J.D.-M.A. Program in Government or Foreign Affairs
The following J.D.-M.A.
program was instituted in 1970 by the School of Law and the Woodrow
Wilson Department of Politics.
Administration of the Program Management
of the program and advising of participating students are entrusted
in the Law School to Professor John Norton Moore, and in the Woodrow
Wilson Department of Politics to its regular graduate advisor.
Admission to the Program Students are
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. Students must 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. Graduate
Admissions | Law
School Admissions
Curriculum The joint J.D.-M.A.
program normally takes three and one-half years to complete.
It may be possible to complete the program in three years by
additional summer work and by carrying a higher than average
load. In brief, the program consists of the complete first-year
program in the School of Law, followed by two and one-half years
of courses taken from the curricula of both schools and, in appropriate
cases, from other graduate offerings at the University. The student
must meet all of the requirements set by the respective departments
for the award of both the J.D. and the 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 Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics, requirements for the M.A. degree in government or in foreign affairs include 24 course credits plus 6 non-topical research credits, satisfactory performance on two comprehensive examinations, completion of a thesis under the supervision of two faculty advisors, and demonstration of appropriate competence in a foreign language or in quantitative research methods.
With the approval of the
Law School representatives 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 Woodrow
Wilson Department of Politics or other graduate offerings at
the University. Similarly, with the approval of the graduate
advisor of the Department of Politics, a student may receive
up to six of the 24 course credits required for the M.A. in appropriate
work in the School of Law.
Change of Status At any point in the
program, the student may terminate plans for a joint program and
continue towards a single degree at either school. The student
then must satisfy the normal requirements of the school elected,
which may include credits completed in the other school, as determined
by the appropriate officials.
Financial Aid During the first year,
financial aid is available to law students on the usual basis
by application to the School of Law. Financial aid during remaining
years is available from each school in proportion to the number
of credits taken in each school and the availability of assistance.
The program advisor has the responsibility of working with the
financial aid officers of each school and with the student to
coordinate aid.
Tuition and Fees During the first year
of the program, the student is treated for these purposes as a
regularly matriculated student at the School of Law. During the
remaining years, the student pays the higher of the tuitions of
the two schools, plus the required fees, plus the special fees
exacted by both schools. For any semester during which a student
is in full-time residence in the Woodrow Wilson Department of
Politics, however, he or she is treated for these purposes as
a regular student in that department.
Extracurricular Activities The student
is eligible to participate in the extracurricular activities of
both schools to the extent that time permits, but should be alert
to the possibility of over-commitment, and should seek the counsel
of the program committee before undertaking any formal extracurricular
activities of a time-consuming nature.
Grading Standards In the first year
of the joint program, while enrolled exclusively in the School
of Law, the student is required to meet the grading standards
of that school. In remaining years, when enrolled in both schools,
the student is required to meet the session and cumulative grading
standards of both schools independently to remain in good standing.
Grades are recorded on the student's transcript under the system
in effect at the school in which the course is taken.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact the Law School faculty advisor, Professor John
Norton Moore.
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