Law school is difficult enough on its own, but some students at Slippery Rock University will soon undertake their first year of law school while also earning the final credits for their undergraduate degrees.

The university now has three 3+3 agreements with other universities with law schools around the state, including the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University and, most recently, Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg.

Heather Frederick, professor of political science at SRU, said the agreement allows university students to earn undergraduate degree credits at those universities at the same time as their law classes, making a law degree attainable in six years.

“They would go to law school and the credits they take in their first year then transfer back to SRU to complete the 120 credits required to get undergraduate degree,” Frederick said. “Law school is three years, so they are completing the sequence in six years rather than seven.”

The agreement was just signed between SRU and Widener, and Frederick said the agreements with Pitt and Duquesne were made during the spring semester. Already, the professor has some students interested in pursuing a six-year law degree, although she said the opportunity is not recommended to everyone.

“I am some I am advising them as if they are going to finish in three years,” Frederick said. “It's not easy; I wouldn't recommend it to every student because you are basically moving on to law school early.

“Some students, they may need that extra year of undergrad to prepare them for law school.”

Michael Hussey, Widener Law Commonwealth dean, also said the opportunity to obtain a law degree in six years is recommended only for students who excel in classes.

“The 3+3 program provides high-achieving students the opportunity of a legal career at a quality law school,” Hussey said, “while also saving them significant time and money in pursuing their education.”

Frederick said she hopes to see students pursue the 3+3 opportunity at Slippery Rock, because it is one of the few schools in the state that has these articulation agreements. She said the prelaw program at the university has had consistent enrollment in recent years.

“This could impact a lot of students,” Frederick said. “We have about 50 prelaw students at any given year.”