Joint J.D.-M.A. Degree Program

The joint degree program leading to the J.D. and the M.A. in philosophy develops a student’s understanding and appreciation of the converging disciplines of law and philosophy. The program combines into 3 years and 1 summer session the normal 3-year J.D. program offered by the School of Law and the 2-year M.A. offered by the Department of Philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students complete 81 credit hours in law and 21 credit hours in philosophy.

Admission to Graduate Studies

An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Admission to the Joint Program

The program is open to those who have earned baccalaureate degrees from accredited colleges or universities and whose undergraduate academic records indicate that they have the capacity to complete the program. Applicants must meet the admission requirements and prerequisites of the School of Law and the Department of Philosophy.  The only exception to this is that the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the only required entrance examination for such applicants (GRE is not required for either program). Students must apply and be admitted to each school separately. Generally, students apply to the School of Law first, and if admitted, subsequently apply for admission to the M.A. in Philosophy. No student may enter the combined program after completing more than 30 credit hours in the School of Law or 12 hours in the Department of Philosophy.

For information about applying to the Law School, see the school website. For information about applying to the M.A. program in Philosophy, please visit the graduate program page of the Philosophy department website, or contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Aley Pennington, aleypennington@ku.edu.

Typical Enrollment Pattern for J.D./M.A. Program

Year 1
	Hours
Law courses	29
Philosophy courses	0
	29
Year 2
	Hours
Law courses	22
Philosophy courses	6
	28
Year 3
	Hours	Summer	Hours
Law courses	22	Law courses	5
Philosophy courses	9	Philosophy courses	6
	31		11
Total Hours 99

Joint J.D./M.A. Degree Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Law courses required of all J.D. candidates		44
Law courses required for joint degree candidates		9
Philosophy courses required for joint degree candidates		9
Additional law courses		28
Additional philosophy courses		12
Total minimum credit hours required		102

It is essential for the student to consult the director of graduate studies in philosophy and a representative of the School of Law about specific courses required or recommended for this program.

For additional information, see the School of Law and the Guidelines and Information for Graduate Students available from the Department of Philosophy.