Villanova University School of Law announced it will double the number of full-tuition scholarships for incoming students, and the Pennsylvania school also announced curricular changes.
The Innovation Scholars program will fund up to 50 full scholarships for the 2014 incoming class, effectively doubling the number of students who receive such. Students will receive the scholarship for all three years of law school study.
To be eligible, students must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.6 or higher, an LSAT score of 157 or higher and must maintain good academic standing with the institution.
“These new Innovation Scholars will find in Villanova a law school that is responding to the new market realities of their degrees,” John Gotanda, Dean of the law school said. “We have listened to our students and to the law firm, corporate and government employers.”
The law school also announced it would lock in tuition for each incoming class so students will pay the same each year for educational expenses.
The law school also announced plans to implement new coursework that infuses business principles into legal studies. Two business-enriched courses will be required for the incoming class of 2014.
“Law graduates of the 21st Century must now have a more sophisticated, hands-on approach to both the legal industry and to the business practices of their future clients,” Gotanda said.
The school launched the Center for Law, Entrepreneurship and Innovation this year, which is designed to prepare them for today’s business-centric legal practice.
“The strategic changes we have implemented demonstrate our commitment to produce graduates who have the legal skills combined with the business acumen needed to serve their clients in an interconnected world,” Gotanda said.
