 |
MA/JD Joint Degree Program
Juris Doctor, Levin College of Law
and Master of Arts in Women's Studies,
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The
faculties of the Levin
College of Law and of the Women's Studies program in the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences have approved a joint degree program culminating in both a JD
degree, awarded by the College of Law, and an MA in Women's Studies (thesis or
non-thesis), awarded by the Women's Studies program. Under this joint degree
program, a student can obtain both degrees in approximately one year less than
it would take to obtain both degrees if pursued consecutively. Essential
criteria relating to the joint degree program are as follows:
Admission Requirements
Candidates
for the program must meet the entrance requirements for and be accepted by both
the College of Law and Women's Studies. The student must inform both programs
at the time of application to the second program, that s/he intends to pursue
the joint degree. A Change of Degree
program form is submitted to the Graduate School. The joint degree program is not open to
students who have already earned one degree.
Timing
Admission
to the second program is required no later than the end of the third
consecutive semester after beginning one degree of the joint degree program. A
summer term is counted as a single semester.
Requirements
A student
must satisfy the curriculum requirements for each degree before either degree
is awarded. In each case, no fewer than 12 credits must be taken in each
program. The graduate program in Women's Studies will accept 12 credits of
appropriate professional courses toward the Women's Studies degree. The 12
credits selected from the professional curriculum must be approved by the
Women's Studies Graduate Coordinator upon the recommendation of the student's
graduate supervisory committee. Reciprocally, the College of Law will accept 12
credits of appropriate Women's Studies courses toward the satisfaction of the
JD degree.
Enrollment Classification
A student
enrolled in the joint degree program may spend the first year in either the
College of Law or the Women's Studies program (in the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences). Students admitted to one College but electing to spend the first
academic year in the other College under the joint degree program may enter the
second College thereafter without once again qualifying for admission so long as
s/he has notified the second College before the end of the first week of the
first semester in the joint degree program and are in good academic standing
when the studies commence in the second College. Students must carry the
minimum number of credits required by either college.
Eligible Grades
Women's
Studies courses which are to be credited toward the JD degree must carry a
grade of "B" or higher and will not be counted in the College of Law
grade point average. College of Law courses which are to be credited toward the
M.A. (thesis or nonthesis) degree must carry a grade of "C" or higher
and will not be counted in the grade point average of Women's Studies.
Degree Award
A student
enrolled in the joint degree program will not receive either degree until s/he
has satisfied all of the requirements for both degrees, or in cases of
withdrawal from the joint degree program, until s/he has satisfied the
requirements of one of the degrees ( as if s/he had not been a joint degree
candidate).
Withdrawal
Students who
enroll in the joint degree program but do not complete the joint program may
receive up to 6 course credits taken in the Law School toward the MA provided
s/he completes these courses with a grade of "C" or better. These
courses will be treated as "electives" for purposes of the MA
Students may receive JD credit for 2 Women's Studies courses, up to a total of
6 semester credits, and the credits will be treated as the two graduate courses
ordinarily allowed outside of the College of Law for credit toward the JD.
Appointments
Students
in the joint program will be eligible for the graduate teaching assistantships
and research assistantships offered by Women's Studies on the same basis as
other Women's Studies graduate students, subject to the guidelines and
restrictions set by Women's Studies and the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences.
Supervisory Committee
To
facilitate student progress in the joint program to the fullest extent possible
given the availability and consent of appropriate law school faculty, the
student's graduate supervisory committee will be comprised of 2 graduate
faculty members from CLAS (at least one of whom is on the Women's Studies
graduate faculty), and 1 law school faculty member. Whether a law school
faculty member serves on the supervisory committee or not, theses will focus on
a topic related to law and women's or gender issues.
