Program: J.D.-M.A. (Bioethics) - University of Virginia

Apr 06, 2025

Graduate Record 2007-2008

The following program for a joint J.D.-M.A. degree was instituted in 1998 by the School of Law, the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Administration of the Program The program is administered by a Program Committee, consisting of one or more members of the Law faculty appointed by the Dean of the School of Law, one or more members of the faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences appointed by the Dean of the Graduate Faculties, and the Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics in the School of Medicine.

Admission to the Program The student is required to secure admission separately to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Law School through the normal admissions processes in the two schools. The student has to meet the same standards as any other applicant, and candidacy for the joint program is not considered at this stage. Once admitted to the two schools, the student may apply to the Program Committee for admission to the joint program. Students may seek admission to the Graduate School and initiate the joint degree program after they have begun matriculating in the Law School.

Curriculum

The student is required to meet all of the requirements set by the respective Schools for the award of both the J.D. and M.A. degrees. In the School of Law, this means that the student must complete the required curriculum, meet minimum academic standards, and earn a minimum of 86 credits and six residency semesters in the School of Law. In the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, minimum requirements for the M.A. degree include 24 credits in an approved program, and completion of a six-credit thesis under the supervision of a faculty advisor. (It is also possible to complete the M.A. degree by earning 30 credits in an approved program without a thesis.)

With the approval of a Law School representative on the Program Committee, a student may receive up to 12 of the 86 credits required for his or her J.D. degree in appropriate graduate level work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Similarly, with the approval of a Graduate School representative on the Program Committee, a student may receive up to 18 of the credits required for the M.A. Degree in appropriate work in the School of Law. No student, however, may have more than 15 credits applied toward both degrees.

The joint J.D.-M.A. program normally takes three and one-half years to complete and requires a minimum of 95 credits and an approved thesis (or a minimum of 101 credits without a thesis). In effect, the program consists of the complete first-year program at the School of Law and at least two and one-half years of courses taken from the curricula of the two schools and, when appropriate, from other graduate offerings at the University. However it is possible for an enterprising student to complete both degrees by taking a heavier course load and devoting one or two summers to the program.

Change of Status

At any point in the program, the student may terminate plans for a joint program with the approval of the Program Committee and continue towards a single degree at either school.

Grading Standards

The student is required to meet the grading standards of both schools independently to remain in good standing.

Faculty Advisor

The Law School faculty advisor for this program is Richard J. Bonnie.