Dual JD/MA in International Relations

The Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations dual degree program provides advanced training for students assuming positions in national governments or international agencies, and for international lawyers who need to understand the global environment in which they will operate.

Program of Study

Students in the program typically receive both degrees in three-and-a-half years. The requirements for the dual degree include courses in the IR core areas of theory and policy, political economy, security studies, and regional studies. The required JD courses in the School of Law provide professional background and preparation for law practice.

Students should first consult the International Relations MA Core Requirements portion of this Bulletin for detailed requirements applicable to all International Relations (IR) MA programs.

Requirements

During the first year of the program, dual degree candidates will take the prescribed first-year School of Law (LAW) curriculum.

During the second and third years of the program, dual degree candidates will take:

• Six graduate-level courses in the Department of International Relations, which will constitute three International Relations core courses and three GRS/IR International Affairs electives. These courses can be chosen from the list of approved electives that appears on the International Relations MA Core Requirements portion of this Bulletin.
• At least four LAW courses (a minimum total of 12 credits) in the areas of international, foreign, and comparative law, according to the following guidelines:
  • The School of Law’s introductory International Law course (JD 927)
  • EITHER
    • Two courses from among the School of Law course offerings in international, foreign, and comparative law
      AND
    • One seminar from among the School of Law seminar offerings in international, foreign, and comparative law

    - OR -

    • One course from the School of Law courses in international, foreign, and comparative law
      AND
    • Two seminars from the School of Law seminars in international, foreign, and comparative law
• A sufficient number of LAW courses to satisfy the regular residency requirements of the law school. Students may receive credit toward the JD for graduate-level coursework at GRS/IR consistent with School of Law regulations governing non-law, graduate-level courses. Students must satisfy all other requirements for the JD that the School of Law sets.
• A master’s research or policy paper, prepared with an IR department faculty advisor or, with prior approval by the Graduate Programs Administrator at the IR department, a School of Law faculty advisor, to be defended in an oral examination organized by the IR department.
• A statistics requirement that may be satisfied by presentation of documentation of having passed an undergraduate course in statistics, or by passing IR 702 Research Methods for International Relations Practitioners, CAS MA 113, or CAS MA 115 at Boston University. (The IR department strongly prefers that students take IR 702.)

Students must satisfy a foreign language requirement by either:

• taking a written exam involving translation from a foreign language into English, which is administered and evaluated by the IR department
  OR
• taking and passing any of five Graduate Reading Knowledge courses offered by the Department of Romance Studies and the Department of Modern Languages & Comparative Literature. These are 0-credit courses taken pass/fail that focus on teaching reading knowledge only. They are: LF 621 (French); LG 621 (German); LI 621 (Italian); LP 621 (Portuguese); and LS 621 (Spanish).

Application

Candidates in the dual degree program should first apply to the Boston University School of Law, indicating on their application their interest in the JD/MA in International Relations dual degree program.

Once the School of Law admits an applicant, the School of Law Admissions office will forward the application to the Admissions office at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS), which will forward it to the IR department for review. GRS will separately inform applicants of their admission to the dual degree program.

Applicants who are admitted into the JD program but not the dual degree program remain eligible for the JD program; applicants who are not accepted into the JD program may apply separately to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences for admittance to the Master of Arts in International Relations program.

School of Law Requirements

• Completed application to the School of Law
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or enrollment in a course of study that will result in the award of such a degree before commencement of law study
• A nonrefundable application fee, payable to Boston University
• Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended
• All applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) no later than February of the year for which they are applying
• All applicants, except those who completed all of their undergraduate work in countries outside the U.S., must register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) during the current processing year
• Two letters of recommendation and a Dean’s clearance from the undergraduate school granting the applicant the BA or BS degree
• Personal statement
• Demonstrated proficiency in English for non-English-speaking candidates (TOEFL)

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Requirements

For the master’s degree program in International Relations, students must identify a foreign language in which they are competent.

If students apply to the International Relations master’s degree program during the first year of law school, the deadline is April 15.