Return to: School of Law: Programs/Courses
The School of Law offers programs in conjunction with the University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences that lead to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees. Students may apply for admission to receive the M.A. in English, foreign affairs, government, history or philosophy. Students must be admitted separately to both the School of Law and the program of choice in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Credits may be double-counted toward the degrees, depending on the program.
ENGLISH:
The Program is designed to accommodate the interests of students who desire to complement their training in law with theoretical and historical interpretive methods derived from the study of literature.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM: The Program will be administered by a program committee (“Program Committee”) composed of faculty from the School of Law and faculty from the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, as designated by the respective deans.
ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM: The student is obligated to secure separate admission to both the School of Law and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Application to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences may be made prior to entrance or while the applicant is a first-year student at the School of Law. In either case, applicants to the Program will be held to the same standards as other applicants to each school. An applicant’s status as a candidate for the Program will not be considered in the admission process. Once admitted independently to each school, the student may make application to the Program Committee for admission to the Program. Admission to the Program will be judged according to criteria developed by the Program Committee and will not be guaranteed by virtue of acceptance at both schools.
CURRICULUM: The Program will take seven regular semesters to complete (summer semesters do not count); under no circumstances will a student be allowed to complete the program in less than seven semesters. In brief, the program consists of the complete first-year program in the School of Law (two semesters) followed by five semesters of courses taken from the curricula of the two schools and, in appropriate cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. Students must comply with all of the policies and meet all of the requirements set by both schools for the award of both the J.D. and the M.A. in English, including the required curriculum and minimum academic standards. The student must complete a minimum of 86 credits in the School of Law and a minimum of 30 credits in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. With the approval of the School of Law representative on the Program Committee, students may earn one residency semester and receive up to 12 of the 86 credits required for the J.D. degree in appropriate graduate-level work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or other departments at the University . Students must receive approval from the School of Law representative on the Program Committee prior to enrolling in any courses out side the School of Law. Similarly, with the approval of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee, a student may receive up to six credits toward the M.A. degree through the successful completion of coursework from an approved list of courses that are taught at the School of Law. Students should consult with the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee prior to enrollment to identify these approved courses. NOTE: In accordance with ABA standards, J.D. degree candidates may not receive credit toward the J.D. degree for more than 17 credits total in any given semester. In addition, credit towards the J.D. degree cannot be granted for course work completed prior to matriculation at the School of Law.
CHANGE OF STATUS: At any point in the Program, students may terminate plans for a dual degree and continue toward a single degree at either school. The student then must satisfy the normal requirements of the selected program, which may include credits completed in the other school, as determined by the appropriate officials in the selected program. Students put on probation or suspended for academic reasons from one program will be evaluated by the other program to verify their good standing for continued enrollment. Students must remain active in both programs to be awarded dual degrees.
TUITION AND FEES: During the first five semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the School of Law according to its tuition schedule. During the final two semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences according to its tuition schedule.
FINANCIAL AID: Financial aid (including loans and scholarships) will be provided by the school to which the student is paying tuition in a given semester. Financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to individual school and University regulations and availability. Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress standards of the school providing the financial aid in a given semester.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Students are eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of both schools to the extent that time permit s. Because of the possibility of over commitment, however, counsel of the Program Committee is recommended.
GRADING STANDARDS: The student is required to meet the grading standards of both schools independently to remain in good academic standing. Each school retains the right to drop students from its degree programs following its usual academic standards and procedures. Problems that arise in translation of different grading scales resulting from the dual program will be dealt with by the Program Committee. Grades for each course will be recorded on students’ transcript s under the system in effect at the school in which the course is taken.
FACULTY ADVISORS: The Program Committee will oversee the academic advising of students in the Program and approve appointments of individual faculty advisors on behalf of the Dean as needed.
DEGREE CONFERRAL: If applicable, shared credits must appear on the official transcript for both programs to indicate the total number of credits required for each degree.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS:
The Program is designed to accommodate the interests of students who desire to complement their training in law with theoretical, historical, interpretive and quantitative methods derived from the study of foreign affairs and politics.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM: The Program will be administered by a program committee (“Program Committee”) composed of faculty from the School of Law and faculty from the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, as designated by the respective deans.
ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM: The student is obligated to secure separate admission to both the School of Law and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Application to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences may be made prior to entrance or while the applicant is a first-year student at the School of Law. In either case, applicants to the Program will be held to the same standards as other applicants to each school. An applicant’s status as a candidate for the Program will not be considered in the admission process. Once admitted independently to each school, the student may make application to the Program Committee for admission to the Program. Admission to the Program will be judged according to criteria developed by the Program Committee and will not be guaranteed by virtue of acceptance at both schools.
CURRICULUM: The Program will take seven regular semesters to complete (summer semesters do not count); under no circumstances will a student be allowed to complete the program in less than seven semesters. In brief, the program consists of the complete first-year program in the School of Law (two semesters) followed by five semesters of courses taken from the curricula of the two schools and, in appropriate cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. Students must comply with all of the policies and meet all of the requirements set by both schools for the award of both the J. D. and the M.A. in Foreign Affairs, including the required curriculum and minimum academic standards. The student must complete a minimum of 86 credits in the School of Law and a minimum of 30 credits in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. With the approval of the School of Law representative on the Program Committee, students may earn one residency semester and receive up to 12 of the 86 credits required for the J. D. degree in appropriate graduate-level work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or other departments at the University. Students must receive approval from the School of Law representative on the Program Committee prior to enrolling in any courses outside the School of Law. Similarly, with the approval of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee, a student may receive up to six credits toward the M.A. degree through the successful completion of coursework from an approved list of courses that are taught at the School of Law. Students should consult with the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee prior to enrollment to identify these approved courses. NOTE: In accordance with ABA standards, J.D. degree candidates may not receive credit toward the J.D. degree for more than 17 credits total in any given semester. In addition, credit towards the J.D. degree cannot be granted for course work completed prior to matriculation at the School of Law.
CHANGE OF STATUS: At any point in the Program, students may terminate plans for a dual degree and continue toward a single degree at either school. The student then must satisfy the normal requirements of the selected program, which may include credits completed in the other school, as determined by the appropriate officials in the selected program. Students put on probation or suspended for academic reasons from one program will be evaluated by the other program to verify their good standing for continued enrollment. Students must remain active in both programs to be awarded dual degrees.
TUITION AND FEES: During the first five semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the School of Law according to its tuition schedule. During the final two semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences according to its tuition schedule.
FINANCIAL AID: Financial aid (including loans and scholarships) will be provided by the school to which the student is paying tuition in a given semester. Financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to individual school and University regulations and availability . Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress standards of the school providing the financial aid in a given semester.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Students are eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of both schools to the extent that time permits. Because of the possibility of over commitment, however, counsel of the Program Committee is recommended.
GRADING STANDARDS: The student is required to meet the grading standards of both schools independently to remain in good academic standing. Each school retains the right to drop students from its degree programs following its usual academic standards and procedures. Problems that arise in translation of different grading scales resulting from the dual program will be dealt with by the Program Committee. Grades for each course will be recorded on students’ transcript s under the system in effect at the school in which the course is ta ken.
FACULTY ADVISORS: The Program Committee will oversee the academic advising of students in the Program and approve appointments of individual faculty advisors on behalf of the Dean as needed.
DEGREE CONFERRAL: If applicable, shared credits must appear on the official transcript for both program s to indicate the total number of credits required for each degree.
GOVERNMENT:
The Program is designed to accommodate the interests of students who desire to complement their training in law with theoretical, historical, interpretive and quantitative methods derived from the study of government and politics.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM: The Program will be administered by a program committee (“Program Committee”) composed of faculty from the School of Law and faculty from the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, as designated by the respective deans.
ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM: The student is obligated to secure separate admission to both the School of Law and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Application to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences may be made prior to entrance or while the applicant is a first-year student at the School of Law . In either case, applicants to the Program will be held to the same standards as other applicants to each school. An applicant’s status as a candidate for the Program will not be considered in the admission process. Once admitted independently to each school, the student may make application to the Program Committee for admission to the Program. Admission to the Program will be judged according to criteria developed by the Program Committee and will not be guaranteed by virtue of acceptance at both schools.
CURRICULUM: The Program will take seven regular semesters to complete (summer semesters do not count); under no circumstances will a student be allowed to complete the program in less than seven semesters. In brief, the program consists of the complete first-year program in the School of Law (two semesters) followed by five semesters of courses taken from the curricula of the two schools and, in appropriate cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. Students must comply with all of the policies and meet all of the requirements set by both schools for the award of both the J. D. and the M.A. in Government, including the required curriculum and minimum academic standards. The student must complete a minimum of 86 credits in the School of Law and a minimum of 30 credits in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. With the approval of the School of Law representative on the Program Committee, students may earn one residency semester and receive up to 12 of the 86 credits required for the J.D. degree in appropriate graduate-level work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or other departments at the University. Students must receive approval from the School of Law representative on the Program Committee prior to enrolling in any courses outside the School of Law. Similarly, with the approval of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on t he Program Committee, a student may receive up to six credits toward the M.A. degree through the successful completion of coursework from an approved list of courses that are taught at the School of Law. Students should consult with the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee prior to enrollment to identify these approved courses. NOTE: In accordance with ABA standards, J.D. degree candidates may not receive credit toward the J.D. degree for more than 17 cred its total in any given semester. In addition, credit towards the J.D. degree cannot be granted for course work completed prior to matriculation at the School of Law.
CHANGE OF STATUS: At any point in the Program, students may terminate plans for a dual degree and continue toward a s!ngle degree at either school. The student then must satisfy the normal requirements of the selected program, which may include credits completed in the other school, as determined by the appropriate officials in the selected program. Students put on probation or suspended for academic reasons from one program will be evaluated by the other program to verify their good standing for continued enrollment. Students must remain active in both programs to be awarded dual degrees.
TUITION AND FEES: During the first five semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the School of Law according to its tuition schedule. During the final two semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences according to its tuition schedule.
FINANCIAL AID: Financial aid (including loans and scholarships} will be provided by the school to which the student is paying tuition in a given semester. Financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to individual school and University regulations and availability . Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress standards of the school providing the financial aid in a given semester .
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Students are eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of both schools to the extent that time permit s. Because of the possibility of over commitment, however, counsel of the Program Committee is recommended .
GRADING STANDARDS: The student is required to meet the grading standards of both schools independently to remain in good academic standing. Each school retains the right to drop students from its degree programs following its usual academic standards and procedures. Problems that arise in translation of different grading scales resulting from the dual program will be dealt with by the Program Committee. Grades for each course will be recorded on students’ transcripts under the system in effect at the school in which the course is taken.
FACULTY ADVISORS: The Program Committee will oversee the academic advising of students in the Program and approve appointments of individual faculty advisors on behalf of t he Dean as needed.
DEGREE CONFERRAL: If applicable, shared credits must appear on the official transcript for both programs to indicate the total number of credits required for each degree.
HISTORY:
The program is designed to accommodate the interests of students who desire to gain expertise and receive degrees in both Law (J.D.) and graduate level history (M.A.).
Administration of the Program: A Program Committee administers the dual degree program and is composed of faculty designated by the School of Law and faculty designated by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as named by the respective Deans.
Admission to the Program: The student is obligated to secure separate admission to both the School of Law and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences may be made prior to entrance or while the applicant is a first-year or second-year student at the School of Law. In all cases, the applicant will be held to the same standards as any other applicant (except that applicants may submit an LSAT score in lieu of a GRE score for admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences). The fact that he or she is a candidate for the dual degree program will not be considered in the admissions process. Once admitted independently to each school, the student may make application to the Program Committee for admission to the dual degree program. Admission to the dual degree program will be judged according to criteria developed by the Program Committee and will not be guaranteed by virtue of acceptance at both schools.
Curriculum: The program will take three years to complete and will require the student to take 98 total credits. The J.D. requires 86 credits, and the M.A. requires 30 credits. Normally, a student would have to take 116 credits to complete both degrees. In the dual degree program, however, the School of Law offers 12 credits for M.A. courses, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers 6 credits for J.D. courses, so a student in the program needs to take only 98 total credits.
M.A. in History
The M.A. has the following three requirements. (1) Students are required to take 30 credits toward the M.A. (2) Students are required to complete a Master’s Thesis, which is a 40-50- page paper of publishable quality. (3) Students are required to pass an oral examination in two historical fields (one of which is usually American Legal History).
12 credit hours will count only toward the M.A. These will not count toward the student’s School of Law GPA or be formally graded on the School of Law curve. Students must register for these courses in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
12 credit hours will count primarily for the M.A. and receive credit toward the J.D. These may be selected from courses offered in the History Department or from courses that are offered in the School of Law but cross-listed in the History Department. These 12 credits will not count toward the student’s School of Law GPA or be formally graded on the School of Law curve, but they will count toward the total number of J.D. credits that a student needs to fulfill the degree requirements (as described below). Even if the courses are cross-listed, students must register for these courses in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, not in the School of Law. Students should consult with the faculty advisors about the availability of cross-listed courses each year.
The final 6 credits for the M.A. will be earned through the successful completion of School of Law coursework from an approved list of courses that are taught at the School of Law. Students should again consult with the faculty advisors to identify these approved law courses.
J.D.
The J.D. requires 86 credit hours. A maximum of 12 credits may come from courses taken at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (as approved by the Program Committee and described above). The additional 74 credit hours will be earned through regular School of Law coursework. Students should again be aware that 6 of these credits will be used toward the M.A. degree and must be taken from an approved list of School of Law courses (as described above).
The student will take the required School of Law courses during his or her first year at the School of Law (i.e., Civil Procedure, Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Property, and Legal Research and Writing) and will fulfill the remaining requirements (professional responsibility, a professional skills course, and the writing requirement) during the remaining semesters at the School of Law. Students must comply with all other requirements for the J.D. degree and may not take more than 17 credits in any given semester.
Change of Status: At any point in the program, the participant will be permitted to terminate plans for a dual degree and to continue toward a single degree at either school. He or she will then be required to satisfy the normal requirements for the school he or she has chosen, which may include credit for some of the work done in the other school as determined by the appropriate officials of the school in question.
Tuition of Fees: During all semesters of the program, students will pay tuition to the School of Law. Every spring semester, the School of Law will provide a funds transfer to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for each student equal to 85% of the tuition (excluding any fees) the Graduate School would have collected during that academic year on a per-student, per- credit basis had the student paid tuition to the Graduate School for all courses in the program taught by Graduate School faculty. No funds transfer is made for students who have dropped out of the program. If a student drops out of the program subsequent to the funds transfer, then the funds transfer for that student will be reversed the next year.
Financial Aid: Because students in the program will be paying tuition to the School of Law, financial aid will be provided by the School of Law. As for all students, financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to Law School and University availability and regulations.
Extracurricular Activities: The student will be eligible to participate in the extra curricular activities of both schools to the extent time permits. Because of the possibility of over-commitment, however, counsel of the Program Committee is recommended.
Grading Standards: The student is required to meet the grading standards of both schools independently to remain in good standing. Each school retains the right to drop students from its degree program following its usual academic standards and procedures. Problems that arise in translation of different grading scales resulting from the dual degree program will be dealt with by the Program Committee, in consultation with the Office of the University Registrar (UREG). Grades will be recorded on the student’s transcript under the system in effect at the school in which the course is taken.
PHILOSOPHY:
The Program is designed to accommodate the interests of students who desire to complement their training in law with theoretical, historical, and interpretive methods derived from the study of philosophy.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM: The Program will be administered by a program committee (“Program Committee”) composed of faculty from the School of Law and faculty from the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, as designated by the respective deans.
ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM: The student is obligated to secure separate admission to both the School of Law and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Application to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences may be made prior to entrance or while the applicant is a first-year student at the School of Law . In either case, applicants to the Program will be held to the same standards as other applicants to each school. An applicant’s status as a candidate for the Program will not be considered in the admission process. Once admitted independently to each school, the student may make application to the Program Committee for admission to the Program. Admission to the Program will be judged according to criteria developed by the Program Committee and will not be guaranteed by virtue of acceptance at both schools.
CURRICULUM: The Program will take seven regular semesters to complete (summer semesters do not count); under no circumstances will a student be allowed to complete the program in less than sevensemesters. In brief, the program consists of the complete first-year program in the School of Law (two semesters) followed by five semesters of courses taken from the curricula of the two schools and, in appropriate cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. Students must comply with all of the policies and meet all of the requirements set by both schools for the award of both the J.D. and the M.A. in Philosophy, including the required curriculum and minimum academic standards. The student must complete a minimum of 86 credits in the School of Law and a minimum of 30 credit s in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. With the approval of the School of Law representative on the Program Committee, students may earn one residency semester and receive up to 12 of the 86 credits required for the J.D. degree in appropriate graduate-level work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or other departments at the University. Students must receive approval from the School of Law representative on the Program Committee prior to enrolling in any courses out side the School of Law. Similarly, wit h the approval of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee, a student may receive up to six credits toward the M.A. degree through the successful completion of coursework from an approved list of courses that are taught at the School of Law. Students should consult with the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences representative on the Program Committee prior to enrollment to identify, these approved courses. NOTE: In accordance with ABA standards, J.D. degree candidates may not receive credit toward the J.D. degree for more than 17 credits total in any given semester. In addition, credit towards the J.D. degree cannot be granted for course work completed prior to matriculation at the School of Law.
CHANGE OF STATUS: At any point in the Program, students may terminate plans for a dual degree and continue toward a single degree at either school. The student then must satisfy the normal requirements of the selected program, which may include credits completed in the other school, as determined by the appropriate officials in the selected program. Students put on probation or suspended for academic reasons from one program will be evaluated by the other program to verify their good standing for continued enrollment. Students must remain active in both programs to be awarded dual degrees.
TUITION AND FEES: During the first five semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the School of Law according to its tuition schedule. During the final two semesters of the program, the student will pay tuition to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences according to its tuition schedule.
FINANCIAL AID: Financial aid (including loans and scholarships) will be provided by the school to which the student is paying tuition in a given semester. Financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to individual school and University regulations and availability. Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress standards of the school providing the financial aid in a given semester.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Students are eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of both schools to the extent that time permits. Because of the possibility of over commitment, however, counsel of the Program Committee is recommended .
GRADING STANDARDS: The student is required to meet the grading standards of both schools independently to remain in good academic standing. Each school retains the right t o drop students from its degree programs following its usual academic standards and procedures. Problems that arise in translation of different grading scales resulting from the dual program will be dealt with by the Program Committee. Grades for each course will be recorded on students’ transcript s under the system in effect at the school in which t he course is taken.
FACULTY ADVISORS: The Program Committee will oversee the academic advising of students in the Program and approve appointments of individual faculty advisors on behalf of the Dean as needed.
DEGREE CONFERRAL: If applicable, shared credit s must appear on the official transcript for bot h programs to indicate the total number of credits required for each degree.
