Academic Policies

1a) The International Business Law program is open to law students enrolled in J.D. or LL.B. programs at accredited Canadian or American universities, and to international law students enrolled at universities with which Queen's is an exchange partner. Admission is restricted to students who will have completed at least the first year of the J.D./LL.B. program (or part thereof, if registered as a part-time student) by the commencement of the BISC program, or upper-year students. If available, transcripts of first-year grades from the fall term are to be provided. Upper-year applicants from Canadian law schools, including Queen's Law, should provide a transcript of their J.D./LL.B. coursework showing good academic performance. International law students must provide transcripts of their coursework in law showing good academic performance and an academic letter of reference. The language of instruction is English and proof of fluency may be required.

1b) The Public International Law program is open to students who satisfy the requirements in point #1a. Admission may also be possible for qualified applicants who have an academic or professional background in an area related to public international law. For example, an applicant who has worked with a NGO involved in the field of international human rights or an applicant with a degree in international studies would be considered for admission. Such applicants should support their application with a letter of reference.

2) Students may enroll in the the International Business Law program or the Public International Law program. Due to conflicts in field trip and class times, students are not permitted to take a combination of courses from different programs.

3) Courses in the International Business Law Program:
Public International Law (LAW 540) (3 credits) (taken in the first two weeks of the program with students in the Public International Law program)
International Economic Law (LAW 456) (4 credits)
International Commercial Arbitration (LAW 613) (2 credits)

Courses in the Public International Law Program:
Public International Law (LAW 540) (3 credits) (taken in the first two weeks of the program with students in the International Business Law program)
International Criminal Law (LAW 409) (3 credits)
International Human Rights Law (LAW 542) (3 credits)

4) Each program is worth a total of nine credits towards the Queen's University J.D.  Successful completion of all courses in one program will entitle the student to a Certificate of Completion and nine credits toward the Queen's University J.D. The Assistant Dean of Students of the Faculty of Law will administer the transfer of credits to the official academic record of Queen's Law students who successfully complete one of the programs. Appeals concerning the transfer or refusal to transfer credit may be made to the Academic Standing and Policies Committee of the Faculty of Law.

5) Students in Queen's Faculty of Law will not be permitted to enroll in courses for credit that overlap substantially with work that they have completed at the BISC. Furthermore, students may not take courses at the BISC that overlap substantially with coursework previously completed.

6) An upper-year law student who has successfully completed a course substantially similar in content to one of the courses in a Global Law Program will not be permitted to register in that course at the BISC for academic credit, but may register in the course as an audit student.  Upon successful completion of the program, the student will receive a Certificate of Completion (reflecting the two courses at the BISC and prior completion of the other course). Although such students will take only two courses at the BISC for credit,  the tuition for the program will not be reduced. Such students will receive the appropriate proportion of transfer credit to their official academic record at Queen's or their home institution.

7) Students at Queen's Faculty of Law may not use the course-work completed successfully at the BISC to reduce status in the Queen's Law program from full-time to part-time, but students may use the credits obtained to reduce registration to fewer than the usual four terms necessary to complete the minimum upper-year course credits in the Queen's J.D. degree program at full-time status. In other words, it is possible for students who complete three courses at the BISC to finish their Queen's J.D. in 2.5 years rather than 3 years.

8) Grading Policies

At the November 10th, 2000 meeting of Faculty Board, the following grading guidelines were approved for all Faculty courses, including those offered at the BISC:
* In lecture courses (i.e. courses other than seminars and small sections), B is the median grade, no more than 20% of students are awarded grades of A or A-, and no more than 20% of students are awarded grades of C+ or lower;
* In first year small section courses and upper year seminar courses, B or B+ is the median grade, no more than 30% of students are awarded grades of A or A-, and no more than 20% of students are awarded grades of C+ or lower.

At the October 17th, 2003 meeting of Faculty Board, these guidelines were established as a mandatory grading policy subject to the following terms:
a) The maximum percentages allowed for A/A- grades and C+ or lower are mandatory subject to a deviation of 5%;
b) The median requirements are mandatory subject to the discretion to go above or below the median, provided this affects no more than 5% of the class; and
c ) The enforcement mechanism is as follows:
i ) Where instructors do not comply with the above requirements they are required to identify the number of students involved and to rank those students;
ii) The matter will be referred to the Dean or Dean's designate, who will contact the instructor and attempt an informal resolution; and
iii) If the matter is not resolved at stage ii, the grades will be adjusted to comply with the guidelines. The adjustment will be in accordance with the instructor's ranking and will be reported by the Academic Standing and Policies Committee to the Faculty Board Marks Meeting. The instructor may appeal the adjustment to the Faculty Board Marks Meeting, which may confirm the adjusted grades or the instructor's nonconforming marks.

Grading System (All Years)

The current grading system for the Faculty of Law is as follows:

A Exceptional
A- Excellent
B+ Very Good
B Good
B- Satisfactory
C+ Fair
C Adequate
D Marginal
F Failure

Other academic entries which may be assigned are as follows:

ED Exam Deferred
IP In Progress

The Academic Standing and Policies Committee expects comments from teaching faculty when a grade of "F" or "D" is recorded for a student. The comments are to be submitted in writing at the same time as the grades are formally reported.

9) Anonymous Grading Policy:  Instructors generally grade courses by methods that must be marked on an anonymous basis, with students identified by student number only. Anonymous evaluation components include final examinations, tests, and written assignments for which the content cannot disclose the identity of a student.

10) Law students from other universities and non-law students will receive credit in accordance with the credit scheme of the degree program in which the student is registered. Students should consult with the appropriate administrative officials of their degree-granting university concerning the procedures for transfer of credit. Depending on the institution, the final grades may be registered as pass/fail on that institution's transcript. Most Canadian law schools will accept all three courses towards a law degree, but that must be confirmed with the institution in question. The terms upon which credit is granted should be set forth in the letter of permission authorizing the student to participate in the program for transfer credit to the student's degree program at the home university.

11) In consultation with the course instructor, the Director of the Global Law Programs at the International Study Centre will determine whether extensions will be accorded for coursework and the procedures that will pertain to the grant of an informal review of an examination paper that can be completed during the spring academic term. After the end of the spring term, the policies and procedures of the Faculty of Law will pertain to the grant of extensions for incomplete coursework or to the availability of informal review and formal examination reread procedures.

12) After the end of the spring term, the policies and procedures of Queen's Faculty of Law pertaining to requests for and administration of supplemental and special examinations apply to courses taken at the BISC.

13) Upon the successful completion of one of the Global Law Programs, students will receive a "Certificate of Completion" in International Business Law or Public International Law from the Faculty of Law.  The certificates of the students with the three highest averages in each of the programs will indicate that the students completed the programs "with First Class Honours".