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The Tennessee Board of Regents approved the Dual M.A.-J.D. Program offered by the
Department of Political Science and the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at The University
of Memphis. Over the years, both undergraduate and graduate students at the University
of Memphis have requested a dual program for the Law J.D. and the Political Science
M.A. degree programs. The advantage of such a program is that credit towards degrees
in these career-related disciplines can be earned simultaneously if admissions and
curricula are carefully structured. Many reputable institutions elsewhere, such as
Yale, Duke, Syracuse, Tulane, and Cincinnati, have such programs. None of them, however,
is close to Memphis, so adding the program provides a competitive advantage in the
Mid-South.
Below are the requirements for the program. Basically, students may begin the M.A.
in Political Science and then, pending separate admission, attend Law School where
they may apply 16 credit hours (see below) to finish the M.A. Alternatively, they
may first begin Law School and, pending separate admission, follow with the M.A. degree
and similarly apply 16 hours of Law School credit to the M.A.
This is a wonderful opportunity for students. If you have any questions, please contact
Dr. Heather Larsen-Price (hlrsnprc@memphis.edu), POLS Graduate Coordinator or Dr. Matthias Kaelberer, (mkaelbrr@memphis.edu), Department Chair.
Dual MA-JD Program
- A. Program Admission
Admission to the dual program will require separate admission to each program. However,
for applications to the joint program, the Political Science Department will accept
LSAT scores in lieu of the GRE. Students are admitted into each program separately;
completion of one degree is not contingent upon completion of both.
- B. Program Requirements
1. Dual Credit
Students may earn up to a maximum of sixteen hours of dual credit for law courses
taken at the law school. The remaining hours toward the M.A. in Political Science
must be taken in Political Science. The following courses will qualify for both the
J.D. and M.A. in Political Science:
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Law Courses Required at Law School
Constitutional Law 4 hours, Criminal Law 3 hours, Criminal Procedure I 3 hours
Law School Electives
Administrative Law 3 hours, Criminal Procedure II 2 hours, Federal Courts A 2 hours,
Federal Courts B 2 hours, Civil Rights 3 hours, Constitutional Law Seminar 2 hours,
Tennessee Con Law 2 hours, Jurisprudence 2 hours, International Law 3 hours, Comparative
Law 3 hours, Immigration Law 3 hours, Environmental Law 3 hours
2. Other Requirements
For students in the dual program, their first year of law school must include only
classes that are part of the J.D. program.
With the above exceptions, all the normal requirements for admission and graduation
for a J.D. and for an M.A. in Political Science apply.
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