Master of Science in Journalism and Law Joint Degree
MS/JD Requirements
Graduate Degree Requirements: To receive the M.S./J.D., a student must complete a minimum of 108 credit hours. Of these, at least, 81 credit hours must be from courses offered by the School of Law and 28 must be from the master’s program in journalism.
Program Overview
The William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the KU School of Law offer a joint MSJ and JD degree program that combines 3.5 years of full-time study for the Master of Science (M.S.) in Journalism and the Juris Doctor (J.D.). The joint degree program in journalism and law is designed to offer students academic grounding in both disciplines to prepare them for the professional practice of journalism, law or a combination of media law.
Students in the joint degree program should note that while the School of Law requires a 2.0 grade point average in J.D. coursework to remain in good standing and for graduation, the master’s degree in Journalism follows the Graduate School regulation requiring a 3.0 cumulative grade point average for coursework that is counted toward the M.S. portion of the joint degree.
In planning their enrollments, students should inform themselves of course prerequisites and plan their course schedules accordingly. Please refer to the J-School and Law School websites for the most current information about admission and graduation requirements: Journalism and Law.
Typical M.S./J.D. Program Format
| Law School | J-School | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Year | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Second Year | 15 | 18 | 33 |
| Third Year | 21 | 10 | 31 |
| Fourth Year | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Total Credit Earned | 81 | 28 | 109 |
| Law Credit Allowed | -- | 9 | 9 |
| Journalism Credit Allowed | 9 | -- | 9 |
Total Credit Required | 90 | 37 | 127 |
Enrollment Requirements after Completing Course Requirements
A student must enroll for at least 3 hours of credit in the semester in which he or she graduates. The student must complete 3 hours of JMC 899 (Thesis/Project).
Enrollment in Elective Courses Outside the School
Up to 6 credit hours of coursework may be completed outside the School, with the approval of the graduate director or graduate committee. Students who wish to take a course or courses outside the School must have permission from both the instructor of the course and from the School. The student should submit a written proposal to the Graduate Director and should indicate how the course contributes to their master’s program.