JD/MA in Political Science
The JD/MA in Political Science joint degree program at the University of Kansas combines into three years and one semester the three-year J.D. program offered by the School of Law and the two-year M.A. in Political Science program offered by the Department of Political Science.
The program is designed for students who have interests in public law, comparative legal systems, international law and organizations, and public policy. It is ideally suited for those planning careers in the public sector or in law practices involving international or domestic administrative agencies.
Students in the program must complete a minimum of 81 credit hours in law and a minimum of 21 credit hours in political science.
Contacts for prospective law students:
- KU Law Office of Admissions, 785-864-4378 or admitlaw@ku.edu
- Jess Wagner, graduate coordinator, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, jess.wagner@ku.edu or 785-864-2314
Contacts for current students:
- Associate Dean Leah Terranova, law school
- Jess Wagner, graduate coordinator, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, jess.wagner@ku.edu or 785-864-2314
JD/MA in Political Science Program Information
Learn more about admission requirements, degree requirements and the typical program format for the JD/MA in Political Science joint degree program using the tabs below.
Students must conclude their joint degree program enrolled in courses offered in the law school. In all cases, students must receive their joint degrees concurrently.
Admission Requirements
Candidates must submit separate applications and be separately admitted to the School of Law and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Political Science Master’s Program. Admittance into one school does not guarantee admittance by the other school.
Candidates must meet all applicable requirements of the School of Law, Political Science department and the Graduate School. Admission requirements include both the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) or GRE (Graduate Record Examination), along with other departmental and graduate school requirements.
No student may enter the joint program after completing more than 29 credit hours in the School of Law or 12 credit hours in the Political Science department.
Degree Requirements
The tables below outline the requirements for this joint degree program.
Total Credit Hours
| Credit Hours Required: | For JD | For MA |
|---|---|---|
| Law courses required of all J.D. candidates | 43 | 0 |
| Law courses required of all joint degree candidates | 9 | 9 |
| Political Science courses required of all joint degree candidates | 9 | 6 |
| Elective law courses | 29 | 0 |
| Elective political science courses | 0 | 15 |
| Minimum hours required | 90 | 30 |
J.D. Requirements
The following law courses are required for all J.D. candidates. Learn more about J.D. Program Degree Requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| First-Year Courses | |
| LAW 804 Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAW 806 Introduction to Constitutional Law | 4 |
| LAW 809 Contracts | 4 |
| LAW 814 Criminal Law | 4 |
| LAW 820 Lawyering Skills I | 2 |
| LAW 821 Lawyering Skills II | 3 |
| LAW 826 Property | 4 |
| LAW 831 Torts I | 4 |
| Upper-Level Courses | |
| LAW 972 Professional Responsibility must be completed by the time a student finishes 60 hours. | 2 |
| 3 courses from among the following: | |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAW 881 Conflict of Laws | 3 |
| LAW 878 Criminal Procedure: Investigation | 3 |
| LAW 908 Evidence | 3 |
| LAW 909 Family Law | 3 |
| LAW 845 Jurisdiction | 3 |
| LAW 996 Trusts and Estates | 4 |
| In addition to all the JD/MA in Political Science program course requirements, students must satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Intensive Course Requirements and the Experiential Course Requirements. | |
Students must complete all required first-year courses (29 credit hours) during their first year of law school enrollment. In addition to these course requirements, the School of Law has an upper-class writing requirement, a residence requirement, and a time limit for completion of the degree. Please refer to the current School of Law academic catalog for details.
JD/MA in Political Science Joint Degree Candidate Requirements
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| LAW 850 Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAW 954 Legislation and Statutory Interpretation | 3 |
| LAW 934 Jurisprudence | 3 |
Political Science Requirements
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| POLS 705 Research Design for Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 706 Research Methods I | 3 |
All candidates for the M.A. degree must complete, at a satisfactory level:
- 30 credit hours of graduate credit, 21 of which must be earned in courses at the 700 level or above;
- Research methods through POLS 706; and
- A comprehensive master’s oral examination.
The student selects a principal advisor from the graduate faculty by the end of the first year to choose courses and prepare for the comprehensive examination. The examination is administered by a 3-person M.A. committee that includes the student’s principal advisor and two other members of the KU graduate faculty selected by the student in consultation with the principal advisor. One member of the committee may be from another department (including special status members of the graduate faculty).
Directed readings courses in excess of 5 hours cannot be counted toward the 30 credit hours required for the degree.
Applicants who have not completed at least 15 undergraduate credit hours in political science may be admitted with the provision that they complete additional hours of coursework.
All candidates must fulfill the requirements of either the thesis or the non-thesis option for the Master of Arts degree.
Non-thesis Option
Candidates may substitute a minimum of two 800- or 900-level research courses plus satisfactory performance on a comprehensive written examination administered by the three-person M.A. committee before the oral examination.
Typical Program Format
The University of Kansas Graduate School Catalog states specifically that all coursework toward any master’s degree requires a B (or 3.0) cumulative grade point average for the award of the degree. Students should understand that the grades received in any law courses that are credited toward fulfillment of the M.A. in Political Science degree requirements are incorporated into the M.A. grade point average, which ultimately must be B (3.0) for the award of the M.A. in Political Science degree.
All joint-degree students also must fulfill the Upper-Level Writing Intensive course requirements and the Experiential course requirements in the School of Law. Please see the current School of Law academic catalog for details.
| Law | Political Science | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Second Year | 25 | 6 | 31 |
| Third Year | 22 | 9 | 31 |
| Summer | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Total Credit Earned | 81 | 21 | 102 |
| Law Credit Allowed | - | 9 | 9 |
| Political Science Credit Allowed | 9 | - | 9 |
| Total Credit Required | 90 | 30 | 120 |
Admission Requirements
Candidates must submit separate applications and be separately admitted to the School of Law and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Political Science Master’s Program. Admittance into one school does not guarantee admittance by the other school.
Candidates must meet all applicable requirements of the School of Law, Political Science department and the Graduate School. Admission requirements include both the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) or GRE (Graduate Record Examination), along with other departmental and graduate school requirements.
No student may enter the joint program after completing more than 29 credit hours in the School of Law or 12 credit hours in the Political Science department.
Degree Requirements
The tables below outline the requirements for this joint degree program.
Total Credit Hours
| Credit Hours Required: | For JD | For MA |
|---|---|---|
| Law courses required of all J.D. candidates | 43 | 0 |
| Law courses required of all joint degree candidates | 9 | 9 |
| Political Science courses required of all joint degree candidates | 9 | 6 |
| Elective law courses | 29 | 0 |
| Elective political science courses | 0 | 15 |
| Minimum hours required | 90 | 30 |
J.D. Requirements
The following law courses are required for all J.D. candidates. Learn more about J.D. Program Degree Requirements.
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| First-Year Courses | |
| LAW 804 Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAW 806 Introduction to Constitutional Law | 4 |
| LAW 809 Contracts | 4 |
| LAW 814 Criminal Law | 4 |
| LAW 820 Lawyering Skills I | 2 |
| LAW 821 Lawyering Skills II | 3 |
| LAW 826 Property | 4 |
| LAW 831 Torts I | 4 |
| Upper-Level Courses | |
| LAW 972 Professional Responsibility must be completed by the time a student finishes 60 hours. | 2 |
| 3 courses from among the following: | |
| LAW 892 Business Organizations | 4 |
| LAW 873 Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAW 881 Conflict of Laws | 3 |
| LAW 878 Criminal Procedure: Investigation | 3 |
| LAW 908 Evidence | 3 |
| LAW 909 Family Law | 3 |
| LAW 845 Jurisdiction | 3 |
| LAW 996 Trusts and Estates | 4 |
| In addition to all the JD/MA in Political Science program course requirements, students must satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Intensive Course Requirements and the Experiential Course Requirements. | |
Students must complete all required first-year courses (29 credit hours) during their first year of law school enrollment. In addition to these course requirements, the School of Law has an upper-class writing requirement, a residence requirement, and a time limit for completion of the degree. Please refer to the current School of Law academic catalog for details.
JD/MA in Political Science Joint Degree Candidate Requirements
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| LAW 850 Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAW 954 Legislation and Statutory Interpretation | 3 |
| LAW 934 Jurisprudence | 3 |
Political Science Requirements
| Course | Credit hours |
|---|---|
| POLS 705 Research Design for Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 706 Research Methods I | 3 |
All candidates for the M.A. degree must complete, at a satisfactory level:
- 30 credit hours of graduate credit, 21 of which must be earned in courses at the 700 level or above;
- Research methods through POLS 706; and
- A comprehensive master’s oral examination.
The student selects a principal advisor from the graduate faculty by the end of the first year to choose courses and prepare for the comprehensive examination. The examination is administered by a 3-person M.A. committee that includes the student’s principal advisor and two other members of the KU graduate faculty selected by the student in consultation with the principal advisor. One member of the committee may be from another department (including special status members of the graduate faculty).
Directed readings courses in excess of 5 hours cannot be counted toward the 30 credit hours required for the degree.
Applicants who have not completed at least 15 undergraduate credit hours in political science may be admitted with the provision that they complete additional hours of coursework.
All candidates must fulfill the requirements of either the thesis or the non-thesis option for the Master of Arts degree.
Non-thesis Option
Candidates may substitute a minimum of two 800- or 900-level research courses plus satisfactory performance on a comprehensive written examination administered by the three-person M.A. committee before the oral examination.
Typical Program Format
The University of Kansas Graduate School Catalog states specifically that all coursework toward any master’s degree requires a B (or 3.0) cumulative grade point average for the award of the degree. Students should understand that the grades received in any law courses that are credited toward fulfillment of the M.A. in Political Science degree requirements are incorporated into the M.A. grade point average, which ultimately must be B (3.0) for the award of the M.A. in Political Science degree.
All joint-degree students also must fulfill the Upper-Level Writing Intensive course requirements and the Experiential course requirements in the School of Law. Please see the current School of Law academic catalog for details.
| Law | Political Science | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Second Year | 25 | 6 | 31 |
| Third Year | 22 | 9 | 31 |
| Summer | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Total Credit Earned | 81 | 21 | 102 |
| Law Credit Allowed | - | 9 | 9 |
| Political Science Credit Allowed | 9 | - | 9 |
| Total Credit Required | 90 | 30 | 120 |