Dual Degrees Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a few questions that are frequently asked by students who are interested in pursuing a dual degree. If your question is not listed here, please contact us at law.dual.degrees@umich.edu.
The dual degree program is administered through the Office of Student Affairs. General questions can be sent to law.dual.degrees@umich.edu.
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Admissions procedures at each school are independent. Students must apply to and gain admission to both schools separately. The Law School will waive the application fee of any student applying to two Michigan departments simultaneously for one of the formalized programs. Some programs do not require that you take the GRE if you have already taken the LSAT; you must check with individual programs to ascertain their requirements.
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Each school will count a specified number of credits from the other school. This double-counting accounts for the time and cost savings. While the number of law credits that may be applied toward the external degree varies from school to school, the Law School will always allow up to 12 credits taken in Michigan graduate level courses to be applied toward the JD.
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No. Law students are free to apply to another program during their first, or sometimes even second, year of law school. If you do apply and are admitted to both programs in the same admissions cycle, you must be sure to check with each separate admitting office about enrollment schedules. Typically, dual degree students will spend the first year of the program in the Law School, the second year in the companion school, and the final two years (sometimes less, depending on the specific program) taking a combination of credits in both schools. Whatever schedule best fits your goals, be sure to check with the admitting offices of both schools to ensure they can accommodate your preferred enrollment schedule. Students who wish to complete the JD/MA - World Politics dual degree must take 6 graduate level credits in Political Science prior to applying for admission to the master's program.
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It might. It is possible for some programs that, by starting in the Law School, you will be able to complete the two degrees in a shorter period than if you started in the other graduate program. This varies among programs, and you will need specific advice for your situation. Further, be aware that if you are admitted to both the law school and an external program, you will need to seek permission from the Law School Admissions Office to begin in any term other than the one for which you were admitted. That change is at the discretion of the Admissions Office and will not occur automatically.
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No. The dual degree programs are not open to students who have already completed the requirements for one of the degrees.
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No. The American Bar Association, our accrediting organization, prohibits the granting of credit for work completed prior to enrollment in a JD program.
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If classes are taken exclusively at one school in any given semester, tuition is paid to that school at that school's rate. However, in any semester where classes are taken in both schools, tuition will be assessed at either the Law School or the companion school rate, whichever is higher.
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Simultaneous completion of the degrees is not necessary from the Law School's standpoint. However, it is a requirement for some of the other graduate units, such as the Business School. Students are advised to check with the companion school regarding its specific graduation requirements.
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At the start of a dual degree program, law students are required to complete a Dual Degree Declaration Form. In addition, the Law School requires all students to complete various forms just prior to graduation. Other graduate and professional schools have similar requirements. In addition to those forms required by particular graduate units, any student obtaining a JD and one of the Rackham degrees must complete a Dual/Joint Degree Election Form prior to graduation.
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No. Except in very rare circumstances, only law courses may be taken during the first year of law school.
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The Law School will count up to 12 credits from another University of Michigan graduate unit. In order for a course to be counted toward the JD requirements, it must be taken after the student begins law studies and the student must earn at least a B- (or its equivalent) in the course. Instructions on how to request Law School credit for non-law courses can be found on the Dual Degrees page on CTools.
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The Law School counts up to 12 credits taken in a companion school even if a student is not registered for a dual degree, and imposes no penalty on a student who opts to discontinue a dual degree program.
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No. The 12 credits from the graduate school unit are counted on a mandatory pass/fail basis. No honor points are earned; nor is the grade calculated as part of the Law School GPA.
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The double counted pass/fail credits from the companion program decrease the number of pass/fail credits available to students through the Law School. For Law School honors recognition (a final GPA of 3.4 and above), a student must have a minimum of 62 graded credit hours.
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Academic regulations make it difficult for dual degree students to do an externship. However, practical or hands-on opportunities may be available for credit through the Law School's clinical program or the companion school.
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By ABA rule, all law school graduates must have 64 credit hours in "regularly scheduled law classes." First year courses, upper class courses, law courses taken outside of Michigan Law, seminars, and most clinical law courses count toward fulfilling this requirement. Independent research, externships, and non-law courses do not.
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Law students must complete six full time terms or their equivalent in law school. A full time term requires carriage throughout the term and completion of at least 10 credit hours with a grade of D or better.
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Yes. Students interested in such programs should contact law.dual.degrees@umich.edu.
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