6. EXCEPTIONS: MULTIPLE SECTIONS OF COURSES
In general, once you have taken a section of a course, you may not take a second section of the same course (for example, you may not take LAW503 - Employment Law twice for credit towards the J.D.). Here we explain what are the exceptions to the rule against taking multiple sections of the same course:
Students are required to take ONE section of ONE of the following courses during their JD degree:
LAW455 - Legal Seminar
LAW486 - Jurisprudence
LAW496 - Legal History
Students may not take a second section, even with a different course number, without prior approval of the Vice Dean. This approach ensures that there are sufficient offerings for all students to complete their degree requirements. This means that if you have taken one section of LAW486, you may not take a section of LAW455, a section of LAW496, or a different section of LAW486 without approval. Students enrolling in an additional section of 455, 486, 496 without approval after completing a section of 455, 486, or 496 will not receive credit toward their JD from that class.
Students may request permission from the Vice Dean (vicedeanoflaw@ualberta.ca) to take a second section, provided that the content of the additional section is sufficiently different and the first choices of all other students enrolling in LAW 455/486/496 are first accommodated. Up to three additional sections of LAW455, 486 or 496 can be authorized by the Vice Dean.
Requests for Summer 2025 will be accepted beginning Monday, March 3, 2025.
Requests for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 sections will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 27, 2025. Students who enroll in an additional section before receiving permission will be unenrolled.
Students enrolling in LAW486 - Indigenous Law: Foundations and Methods and applying this section toward their Indigenous and Aboriginal Law course requirement may take an additional, different section of LAW486 - Jurisprudence to meet their LAW 455/486/496 requirement without the approval of the Vice Dean.
If you have taken one section of LAW589 or LAW599, you may take additional sections, provided the topics are substantially different. For example, a student may not take both LAW599 Public Law Advocacy and LAW599 Public Law & Practice.
Formal permission is not required to take additional sections of LAW589 or LAW599; you may enroll yourself online via Bear Tracks . However, you should consult the Vice Dean's office (vicedeanoflaw@ualberta.ca) to determine if sections are sufficiently different.
If taking multiple pass/fail (CR/NC) sections of LAW589, please consult section G. Academic Distinctions on this page, as this may affect your eligibility for prizes and awards.
Students may enroll in LAW598 - Moot Court Competition for each term they are selected to a moot court competition team.
If you have failed a course, consult the Vice Dean's office to determine your eligibility to repeat the course (vicedeanoflaw@ualberta.ca).