Joint Law Degrees
The joint degrees in law are the result of a collaboration between the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Program and the GW Law School. These degrees allow certain courses to count toward the fulfillment of requirements for both degrees, enabling students to complete the joint Master of Laws (LLM) program in two years and the joint JD program in four. For both joint law degree options, students choose between the MA in WGSS or the MA in Public Policy-WGSS.
"The knowledge and support I received in the joint JD/MA program helped to shape the kind of lawyer I plan to become: a lawyer equipped with an understanding that the law often serves to reinforce power over marginalized identities and driven by the desire to give individuals a voice in opposition to that power."
Kyle Coffino
JD/MA '23
Degrees Offered
Joint JD/MA Program
Students may work concurrently toward both the Juris Doctor degree in the GW Law School and the MA in WGSS or the MA in Public Policy-WGSS. The joint law degree programs normally take four years to complete instead of the five years that would be required to pursue the degrees separately. Students must be admitted separately into the Law School and into one of the WGSS MA programs.
Students enrolled in the dual program take the required first-year Law School curriculum in their initial year. Students spend the next three years combining courses in the Law School with courses in WGSS. Up to 12 Law School credit hours may be counted toward the 36 credit hours required for both of the WGSS MA degrees. Up to 12 credit hours in the MA program may count toward the Law School’s 84-credit requirement. Law School courses that will be counted toward the MA in WGSS or the MA in Public Policy-WGSS must be approved after consultation with the respective program advisors.
Current master’s students in the WGSS Program may also apply to the Law School to pursue a joint degree after starting their MA coursework. However, per the American Bar Association, coursework completed prior to starting the JD cannot be counted toward the JD. Students must have at least 12 credits remaining prior to starting the joint JD/MA degree program; students in their first year of the MA are eligible to apply. Students must spend their first full year of law school pursuing only GW Law School courses (no MA coursework); after the first year, they may integrate their remaining WGSS courses.
Joint LLM/MA Program
Students may work concurrently toward both the Master of Laws (LLM) degree in the GW Law School and the MA in WGSS or the MA in Public Policy With a Concentration in WGSS. Students must be admitted separately into the Law School and into one of the WGSS MA Programs in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
Application Requirements
To qualify for any joint MA and law degree, students must be accepted by both Columbian College and the George Washington University Law School.
All students must complete their first year of coursework in the law school.
Interested students should reach out to Dalia Mitchell (Professor of Law and History) for questions regarding Law School admissions at [email protected].