Incoming Exchange

Western Law Exchange Students

We are so excited that you are considering Western Law! The University of Western Ontario, established in 1878 is one of the oldest and most beautiful campuses in Canada. Western prides itself on having a strong sense of community and offers exceptional amenities. The Faculty of Law, established in 1959, offers a unique blend of academic study, practical experience, and extracurricular activities. As a small law school, we offer a tightknit community and a personalized experience. We look forward to welcoming you to Western Law!

Although we work in collaboration with the International and Exchange Student Centre (IESC) at Western main campus, Western Law administers its own exchange program. It is important that you refer to Law specific resources for information, especially for term dates and Orientation.

Application

Students must be nominated by their home university in order to apply to Western Law for exchange. Once nominated, students will be sent an online application to be completed by April 30th. Acceptance letters and pre-arrival information will be provided to successful students by the end of May.

The JD degree is considered a second-entry undergraduate degree. This means that, normally, Canadian students working towards their JD have already completed an undergraduate degree before beginning the additional three years of Law school. As such, interested exchange students should be in the upper years of their Law studies with a strong academic record. Students with any failing grades are ineligible to apply.

English Language Requirement

Courses are taught in English. As such, proof of English proficiency will be required for all students whose language of instruction at their home university is not English.

If required, acceptable test scores are listed below. Other recognized language proficiency test may also be considered.

  • TOEFL: 92 – 95 with no individual score below 20
  • IELTS: minimum of 6.5 with no individual score below 6.0

Sessional Dates

For current sessional dates, refer to the Sessional Dates page.

Please note that dates my change before or during your term.

Orientation

Orientation sessions specifically for Law exchange students are provided at the start of term and are typically held the day before the start of classes. If term starts on a Monday, Orientation will be held on the Friday before. Attendance at these Orientation sessions is mandatory.

Orientation sessions will include:

  • Welcome to Western Law,
  • Cultural Adjustment Support
  • Tour of the Law School and University campus,
  • Academic integrity and computer orientation,
  • Introductory lectures on Canadian Law and legal citation, and
  • Social opportunities to meet both Exchange students and Western students

Course Selection

Law exchange students will study upper-year JD courses and are required to enroll in 14 to 16 credit hours per term and 29 to 31 credit hours per year. Some partner schools require their students to enroll in a minimum of 15 credits hours per term. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are meeting the requirements of their home university.

Course selection for the entire academic year is completed during the month of July. Students will be provided with detailed instructions about the on-line course bidding process at that time. This process will be available for approximately 3 weeks in July. ALL students must participate in this process – including those arriving in January. Course bidding is NOT first-come, first-served.

When the bidding process opens, students will be able to access a list of the courses that will be offered, together with detailed course descriptions, and course and exam timetables. Western Law course offerings change annually and vary from term to term.

Students are not permitted to enroll in non-Law classes.

Health Insurance

All exchange students are required to be enrolled in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). Enrollment can only be completed upon arrival. For information about UHIP and what is included in the coverage, please visit: www.uhip.ca

The UHIP fees for the next cycle are not yet available. Once available, you will be able to find the updated rates in the Western Law Fact Sheet.

While the UHIP plan covers most doctor visits and hospital costs in Ontario, it does not include any supplemental coverage for services such as prescription medications, dental care, eyeglasses nor for most out-of-country expenses. We encourage students to review the health insurance plan details on the UHIP website and strongly recommend purchasing supplemental coverage in addition to the UHIP plan.

Student Exchange Buddy Program

The Exchange Buddy program pairs Western Law students with incoming exchange students. Exchange Buddies help to welcome incoming students, answer questions about London, courses, housing and extracurriculars, and provide a friendly face to look for when arriving on campus!

Incoming students will be connected with their Western Law Buddy during the summer before exchange.

Helpful links for Incoming Exchange students


For questions about Western Law’s Incoming Exchange Program, please contact Western Law's International Program Office at lawintl@uwo.ca or 519-661-2111, ext 83831.