The opportunities for graduate study beyond a law degree are particularly rich at the University of Wisconsin. The UW Law School offers dual degree opportunities in conjunction with master's and doctoral programs on the campus.
Programs
The Law School has established programs with:
- La Follette School of Public Affairs
- Wisconsin School of Business
- Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Political Science
- Department of Sociology and Rural Sociology
- School of Library and Information Studies
- Master of Public Health Program
- Neuroscience and Public Policy Program
A strong tradition of research at the UW and an environment that encourages interdisciplinary work support the dual degree programs. In addition, the Law School offers certificate programs that provide an opportunity for concentrated study, but do not involve an additional degree. Certificates are available in two subject areas: Health Advocacy and Russian Area Studies.
A dual degree is not a joint degree or a double degree. A dual degree is two separate degrees, one of which is granted by a graduate or professional department, school or program and one of which is granted by the Law School. In most instances, completing the requirements for a master's degree and a J.D. will add about a year of study to the three years that it usually takes to complete law school and saves approximately one year of study compared to attaining both degrees separately. A combination of a J.D. and a Ph.D. will take considerably longer. The mechanism for reducing the time for each degree is the permission to "double count" some courses taken for the J.D. degree toward the master's or Ph.D. degree and vice versa.
In addition, the Law School is committed to helping students create individual programs that combine law and related fields of study. Students wanting to combine a J.D. with a master's not already approved in the Law School Rules (listed above) must receive permission for their programs from the Law School Petitions Committee. Students do not need permission from the Petitions Committee to pursue a J.D. with a Ph.D. not already approved in the Law School. Lastly, the Law School has adopted a general regulation to facilitate dual J.D./Ph.D. programs in fields where no established dual degree program currently exists. That rule allows the Law School to grant a semester of advanced standing to students in such programs if certain standards are met.
General Requirements
Dual degree candidates must apply to and be admitted by each school or department separately. For all programs except for MPH, students apply to both the Graduate School and the particular department/program, and to the Law School. For the dual JD/MPH program, students only apply directly to the MPH program, and to the Law School.
Dual degree students must be enrolled in both programs concurrently at some point in their career. Generally, students need not apply and be admitted to both programs in the same year. However, some departments or schools may require that students be admitted to both for the same academic year; therefore, it is essential that applicants familiarize themselves with the admission and dual degree requirements of both the Law School and the proposed dual degree department when considering a dual degree program. Note that students earning dual degrees usually will not graduate with the law class with which they matriculated. To receive dual degrees, students must satisfy all of the requirements for each degree.
Tuition
For all programs except the MPH dual degree, once the student is admitted to both programs, the student should pay a "blended rate" of tuition and fees for every semester as a dual degree student. The rate is between the rate for Law School and the Graduate School department or other school (the other program). The students pay this rate for all semesters, regardless of whether they are taking all Law classes, all classes in the other program or a combination of both. For this reason, students admitted to a second department should notify Academic Advisor Angela Nash for assistance in getting the correct tuition and fees assessed.
The JD/MPH dual degree program is a "step out" model. Semester by semester, students must decide and declare which school they will enroll in for the majority of their courses, and will pay that school's tuition rate, accordingly. Students are required to matriculate in the Law School for at least 5 semesters and the MPH program for at least 2 semesters. For this reason, students admitted to this dual degree program should work with Academic Advisor Angela Nash and Faculty Advisor Sarah Davis to plan their program.
How Dual Degrees Affect Earning the J.D. Degree
Students earning dual degrees must satisfy the same subject area requirements as all other law students seeking the J.D. degree and Diploma Privilege (the ability to waive taking the Wisconsin State Bar Examination before practicing law in Wisconsin). Likewise, dual degree students must earn a total of 90 credits, including up to 30 elective law credits. However, dual degree students may count 15 credits from their other degree program as law electives. The Law School will accept any 15 graduate credits from the outside program in which the student earned a B or better. The outside program, however, usually specifies in advance which law courses count toward the master's or doctoral degree and will "double count" only those courses. In the dual degree program with the Business School, students may need more than 75 Law School credits in order to meet the requirements for the J.D. degree with diploma privilege and satisfy Business School requirements.
The following diagram demonstrates how a dual degree student who begins as a Law student might complete a J.D. and a master's degree in four years. Note that this order is not required. From the Law School's perspective, students may begin course work in the "Other Program" before or after the first year in law school. Once dual degree students begin taking law courses, they must complete the first-year course sequence of 30 credits within two academic years, starting in a fall semester. Students are strongly advised to complete the first-year of Law School as full-time students in one academic year.
| Years | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Total J.D Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 credits of law | 15 credits of law | 30 |
| 2 | 3 credits of law while taking credits in Other Program | 3 credits of law while taking credits in Other Program | 36 |
| 3 | 13 credits of law while taking credits in Other Program | 13 credits of law while taking credits in Other Program | 62 |
| 4 | 13 credits of law | Credits in Other Program | 75* |
* The dual degree student in this example completes 75 law credits (including the specific graduation and 60-hour subject requirements) and adds 15 credits from the other program to meet the requirement for 90 credits for the J.D. degree. These 15 credits from the other department substitute for 15 elective law credits that otherwise would have been required.
Dual degree students combining J.D. and master's degrees will receive the J.D. (and this transfer of credits) only when both programs are complete. In dual J.D./Ph.D. programs, the transfer of outside credits may occur earlier than the completion of the doctoral degree, typically at the completion of the requirements for a master's degree. A dual degree student who does not finish the other degree will only be able to count 6 outside graduate credits toward the J.D. degree, regardless of how many credits toward the other degree were completed.
For all programs except the JD/MPH program, once the student is admitted to both programs, the student should pay a "blended rate" of tuition and fees for every semester as a dual degree. The rate is between the rate for Law School and the Graduate School department or other school (the Other Program). The student pays this rate for all semesters, regardless of whether he/she is taking all Law classes, all classes in the Other Program, or a combination of both. For this reason, students admitted to a second department should notify Academic Advisor Angela Nash for assistance in getting the correct tuition and fees assessed.
The JD/MPH dual degree program is a "step out" model. Semester by semester, students must decide and declare which school they will enroll in for the majority of their courses, and will pay that school's tuition rate, accordingly. Students are required to matriculate in the Law School for at least 5 semester and the MPH program for at least 2 semesters. For this reason, students admitted to this dual degree program should work with Academic Advisor Angela Nash and Faculty Advisor Sarah Davis to plan their program.
