a Parchment account is entering a code number you will receive via email. If you do not immediately receive this email, check your spam or junk box.

• I am an alum of Hamline University School of Law. How can I order a transcript?

  Academic files and coursework for students who completed enrollment at Hamline University School of Law prior to December 2015 are recorded by Hamline University. Hamline University Registration and Records Office can be reached at 651-523-3000 or via email at registrar@hamline.edu.

Graduation, commencement, and bar information

• What’s the difference between graduation and commencement? Aren’t they the same?

  Graduation refers to the conferral of your degree. For example, the Intent to Graduate form is submitted prior to your last law school term and triggers the graduation degree audit process. Commencement refers to the ceremony only. Participation in commencement does not equate to conferral of your degree. The Office of the Registrar manages graduation. The Dean of Students Office manages commencement.

• I have questions about the commencement ceremony. Who should I contact?

  Commencement ceremony questions should be directed to the Dean of Students Office.

• How do I get a Bar certification completed?

  We have Minnesota dean certification forms in house. For all other jurisdictions, you must provide the required forms to us.

• How can I get a letter of good standing or general enrollment verification?

  Request for Letter of Good Standing and general enrollment verification forms are found on the Forms page, in the Enrollment Forms section.

• How can I request a standard degree audit?

  The Standard Degree Audit Request Form is found on the Forms page, in the Graduation Requirement Certification and Degree Audit Forms section. You can also find the Standard Degree Audit Request Form on the Academic Requirements page. Standard degree audits can be requested anytime. You will receive a Graduation Degree Audit after you submit an Intent to Graduate form.

• What degree conferral date will appear on my diploma?

  If you complete your degree requirements in Fall or Spring semester, the degree conferral date on your diploma will be the date in which grades are due to the Office of the Registrar from the faculty. If you complete your degree requirements in J-term or summer, the degree conferral date on your diploma will be the last day of the term.

Exams, grades, and misc.

• Where can I find information about exams?

  The Exams page contains policies, exam schedule, information and forms. Courses with scheduled exams can be found at the bottom of the Final Exam Schedule page.

• When are grades posted?

  Grades are posted when they are received by the Office of the Registrar. Click here for more information about grades.

• What’s the pass option?

  The basics:

  • It can be used once in your JD career, and once used, you cannot change your mind to use it on a different course or in a different term.
  • It can’t be used on clinics or required courses.
  • The deadline is five calendar days from the date of your last grade posting for the term. As a practical matter, the earliest possible deadline is five days after the last on-time grade is posted because we don’t expect students to constantly check their records to ascertain when their last grades for the term were posted. For instance, if grades are due June 8, we would expect all on-time grades to be posted June 9. In this case, the pass option deadline for most students will be June 14. Students with a late grade will get a later deadline, but students with all early grades won’t have an earlier deadline.
  • We start processing them on the due date, not earlier.
  • To exercise your pass option, use the form on the Forms webpage.

  You can learn more about the deadline and rules for the pass option in the handbook.

• Is there a limit on the number of Pass credits I can earn?

  No, there is no limit.

• When are class ranks posted?

  Class ranks are computed at the end of a student’s first two semesters and every fall and spring semester thereafter and appear on the transcript. Only those students who received all of their semester grades receive a class rank. Our goal is that non-senior ranks are calculated one week after the last non-senior grades are processed. Senior ranks are calculated when all senior grades are processed. Students are ranked with other students who are proceeding through law school at approximately the same pace, except for the final ranking, in which students are ranked with their graduating class. Students who graduate in August are ranked with the subsequent January graduation class. A student’s class rank is not changed once ranks are computed. For grade security, students are not given their class ranks over the telephone. Students may request an official transcript without the rank listed by contacting the Registrar.

• Help! I can’t remember my password!

  Helpful information to reset your password can be found on the Technology Services webpage.

• Where can I find financial aid and tuition information?

  Information can be found on the Financial Aid Office website.