Today's lawyers practice in an environment of increasing complexity. Many specialty areas-including health care, domestic matters, business, and the environment-operate at the intersection of law and other disciplines, calling for specialized knowledge and training. To prepare students for the challenges of this kind of legal work, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law offers several dual-degree programs in partnership with other leading academic institutions in the region.
Candidates for dual-degree programs must meet the separate admissions criteria and degree requirements of each school. Through credit sharing, students in a dual-degree program can satisfy the requirements for degrees in two related disciplines in less time, and at less expense, than would otherwise be possible.
Students interested in a dual-degree program typically apply to both schools at the same time. If admitted to both schools, students enroll in one school and defer the offer of admission to the other school until the following year. However, students who are already enrolled in one school may still develop a dual-degree program.
Dual degree students must receive both degrees at the same time in order to be listed as dual degree recipients in the graduation program. While the School of Law will count up to 9 credits of non-law graduate work toward the JD, whether or not the student is in a dual degree program, the other school may not be able to count law school credits toward the other degree if the degrees are not awarded at the same time.
In addition to the following, other dual-degree programs may be developed for students who request them.
JD/MA (Criminal Justice)
The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice program prepares students for research, teaching, and professional employment in the operational agencies in the field of criminal justice. It is offered through the Institute of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Maryland College Park. (301) 405-6838 http://www.ccjs.umd.edu/
JD/MALA (Liberal Arts)
The JD-MALA Dual-Degree Program is offered in cooperation with the St. John’s College (SJC) Graduate Institute in Annapolis, Maryland.
Through credit sharing, students in this dual-degree program can satisfy the requirements for two degrees in different disciplines in less time, and at less expense, than would otherwise be possible. Students interested in the JD-MALA Dual Degree Program must apply separately for admission to both schools. Applicants must meet the separate admission criteria and complete the distinct degree requirements at each institution.
If admitted to both programs, students may enroll in and obtain degrees from both programs simultaneously, although students typically enroll in one school and defer admission to the other school until the following year. For example, the first year of study at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law is comprised almost entirely of required courses; therefore, first-year law students do not take courses at the SJC Graduate Institute that year. Instead, students beginning the program at the law school enroll in relevant courses at SJC during the second year. Alternatively, JD-MALA Dual-Degree Program students may begin their studies at SJC before beginning the first year of law school, but none of the courses taken that year would transfer from SJC to the JD program.
Regardless of the order of enrollment, participation in this JD-MALA Dual-Degree Program must be formally established prior to the completion of any coursework that would be intended to transfer from one of these institutions to the other. Once participation is approved, the schedule for fulfilling degree requirements for each program may be completed in a variety of ways, including completing courses at both institutions concurrently or successively. The SJC MALA program must be completed within eight years of matriculation, while the Maryland Carey Law JD program must be completed within seven years. To be strategic, students are encouraged to communicate interest in this dual-degree program as early as possible and to work very closely with both institutions to devise a sensible and comprehensive long-term enrollment plan. Ultimately, in order to be listed as a dual-degree recipient in both commencement programs, dual-degree program participants must complete their last requirements for both degrees in the same term.
The University of Maryland Carey School of Law will accept nine credits awarded by the SJC Graduate Institute Politics and Society segment toward the J.D., provided that those credits were earned after the start of enrollment at Maryland Carey Law. Specific topics to be submitted for approval in conjunction with the Politics and Society segment include courses in the areas of History, Politics and Society, and Philosophy and Theology. In all cases, any classes taken at SJC that are intended to apply to the law degree must be approved by the Office of Registration and Enrollment at Carey Law prior to the student’s enrollment in those SJC courses. This approval process formalizes the student’s participation in the JD-MALA Dual-Degree Program from the perspective of the law school.
The St. John’s College Graduate Institute will accept nine credits awarded by the University of Maryland Carey School of Law toward the MALA degree, provided that grades of B- or higher were earned at the Carey School of Law. Specific courses to be considered for transfer include Constitutional Law II, Criminal Law, and Property Law. In all cases, any classes taken at the School of Law that are intended to apply to the MALA degree must be approved by the SJC Associate Dean of Graduate Programs prior to the student’s enrollment in those School of Law courses. This approval process formalizes the student’s participation in the JD-MALA Dual-Degree Program from the perspective of the SJC Graduate Institute.
For more information about the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts at the St. John’s College Graduate Institute, see https://www.sjc.edu/academic-programs/graduate/masters-liberal-arts or contact annapolis.gradadmissions@sjc.edu.
JD/MBA
The Master of Business Administration program is designed to prepare students for positions of responsibility in industry, commerce, or government, or as preparation for legal careers working with those in such positions.
The University of Maryland Carey School of Law partners with three area MBA programs:
