Program Overview

J.D./M.A. in Journalism

This dual degree program allows students to earn a J.D. and an M.A. in Journalism in 3 to 3½ years. Students complete a total of 109 credit hours for the joint degree. The program will allow 9 J.D. credit hours to be applied to the M.A. degree and 6 M.A. credit hours to be applied to the J.D. degree, saving the student 15 credit hours between the two programs.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to the graduate studies for the Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Communication dual degree are:

• Students must be admitted to the Law School first, prior to enrollment in the School of Communication, checking a box on their application indicating their interest in the dual degree program.
• Once accepted to the Law School, the student's law school application including LSAT score, undergraduate transcript, and letters of recommendation (two of them required for the J.D. program) will be sent to the School of Communication for review.
• The student will then receive notification from the School of Communication regarding his/her admission to the dual degree program.
• LSAT score may be submitted in lieu of the GRE score.

General Notes

• Students will be admitted to the Law School J.D. program and the School of Communication (SoC) master's program separately.
• Students in this dual degree program must commence law study first.
• Students who have already commenced work on the SoC M.A. are not eligible for the dual program.

Curriculum Requirements

The program in journalism has 15 credits of required courses and 12 credits of elective courses (plus 9 credits that will be transferred from the School of Law). Law students with particular areas of interest may consult with a faculty advisor in Journalism to request course substitutions. As journalism evolves, the core and list of electives will evolve as well.

Course List