The University of Iowa College of Law has an extraordinary law library and a distinguished law faculty.  It recognizes that it has a special duty to make this library and faculty available to serious scholars.  The College of Law therefore welcomes many foreign and domestic scholars every year to Iowa to use its facilities for the conduct of their research and interchange with our faculty.  Visiting scholars are provided with study carrels in the law library, access to the faculty and the opportunity to audit classes. For further details about the visiting scholar program, please see our Visiting Scholars Handout. 

If you are a serious scholar, please consider coming to Iowa to be part of our intellectual community.

Periods for Research Stays at Iowa

In principle, we can accommodate stays of any length, starting at any time, but most scholars come for one or two semesters or twelve months, and in order for you to have the best opportunities to audit classes informally, you should try to conform your visit to Iowa’s class schedule if possible.  Fall classes run from the third week of August through the first week of December, and spring classes run from the third week of January through the fourth week of April.  It makes especially good sense to start your two-semester or one-year visit in late August because, during the fall semester, the College of Law offers a course to orient its foreign-trained lawyers to the U.S. legal system, and foreign scholars are invited to audit the course.  In addition, rental housing in Iowa City typically follows the academic year. 

How to Apply

If you are interested in being accepted as a visiting scholar, please send the following by e-mail:

  • your curriculum vitae including a list of publications,
  • your proposed dates of stay, and
  • a brief description of your intended research project and its purpose (e.g. doctoral thesis, journal publication).
  • information about your level of English language competence, including a TOEFL or IELTS score, If you are a non-native speaker of English.  The requirement for documentation of English language competence is a U.S. government requirement which we cannot waive.  

Application Deadlines

In general we will consider applications at three points during the year, so the application deadlines are October 15, February 15, and May 1.  We hope to make decisions by the end of the respective month.   Please apply as far in advance as you can because we do fill up in many semesters.  

Fees

Visiting faculty scholars are not charged any tuition, but pay fees as follows:

  • The normal fee is $2,000 per semester.
  • The fee is reduced for students enrolled in a degree program at their home institution to $750 per semester.
  • No fee is charged for visits of less than two months or during the summer.
  • In a case of extreme hardship, waiver or reduction of this fee may be possible.
  • Every foreign visiting scholar will also pay a one-time, non-waivable fee of $100 for expenses associated with the immigration system.

For further details about these fees and the insurance requirements, please refer to our Visiting Scholars Handout.

For questions about applications, please e-mail law-visitscholar@uiowa.edu.