Queen's Law students can study for a term at another university with which the Faculty has an exchange agreement and gain full academic credit towards their JD degree. Students pay tuition & student activity fees at the domestic rate to Queen's University for the term they spend abroad. Students usually apply in their second year for an exchange in the fall term of their third year.

Course Loads and Transfer Credits

Queen's students on exchange must take a full course load at the host university. Fifteen upper-year course credits are transferred to the student's JD degree upon production of an official transcript from the host university demonstrating that the courses have been completed. Regardless of the course load taken, students may not transfer more than 15 credits. 

Information Session

The Queen's Law Exchange Information Session was held on October 24, 2024. The presentation slides (PDF format) are below. 

Queen's Law 2025-26 Outgoing Exchange Information Session

Please email law.exchange@queensu.ca with any questions. 

Eligibility

Students in their second year are invited to apply for a one-semester exchange at one of the Queen’s Law partner universities. 

Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the time of application. Some universities require a higher GPA for eligibility, please consult the university Fact Sheets for university-specific eligibility requirements.

Note that there is a 2-year residency requirement at Queen's Law for students to obtain their degree. For transfer students, this may pose an issue with their ability to participate in the exchange program.

Application Procedures

The deadline for applications is January 15 for the following academic year.

Apply Now

As part of the application, students are asked to: 

  • Select three partner universities
  • Submit a Personal Statement  (maximum 2 pages) explaining:
    • the reasons for your interest in the exchange, including any contributions the exchange will make to your future academic or employment plans
    • any previous experience with international study or internships
    • the extent of your involvement in the law school and/or another community
    • your financial ability to spend a term at the host university (many institutions require evidence of financial ability)
    • any other reasons for wanting to go on exchange to the partner universities indicated, including personal and/or family reasons, language facility etc.

Selection Process

The number of exchanges at each partner university is limited. Exchanges are allocated based on factors including: 

  • Academic standing (transcript, awards)
  • Academic appropriateness of exchange in light of current and undergraduate studies, future academic and career plans, previous international study, etc. 
  • Good character and ability to represent Queen’s Law (personal statement, contributions to law school community)
  • Personal / family reasons for an exchange, language facility, etc.

Should the number of applications received for a given institution exceed available spaces, a student's 2nd and 3rd choices will be considered when determining placement to maximize mobility.

Students will be notified in February of the outcome of their application.

On the application form, students can indicate if they would like to be considered for a waitlist for the partner universities they have already selected. If a student isn't successful with their top three choices, and if space becomes available after the first round of offers, the second round of offers will be submitted shortly after the acceptance deadline. After the second round of offers, no additional changes to partner universities will be permitted. 

Financial Assistance

Recognizing the value of a study abroad experience, Queen's has established bursaries to assist students with financial needs who would like to participate in a Queen's Formal Exchange. These are administered through Queen’s Student Awards Office. Learn more about requirements and assessments on their webpage.

Bursary applications are available online or from the Queen's Admissions Office. Law students should complete the application for Exchange Study Bursary. For questions about bursaries please contact Queen's Student Awards Office at financialaid@queensu.ca. Students are encouraged to submit a bursary application when they apply for an exchange. The deadline for applications is January 15.

There are some external funding opportunities available for students. Please view External Funding on Queen's University's International Programs Office website. 

Travel Advisories

Queen’s complies with Government of Canada travel advisories. Queen’s does not permit student exchange to locations with active “avoid non-essential travel” or “avoid all travel” advisories. Please consult GAC travel advisories for your proposed exchange location. https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Environmental Health and Safety (ehssa@queensu.ca) to evaluate your plans further.

Health and Safety

Registering your travel in START is mandatory for all students participating in an exchange. 

Through START you will complete a safety planning record that will include a comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation plan. Registering your off-campus activity ensures the university can provide you with guidance/emergency support if required.

More information about START can be found here: https://www.queensu.ca/risk/safety/OCASP. We also encourage you to register with International SOS, a free service that provides out-of-country emergency assistance for all Queen’s community members travelling on university-sanctioned activities.

Identity Abroad

We encourage all students to review Identity Abroad resources as they research potential exchange destinations. Through these resources, we seek to empower students to make the best decision on mobility destinations for themselves. https://www.queensu.ca/ipo/resources/identity-abroad