The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and the Department of Political Science of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School have developed a program for interdisciplinary studies that will result in dual degrees in Law and Political Science. The program recognizes the many connections among politics, government, and law. Students interested in these connections will have a unique opportunity to explore them in the course of completing the dual degree program. Students enrolled in the program will also acquire interdisciplinary skills in research and writing.

Admission Requirements

The JD/MA program is open to all students who have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university. To be admitted into the program, the student must 1) apply to, 2) meet the admission requirements of, and 3) be accepted by both the School of Law and the Graduate School. In addition, students currently enrolled only in the Political Science MA program must apply to the School of Law prior to completing 18 credit hours of MA course work. Students currently enrolled only in the School of Law must apply to the graduate program prior to completing the first semester of the second year of law school.

Upon admission to both schools, students must submit a letter of intent and a proposed course of study to the School of Law or to the Department of Political Science, depending on where they first intend to take courses, or in which they are currently taking courses. A copy of the letter must also be sent to the appropriate office of the other program. Students will need to plan their four-year course of study carefully, taking into account the sequence and availability of course offerings in each program. Successful applicants will be notified of the procedures to follow in pursuing the JD/MA course of study.

Curriculum Requirements

Candidates in the JD/MA program must complete 81 hours in the JD curriculum (instead of the normal 90 hours) and either 21 hours in the MA curriculum (instead of the normal 30 hours) for the Thesis Option or 27 hours in the MA curriculum (instead of the normal 36 hours) for the Non-thesis Option. Nine hours from each program can be counted as electives in the other program to give the student the requisite hours for both the JD and MA degrees. MA credit will be applied to the JD degree on a pass/fail basis only. JD credit will be applied to the MA degree on a graded basis. Only MA courses approved by the Law Dean�s Office may be applied to the JD degree. Likewise, only JD courses approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in Political Science will be applied to the MA degree.

Students must complete the requirements for both degrees before either degree is awarded.

Law School Requirements (as of fall 2002)

Full-time JD/MA students must be enrolled in the Brandeis School of Law for a minimum of six semesters and must enroll in a minimum of 10 credit hours each semester. Part-time JD/MA students must be enrolled in a total of eight credit hours each term for a minimum of eight semesters.

The Brandeis School of Law does not have sequenced pairs of courses after the first year. It should be noted, however, that many upper division elective courses have prerequisites. For example, the course in Evidence is a prerequisite to Trial Practice. Students should consult the Law School catalogue for other prerequisites, and students should plan their schedules carefully and consult with advisors in both programs.

Political Science Requirements (as of fall 2002)

Participating students must complete the standard first-year law curriculum in the traditional manner. Students may enroll in Political Science courses prior to beginning the first-year law curriculum and may combine Law and Political Science courses in subsequent years of the dual degree program. There are two options for earning an MA in Political Science: Thesis (30 hours total) and Non-thesis (36 hours total). They are outlined below.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the unique strengths of the Department of Political Science when planning their course of study in the dual degree program. In particular, the Department enjoys strong complements of faculty in two broad areas: International Studies and American Politics.

The International Studies field includes the comparative study of various regions and nations throughout the world as well as the study of relations among nations and other global actors. Areas of faculty expertise include: the politics of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, East Asia, Europe, and the former Soviet Union, development, political economy, revolution, leadership, environment, civil-military relations, foreign policy, defense and security, international organizations, and international law.

The American Politics field includes the study of the American governmental institutions that formulate public policy and the study of the administration of public policy. Areas of faculty expertise include: the presidency, congress, the judiciary, federalism, public administration, public law, the electoral process, social policy, housing policy, urban policy, environmental policy, and economic development policy.

Designated courses from the School of Law, listed below, complement each of these two areas. A student participating in the dual degree program will be able to combine Law courses and Political Science courses to create a well-defined concentration of study. Examples of such concentrations include environmental law and politics, negotiations and dispute resolution, administrative law and politics, federalism, international law and politics, comparative law and politics, civil rights and liberties, constitutional law and politics, and race, law, and politics.

 

Thesis Option
Core Courses (6 hours total):
	Scope of Political Science (POLS670)	3
	Methods of Political Science (POLS671)	3
Three of the following five courses (9 hours total):
	Seminar in Public Policy (POLS619)	3
	Seminar in Public Administration (POLS625)	3
	Seminar in American Politics (POLS629)	3
	Seminar in International Relations (POLS639)	3
	Seminar in Comparative Politics (POLS649)	3
Thesis		6
	Nine (9) credit hours of law courses. The following courses have been designated: Federal Jurisdiction (837), Legal History (838), Seminar in Energy Law (841), Administrative Law (862), Conflict of Laws (884), European Union Law (885),International Law (886), Comparative Law (890), Mass Media Law (891), Dispute Resolution (892), Negotiations (893), Science, Technology, and the Law (896), Land Use (904), Legislation (919), Law and Economic Analysis (921), Local Government Law (924), Seminar in Kentucky Constitutional Law (925),Jurisprudence (926), Civil Rights and Liberties (927), Environmental Law (931), Advanced Environmental Law and Policy (932), English Legal System (940), Advanced Constitutional Law (943), Health Care Regulation (946), Health Care Systems and the Law (981), Native American Law (990), Immigration Law (992), Law and the Oppressed (995), Regulatory Law and Policy (998); other courses to be approved in consulation with the student�s advisors.	2/3
Non-thesis Option
Core Courses (6 hours total)
	Scope of Political Science (POLS670)	3
	Methods of Political Science (POLS671)	3
Three of the following five courses (9 hours total):
	Seminar in Public Policy (POLS619)	3
	Seminar in Public Administration (POLS625)	3
	Seminar in American Politics (POLS629)	3
	Seminar in International Relations (POLS639)	3
	Seminar in Comparative Politics (POLS649)	3
Electives (9 hours total):
	Political Science electives	6-9
	Other electives	0-3
Directed Research		3
Nine (9) credit hours of law courses. See list under Thesis Options.

For More Information Contact: