How does the Joint Degree Program work?
To pursue joint degrees under the Joint Degree Program, students must apply to and be accepted to both the College of Law and the graduate college of interest. Students have the option of seeking admission to the Joint Degree Program after matriculation at the College of Law by applying to the graduate college of interest during the first year of law school. Similarly, students who have already begun graduate work at the University of Iowa may apply to the College of Law and seek admission to the Joint Degree Program.
Because the Joint Degree Program is available in so many graduate departments/colleges at The University of Iowa, the College of Law has not created special "Joint Degree Program" courses or programs of study.
In essence, the cross-credited courses are elective courses in each discipline, and Joint Degree Program students must satisfy the usual hours and course requirements that all other students must satisfy for each degree separately. Students considering the Joint Degree Program should keep in mind that the first year program in the College of Law consists of required courses, and no graduate courses outside the College of Law may be taken during the first academic year.
The College of Law will credit up to 12 hours of graduate work earned in another graduate department/college under the Joint Degree Program toward the 90 hours required for the law degree, even though those hours are also being credited toward the other graduate degree. However, these hours must be earned after the student has matriculated at the College of Law; graduate work earned prior to matriculation at the College of Law will not be accepted for credit toward the law degree.
Not all graduate departments/colleges are willing to take as many as 12 hours of law. Their decision is largely governed by the number of required courses they have in their own discipline and the number of elective hours they permit in any outside department. Prospective students should check with the graduate department/college of interest to determine the number of law hours it accepts for cross-crediting purposes and other rules or restrictions concerning cross-crediting with the College of Law.
A student who seeks admission to the Joint Degree Program and obtains admission into one college but not the other may enter the college to which the student is admitted. However, the student will not be admitted to the Joint Degree Program. Likewise, a Joint Degree Program student who terminates work toward either degree after entering the Joint Degree Program may continue to work toward the other degree.
For more information regarding degree program objectives and the admissions process, please see the links below.
Joint Degree Objectives
Admissions |
