Joint MA–JD

The joint MA–JD Program in Law and Political Science or International Affairs allows students to complete the two degrees in four years, whereas pursuing them separately would require five years. This is possible because students in the program are allowed to count 9 hours of political science credits toward the law degree and 9 hours of law credits toward their political science degree. Students must apply for admission to both the Law School and the Political Science Department's Graduate Program. Applicants to this program may submit LSAT scores to the Political Science Department in lieu of GRE scores. Each program makes separate admissions decision. This page contains additional information on application procedures, course requirements, program schedule and notes. More information is available from the Director of Graduate Studies in the Political Science Department at (414) 288-6842 or Lowell.Barrington@marquette.edu. Information is also available from the Marquette University Law School Office of Admissions at (414) 288-6767 or law.admission@marquette.edu.

Candidates for admission to the joint program must submit applications to both the the Law School and the Department of Political Science. General admission requirements and applications procedures for both units apply to applicants to the joint program, except that the Political Science Department will accept LSAT scores in lieu of GRE scores. Acceptance by one unit does not guarantee acceptance by the other. Students who are already admitted to or who have begun taking courses in either program may still apply for the Joint Program.

Students will fulfill the minimum of 81 credit hours in Law, 21 in Political Science/International Affairs, and the remaining nine in either program in accordance with the basic requirements of the Law School and the Department of Political Science and all other normal degree requirements. A minimum of 15 credit hours at the 200 course level are required in the Department of Political Science. The core seminar requirements for the political science/international affairs programs apply to students in the joint program. The nine credit hours in cognate courses normally allowed by the Department of Political Science will not automatically apply to students in the joint MA–JD program; one or two cognate courses may be approved on an individual basis. Students in the joint program will be expected to complete the two research papers and pass the MA comprehensive examinations required in the Department of Political Science. One of these may be a research paper completed in the Law School.

To complete what normally would be the 30 credit-hour requirement in Political Science and the 90 credit-hour requirement in the Law School, the student must take nine credit hours from among a list of courses certified as acceptable by both units.

Generally, students admitted to the joint program will spend their first year in the program taking exclusively Law School courses and taking increasing numbers of political science courses in subsequent years. Whether the student begins his/her course of study in the Law School or the Department of Political Science, the first year in the Law School must consist exclusively of courses in the Law School.

Financial Aid: Students in the Joint Program are eligible for financial aid from both the Law School and the Political Science Department. However, in both cases, tuition scholarships may be used only for coursework in the unit in which they are awarded. In awarding research assistantships, the Political Science Department normally grants preference to students who will be completing mostly political science courses during the period they will hold the assistantship. Those interested in financial aid from the Political Science Department should follow normal financial aid application procedures.

MA Degree in Political Science or International Affairs for Lawyers: The Political Science Department also offers an “MA for Lawyers.” Applicants to either MA program who have already completed a JD will be considered to have completed 9 hours of cognate credits which will count toward the 30 hours of credits required for an MA in Political Science or International Affairs. This will substantially shorten their course of study. Applications for this program are considered solely by the Department of Political Science.

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