These programs are designed to offer students an interdisciplinary degree which encompasses training in law plus expertise in a complementary field of study. At present, the J.D./M.A. is offered in anthropology, clinical psychology, history, industrial/organizational psychology, and English Language and Literature and a J.D./M.S. is offered in biology, computer science, and geosciences. Additional complementary fields may become available.

Each J.D./M.A. and J.D./M.S. program is administered by a Joint Degree Committee, which consists of a faculty member from the College of Law and a faculty member from the complementary discipline, in cooperation with the Dean of the Graduate School.

Since the student may enroll in either college, financial aid must be applied for from the college in which the student holds current enrollment.

Students will be required to pay all fees of both programs. Tuition will be paid for each course at the rate currently in effect for the respective colleges.

By eliminating overlapping subject area courses and using electives of each program for work in the other, a candidate for the joint degrees can reduce the total requirements by 16 to 19 semester hours.

A joint degree is also offered in the area of business administration (J.D./M.B.A.). The joint degree is designed to provide legal education so that the business students’ skills can be exercised with full knowledge of the legal environment in our society. Law students are provided further training in business so that their legal knowledge can be more effectively applied in current business situations. By eliminating overlapping subject area courses, and using the electives of each program for work in the other, a candidate for the joint degree can reduce the total requirements by 16 credit hours.

The joint-degree application is reviewed, and the program is administered by a Joint Degree Committee, which consists of the Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Business Administration and the Associate Dean of the College of Law in cooperation with the Dean of the Graduate School. A joint-degree student will be eligible to participate in all extracurricular activities of both colleges.

Candidates for a joint degree must meet the academic standards of both the College of Law and the Graduate School. Class rank for the College of Law shall be computed for law courses only. At the conclusion of the program, the candidate will be awarded both the J.D. and the master's degree.

The joint-degree programs are accredited by the American Bar Association, American Association of Legal Services, and the proper accrediting agencies of the complementary disciplines, if any. All business programs are accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Students in the joint program are permitted to terminate plans for a joint degree, and to opt for either one or the other of the degrees. Students will be obliged to satisfy the normal requirements of the college selected, which may include credit for some work done in the other college, as determined by the Dean of the College of Law or the Dean of the Graduate School.

Admission. Admission to the Joint Degree Programs requires two separate applications:

(a) a formal application to the College of Law

(b) a formal application to the Graduate School (please attach a formal letter requesting admission to the joint degree program and responding to the question “Why do you desire to pursue this joint degree?”)              

Only after the respective colleges have acted affirmatively on the separate applications will action be taken to admit the student to the joint degree program. Admission to the joint degree program is under exclusive control of the respective Joint Degree Committees.

Normally, students will be admitted on a full-time basis only. The program is not open to students who have previously completed one of the degrees.

Residence Requirements. The student is expected to enroll full time. Due to the residency requirements of the College of Law, it is recommended that the first year of the program be taken in the College of Law. The student may take the first year in the complementary discipline with the understanding that any courses taken from the College of Law will be acceptable for the law degree only with prior approval of the College of Law faculty. The remaining semesters are spent pursuing both degrees within the limitations of residency of the College of Law which requires that, in the final year, the student must be enrolled in ten hours of law courses for both semesters.

The joint-degree program may be completed in three years and two summers and must be completed within six calendar years.

J.D./M.A. in Anthropology

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required subjects as established by the College of Law, 24 hours (thesis option) or 27 hours (non-thesis) in the graduate anthropology program, and 18 to 24 hours of prerequisite undergraduate anthropology courses. A maximum of 9 credit hours of 6000-level course work may be applied to the anthropology portion of the joint-degree. The student must consult with the J.D./M.A. in Anthropology Joint Degree Committee in selecting elective courses and must agree to take all courses recommended by the committee.

This program eliminates 16 to 19 hours of course work which would be required if the programs in law and anthropology were taken separately.

J.D./M.A. in Clinical Psychology

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required subjects as established by the College of Law and 39 credit hours of specific program requirements in the Graduate Clinical Psychology program as established by the Clinical Psychology Department.

The student must consult with the J.D./M.A. in Clinical Psychology Joint Degree Committee in selecting elective courses and must agree to take all courses recommended by the Committee.

This program eliminates 16 hours of course work which would be required if the programs in law and clinical psychology were taken separately.

J.D./M.A. in English Language and Literature

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required subjects as established by the College of Law, 27 credit hours in the graduate English program, as approved by the graduate English advisor and the Graduate English Program Committee, and 18 to 24 hours of prerequisite undergraduate English courses stipulated by the Graduate English Program Committee.

The student must consult with the J.D./M.A. English Joint Degree Committee in selecting elective courses and must agree to take all courses recommended by the committee.

This program eliminates 19 hours of course work which would be required if the programs in law and English were taken separately.

J.D./M.A. in History

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses as established by the College of Law, 24 hours (thesis option) or 27 hours (non-thesis) of graduate courses in history, and 24 hours of prerequisite undergraduate history courses. A maximum of 9 credit hours of 6000-level course work may be applied to the history portion of the joint-degree.

This program eliminates 16 to 19 hours of course work which would be required if the law and history programs were taken separately.

J.D./M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

There are two curriculum plans. Option 1 consists of 30 credit hours of psychology and 81 credit hours of law. Option 2 consists of 33 credit hours of psychology and 78 credit hours of law. Both options include all required subjects as established by the College of Law for the Juris Doctorate degree and all required subjects in Industrial and Organizational Psychology as established by the Department of Psychology. J.D./M.A. students are assigned academic advisors in each program and are expected to consult with those advisors prior to selecting elective courses. These advisors are members of the Joint Degree Committee in cooperation with the Dean of the Graduate School. This program eliminates 19 hours of course work which would be required if the programs in law and industrial/organizational psychology were taken separately.

J.D./M.S. in Biology

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required subjects as established by the College of Law, 24 credit hours in the biological science program as approved by the graduate advisor, and prerequisite undergraduate courses as required by the faculty of the graduate program in biological science. A maximum of 9 credit hours of 6000-level course work may be applied to the biology portion of the joint-degree.

The student must consult with the J.D./M.S. in Biological Science Joint Degree Committee in selecting electives and must agree to take all courses recommended by the committee.

This program eliminates 16 hours of course work which would be required if the programs in law and biological science were taken separately.

J.D./M.S. in Computer Science

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required subjects as established by the College of Law, 27 credit hours in the computer science program as established by the graduate computer science faculty, and prerequisite undergraduate courses as required by the faculty of the graduate program in compute science. 

The student must consult with the J.D./M.S. in Computer Science Joint Degree Committee in selecting electives and must agree to take all courses recommended by the committee.

This program eliminates up to 19 credit hours of course work which would be required if the programs in law and computer science were taken separately.

J.D./M.S. in Geosciences

As litigation involving technical issues becomes more common, knowledge of the geosciences provides an important advantage in cases that involve energy, mining, water and environmental concerns. A candidate for the joint Law/Geosciences degree is able to complete the requirements for both degrees with 105 credit hours. This program eliminates 19 hours of course work, which would be required, if the programs in Law and Geosciences were taken separately.

The curriculum consists of 27 credit hours (including a three-hour technical report) in the graduate geosciences program as approved by the chairman of the geosciences department; prerequisite undergraduate courses as required by the faculty of the graduate program in geosciences; and 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required subjects as established by the College of Law. A maximum of 9 credit hours of 6000-level course work may be applied to the geosciences portion of the joint degree.

The student must consult with the J.D./M.S. in Geosciences Joint Degree Committee in selecting electives and must agree to take all courses recommended by the Committee.

J.D./M.B.A. Program

The curriculum consists of 78 credit hours of law courses, including all required courses established by the College of Law, and 24 credit hours at the graduate level in the College of Business Administration, of which 21 hours are required courses and 3 hours are graduate electives in the College of Business Administration. A maximum of 9 credit hours of 6000-level course work may be applied to the MBA portion of the joint degree.

Students must satisfy 30 credit hours of Foundation M.B.A. courses before being fully admitted to the second year of the M.B.A. program. Foundation courses may be waived if the student has an undergraduate degree in business. The Foundation and Advanced courses of the M.B.A. program are listed here. The student must consult with his/her academic advisor in each discipline when selecting elective courses and must take all courses specified by the respective advisors.