There are many different types of law programs. To enter practice as a lawyer, you would pursue a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.), a Juris Doctor (J.D.), or a Licentiate of Law (L.L.L.). The L.L.L. designation is earned by people who study civil law, which applies in Quebec. The L.L.B. and J.D. are earned by people who study common law, which applies in all other Canadian provinces.

For people who are considering work in either Canada or the U.S., or will pursue a legal practice that requires knowledge of both legal systems, some schools offer a joint Canadian and U.S. J.D. program. If you plan to practice in only one country, often the simplest route is to complete your degree in the country where you want to practice.

If you have specialized interests or interests that span multiple disciplines, many law schools offer joint programs where you can earn your L.L.B or J.D. in combination with a Master’s degree. If you want to pursue advanced training in the law, but do not want to practice as a lawyer, a Master’s degree and/or Ph.D. in law is another potential option.

The information in this CareerHub section is directed at people who are pursing an L.L.B., a J.D., or an L.L.L. If you are interested in a Master’s or Ph.D. in law, review the information on graduate school.

A J.D., L.L.B., or L.L.L. is a three–year program. A joint Canadian and U.S. J.D. is normally a four–year program, and joint programs that combine a J.D. with another advanced degree normally range from four to six years. A Master’s degree in law is normally two years, and a Ph.D. in law is a minimum of four years.

To find a good program fit, you will need to understand your interests and motivations for further study. Ultimately, how a program connects with your specific reasons for further education will guide your decision.

Start by doing your research into possible programs to learn more. If you need support to identify your interests and motivations or to weigh program options, you can book a drop-in with a further education advisor.

One way to start off your research into law programs is to make a list of potential programs to consider. You can find a list of accredited L.L.B., J.D., and L.L.L. programs on the Law School Admission Council website.

For Master’s and Ph.D. programs in law, search sites can help you understand which programs are available. You can limit your search by a variety of factors that reflect your needs and interests. Here are some websites to get you started:

Canadian program search

American program search

U.K. program search

European program search

Your search terminology might restrict the options you find in these search sites; you can also use a web search and the graduate studies page of any universities you are particularly interested in.

An alternate way of researching graduate programs is to investigate the teaching and research interests of the program faculty. You could begin by reading widely in your target field. In this process, you will identify areas of research and specific researchers whose work interests you. You can search the researchers and areas of research to identify programs that support this area of study.

If you are applying outside of Canada you will need to meet immigration requirements in the country you will be living in. Immigration requirements vary widely; you will need to research them thoroughly as part of your planning. You may also need to show proof that you can pay tuition when you enter the country where you will study.

Depending on your immigration status in the country where you will study, you may be considered an international student. International students often pay higher tuition. Some programs in the United States give special status to Canadian applicants.

Some programs require certain prerequisites to assess whether an applicant is ready to successfully complete a program. Often prerequisite courses need to meet a GPA cutoff. Prerequisites can change, so keep up to date on each program’s requirements.

Check with the admission’s office about necessary prerequisites if the information is not clear on their website: you can send a course description (including the URL) and course syllabus for the course(s) you determine meets the prerequisite requirements. The more information provided to an admissions office, hopefully, the faster the response time. Try to obtain written confirmation from the admissions office, as a paper trail will provide proof that the courses you have completed meet the school’s requirements. There are many programs that will not evaluate prerequisites until you have completed and paid for the application. Some institutions provide a list of courses accepted from other universities.

Some programs allow you to complete prerequisites as late as the term prior to the program start date, while others do not. Always verify the latest date of graduation (or prerequisite completion) accepted.

Please note that staff in the Centre for Career Development cannot advise you about whether courses meet a program’s prerequisites.

Admission requirements usually state the minimum GPA required to be admitted to a program. If this is not clear, contact the school to find out the GPA requirement and how it is computed. Different possibilities might include: a cumulative average, your grades for the last two years, your grades in your major, the last year of study, or marks in courses related to the program, and so on. The minimum requirement varies by program and a competitive GPA is typically higher than the minimum. The minimum GPA for a Master’s program is usually 75%. If you have a lower GPA in your last or last one or two years of study, this will be a red flag for admissions officers, as it can be interpreted to indicate either that you will not be successful in a graduate program, or that you have not grasped the core concepts required for a graduate/professional program.

The required GPA for professional programs tends to be in the low 80’s. If applying while completing a 4-year degree, most programs only consider 4A term marks and earlier, or in some cases 3B marks and earlier.

Institutions use either a 10-point or a 4-point scale, so it is important to ask how your average will be converted. Visit the program website to see if GPAs are posted for previous years. If you are applying to faculties of law, medicine, or rehab sciences in Ontario, the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) has GPA conversion charts published for each type of program.

For an international or exchange term, the program may need a World Education Service (WES) conversion of your grades. Allow enough time for grade conversion through WES or to order and send transcripts by the deadline date.

When applying to any graduate or professional program, check if an admission test is required and what the deadline is for score submission. If an admission test score is required, be aware that stellar results can often balance out a mediocre GPA, and that, conversely, the opposite is also true.

Some programs accept test scores after the application deadline. In most cases, test results are available four to six weeks after the test date. If you are applying to a program with rolling admissions, a complete application package (including test scores) is required before your application can be evaluated.

Prepare thoroughly for the test you need to write; plan to write it just once. At the same time, though, it is advisable that you write an admission test early enough that you could rewrite it if necessary. Determine how recent your score must be for any given application, plus how multiple scores are handled (e.g., do they consider the highest score, or do they take an average of all scores achieved?). Do not write an admission test the first time without preparing just to “try it out,” as admission committees sometimes have access to score cancellations. Note that there is a waiting period for retaking admission tests and that they can often only be retaken a limited number of times.

Allow enough time to register for the test, order study materials, study, and, if desired, attend a preparation course. Some University of Waterloo clubs on campus hold practice tests, so check their websites for information. The Centre for Career Development has practice test books that you can borrow. A link to admission test information is available on the Centre for Career Development website. Some admission tests are written at a computer-based testing centre. On the test date, you may be required to provide a list of schools that you are applying to.

Here is a list of admission tests:

• DAT: Dental Admission Test (check if U.S. schools require the American DAT or Canadian DAT)
• GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test (some business schools now accept the GRE instead of the GMAT)
• GRE: Graduate Records Examination
  • General test
  • Subject test
    • Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computer Science
    • Literature in English
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Psychology
• LSAT: Law School Admission Test
• MCAT: Medical College Admission Test
• OAT: Optometry Admission Test
• PCAT: Pharmacy College Admission Test

The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) may be required for application to graduate schools. There is a GRE general test and a GRE subject test, but not all schools require both test results. The GRE general test is written at a computer-based testing site and has several sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Contact the programs to which you are applying to determine if they use the results from every section. Doing so may help you to decide if you need to rewrite the test if your test results were low in certain sections.

The GRE subject test is a paper-based test written at testing sites across Canada. The test can be taken as often as it is offered (i.e., April, October, and November). If your scores are good, it may be to your advantage to submit them to all schools, even to those that do not require them.

The GRE is generally not required by Canadian programs if your undergraduate education was completed in Canada or the United States, but it is almost always required for graduate programs in the United States.

Only you can decide if you want to take an admission-test preparation course. Be sure to do your research to determine the value of such preparation. It is recommended that you check whether: the course fits your learning style; the course is offered online or in-person; the course is available weekends or evenings; the instructor’s experience teaching the course materials is substantial; the course covers topic content, strategies, practice tests, or too much of any one of these; the duration of the course is manageable. A longer course is not necessarily better; some companies include the amount of time spent on practice tests in their total time calculations. It is useful to use previously administered tests as a preparation tool. These are often available through the test registration site. If possible, complete practice tests in the format in which you will have to write: paper or computer-based. Each company has different teaching strategies and it can be confusing to use multiple sources of information. Some companies provide University of Waterloo students discounts; for details, visit the list of preparation courses on the Centre for Career Development’s website.

Some programs have language proficiency requirements. If your native language is English OR you have completed the four full years of your undergraduate degree at an English speaking institution, a test is generally not required. Some programs may waive the admission test scores if you can provide proof of proficiency from other sources such as courses, but if they recommend you take it — do it!

You may need to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS); the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); Test of Written English (TWE); or Test of English as a Foreign Language, Test of Spoken English (TOEFL TSE).

Ascertain if any type of experience is necessary to a successful application (i.e., volunteer, extra-curricular, or work). If so, consider which type(s) are required and what would be the most relevant experiences within each type (e.g., work experience is mandatory when applying to most MBA programs). If you are applying to a graduate program, research experience can be a plus. If you are applying to a health-related professional program, in most cases experience from within the profession is necessary. Use experiences from work, volunteering, extra-curricular activities, memberships in clubs/teams, and shadowing to show the depth of your understanding about the profession you want to enter in your application.

Well-rounded students who show leadership qualities, relate well to others, and possess organizational skills have an edge in the application process. In fact, according to Scholarships Canada, involvement in extra-curricular activities can greatly increase your chances of receiving a scholarship. However, admission committees also recognize that over-involvement in such activities can adversely affect your GPA, so be sure to engage only in the number of activities that you can effectively manage.

Professional Associations and Clubs (Applied Health Sciences Faculty) (PDF)

Professional Associations and Clubs (Arts Faculty) (PDF)

Professional Associations and Clubs (Engineering Faculty) (PDF)

Professional Associations and Clubs (Environment Faculty) (PDF)

Professional Associations and Clubs (Math Faculty) (PDF)

Professional Associations and Clubs (Science Faculty) (PDF)

Even though many students apply to research-based Master’s programs without any research experience, having it can provide a competitive advantage. It is highly recommended that if you apply for a direct entry Ph.D program that you do get prior research experience. Start thinking about what interests you, and try to gain experience in this area. This will help you find a program and potential supervisor. The University of Waterloo library site has an extensive list of research databases to view journal articles and find what fascinates you.

To gain research experiences seek out opportunities such as the NSERC Undergraduate Research Awards (USRA) positions. Applications for an NSERC USRA are very competitive. Some departments offer University Research Assistantships that could provide research experience.

Securing an Undergraduate Research Internship (URI) would allow you to hold a research position with a professor; these opportunities are managed by Co-operative and Experiential Education and the program is open to regular and co-op students. Be proactive and approach a professor, tell them about the program, and provide the URL so they can complete the application.

Another option is to volunteer in a lab on campus where permitted. You could run experiments or even conduct basic literature reviews for professors or grad students. Approach faculty members and explain how your skills and background will be an asset to their research. Consider the faculty member’s perspective and do not focus just on what you will get out of the experience.

Often your fourth year design project or final thesis course and paper will provide research exposure. If you are in a co-op program, you can look for research-based work terms at Waterloo, other institutions, or in industry.

Seek to publish your work whenever possible. It will be especially important if applying to a Ph.D program — giving you a competitive edge. You do not have to be the first author. Take any opportunity to contribute to a study, write up a journal article, or participate in a conference presentation/abstract.

Talk to a faculty member to find out how you could turn your senior-year course project into a publication.

What is the CASPer® testing process like?

CASPer® is a computer–based online test, meaning you can take this test in any environment with a reliable internet connection and minimal distractions. The test is 90 minutes in length and is comprised of 10–12 sections. Each section will present a video or written scenario. You can only watch the video or read the written passage once per scenario. Following each scenario, applicants are required to type out an answer three questions in five minutes. Each response is graded by a different marker, so 10–12 people mark your CASPer® test.

Very few schools are explicit about the possible ways that CASPer® scores are used in their admission decisions.

How many times do I need to take the test?

You will need to take the test at least once for every year you apply, as your test scores are only valid for one year.

Generally, the content of the CASPer® test is unique to each program type and country, so you may need to take the test more than once in a cycle if you are applying to multiple program types. However, if you are applying to the professions of dentistry, medicine and optometry in Canada you will write the test once during an admissions cycle. If you are applying to both Canadian and US medical schools, you need to write the US and Canadian CASPer® test.

How can I prepare for CASPer®?

There are many different ways you could prepare yourself for the CASPer® test. There isn’t one right way to prepare for this or any other admissions test. But in general, exposing yourself to the testing format, familiarizing yourself with relevant content, and finding an approach that works for you so you can structure your thoughts and move through the content quickly are key to doing your best.

Check the Test Prep page of CASPer®’s website for their tips to prepare for your test day.

You can test out some common strategies and see which ones help you to best organize your thoughts and make sure that you’re addressing all the questions.

How should I format my responses?

There isn’t one right format for a CASPer® response, but finding a format or strategy that works well for you can help you respond effectively and avoid getting bogged down in organizational details that have little bearing on how your response is scored. Test out different options and see which works best for you and the way your brain likes to organize information. Here’s one example:

Are there test prep courses for CASPer®?

There are companies that offer CASPer® prep courses; however, UWaterloo students that provided feedback after writing CASPer® do not think they are necessary, nor do Admission Directors. At minimum, it will be helpful to understand the CASPer® format and strategies on how to write it.

Should you decide that practice and preparation are useful for you, check out the preparation program supported by CASPer® here.

What kinds of questions will they ask?

Generally, they’re asking reflective questions about your approach or action–oriented response to a specific scenario. The scenarios are ethical in nature, meaning there is no one right answer and typically multiple perspectives to be considered. The scenarios and following questions may or may not be health–related, but they certainly will relate to your ability to analyze a complex situation and communicate with others. Here are some examples to start:

Can I get access to sample questions from previous tests?

Yes, it is possible to access question banks with CASPer® scenarios and questions to aid in your preparation beyond what’s available on the CASPer® website itself. The strength of third–party resources and their proximity to actual CASPer® scenarios depends highly on the specific resource and the extent to which the banks get updated each application cycle.

Unlike the MCAT, it’s not necessary to make use of extensive question banks to be successful, and these resources can be costly. If this option doesn’t work for you, that’s okay! Think about using some of the other strategies mentioned here. If you still have questions about the best method for you, you can connect with a Further Education Advisor in a drop–in to start a conversation.