College of Law > Admission & Aid > LLM Admission > International Applicants

International Applicants

DePaul College of Law offers both standard and conditional admission to applicants for whom English is a second language. Applicants must have received either a Bachelor of Laws from a foreign law school or a law degree from an accredited U.S. law school, or will have received such a degree prior to seeking admission.

DePaul College of Law has a rolling admission process and reviews applications as soon as they are completed. Early application is recommended. Applicants should submit all required materials by the deadline for the term for which they wish to apply.

  • Fall Semester (begins in August):  July 1
  • Spring Semester (begins in January):  November 1

To expedite the application and administration process, applicants are encouraged to apply online. However, a pdf version is available here: LLM Application.pdf

International applicants should submit the following materials in order to be considered for admission:

  • Completed application: An application is required for all applicants. Applications can be submitted electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) or sent directly to the Office of Law Admission. - LLM Program.
  • Application fee: A US $40 nonrefundable application processing fee is required. If submitting your application electronically, you may pay online through LSAC. If mailing in your application, you may submit a check payable to Office of Law Admission - LLM Program.
  • Personal statement: A personal statement is required and must accompany your application for admission. It should not exceed two pages, and may provide the LLM Admission Committee with information regarding such matters as intellectual interests and pursuits; personal, family or educational background; experiences and talents of special interest; reasons for applying to the LLM program as they may relate to personal goals and professional aspirations; or any other factors that will assist the committee's evaluation of your candidacy for admission.
  • Resume: A current resume is required, should not exceed two pages and must accompany the application. It should include a complete employment record and identify honors, scholarships, and commendations received; membership in any bar, scholastic, honorary, and professional associations; as well as community, volunteer and extracurricular activities.
  • Two letters of recommendation: Two letters of recommendation are required for all applicants, and additional letters are helpful. Letters may be written by employers or colleagues who are in positions to make critical and informed appraisals of qualifications. Letters from your law school professors also are particularly useful. Letters of recommendation can be submitted to LSAC or sent directly to the Office of Law Admission - LLM Program.
  • Evaluated law school transcript: Transcripts will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by LSAC CAS, WES, ECE, or from another organization approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).  A current list of NACES members can be viewed here.
  • TOEFL/IELTS/DET score: 90 on the iBT, 577 on the PBT, 6.5 on the IELTS or 115 on the DuoLingo English Test. For applicants who do not meet minimum language requirements, please see conditional admission.

DePaul College of Law considers conditional admission for students who file a complete application (see requirements above), but do not meet minimum language requirements (90 on the iBT, 115 on the DET, 577 on the PBT or 6.5 on the IELTS).

Students who otherwise have a strong overall academic record, but cannot demonstrate the necessary English proficiency, may apply for conditional admission to the College of Law. To apply for conditional admission, a student must present one of the following scores:

  • 60-89 on the iBT TOEFL test
  • 95 on the DET
  • 500-576 on the paper-based TOEFL test
  • 6.0 on the IELTS test

If granted conditional admission, an applicant may enroll in DePaul's English Language Academy (ELA). To formally begin studies in the LLM program, an applicant who has been conditionally admitted must either successfully complete ELA's University Bridge Certificate or otherwise demonstrate the necessary English language proficiency (90 on the iBT, 115 on the DET, 577 on the PBT or 6.5 on the IELTS).

Prospective students seeking conditional admission are encouraged to apply online. However, a pdf application is also available here. LLM Application.pdf

Required application materials include:

  • Completed Application: An application is required for all applicants. Applications can be submitted electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) or sent directly to the Office of Law Graduate Admission.
  • Application fee: A US $40 nonrefundable application processing fee is required. If submitting your application electronically, you may pay online through LSAC. If mailing in your application, you may submit a check payable to Office of Law Graduate Admission.
  • Personal statement: A personal statement is required and must accompany your application for admission. It should not exceed two pages, and may provide the LLM Admission Committee with information regarding such matters as intellectual interests and pursuits; personal, family or educational background; experiences and talents of special interest; reasons for applying to the LLM program as they may relate to personal goals and professional aspirations; or any other factors that will assist the committee's evaluation of your candidacy for admission.
  • Resume: A current resume is required, should not exceed two pages and must accompany the application. It should include a complete employment record and identify honors, scholarships, and commendations received; membership in any bar, scholastic, honorary, and professional associations; as well as community, volunteer and extracurricular activities.
  • Two letters of recommendation: Two letters of recommendation are required for all applicants, and additional letters are helpful. Letters may be written by employers or colleagues who are in positions to make critical and informed appraisals of qualifications. Letters from your law school professors also are particularly useful. Letters of recommendation can be submitted to LSAC or sent directly to the Office of Law Graduate Admission.
  • Evaluated law school transcript: Transcripts will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by LSAC CAS, WES, ECE, or from another organization approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). A current list of NACES members can be viewed here.

There are two ways to apply to the DePaul LLM program:

  1. Apply online through LSAC (highly recommended): Please note that LSAC charges a $75 registration fee to use their online application system. Additionally, there is an additional fee of $125 for international applicants using LSACs International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service.
  2. All application materials, including the evaluated law school transcript and TOEFL/IELTS score, can be emailed to gradlaw@depaul.edu. 

LLM program tuition is charged per credit hour. For the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition is $1,756 per credit hour. To complete the 24 credit hour program full-time in one year of study, tuition is $42,144.

Please contact the Office of Admission at the College of Law at (312) 362-8185 or Gradlaw@depaul.edu with questions about the application process.